1998–99_Atlanta_Hawks_season
1998–99 Atlanta Hawks season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1998–99 NBA season was the Hawks' 50th season in the National Basketball Association, and 31st season in Atlanta.[1] On March 23, 1998, the owners of all 29 NBA teams voted 27–2 to reopen the league's collective bargaining agreement, seeking changes to the league's salary cap system, and a ceiling on individual player salaries. The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) opposed to the owners' plan, and wanted raises for players who earned the league's minimum salary. After both sides failed to reach an agreement, the owners called for a lockout, which began on July 1, 1998, putting a hold on all team trades, free agent signings and training camp workouts, and cancelling many NBA regular season and preseason games.[2][3][4][5][6] Due to the lockout, the NBA All-Star Game, which was scheduled to be played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 14, 1999, was also cancelled.[7][8][9][10][11] However, on January 6, 1999, NBA commissioner David Stern, and NBPA director Billy Hunter finally reached an agreement to end the lockout. The deal was approved by both the players and owners, and was signed on January 20, ending the lockout after 204 days. The regular season began on February 5, and was cut short to just 50 games per team instead of the regular 82-game schedule.[12][13][14][15][16]
The Hawks continued to split their home games between the Georgia Dome, and the Alexander Memorial Coliseum for the second consecutive season.[17] In the off-season, the team signed free agents LaPhonso Ellis,[18][19] second-year guard Anthony Johnson and re-signed former Hawks forward Grant Long.[20][21][17] Ellis would reunite with his former teammate of the Denver Nuggets, 3-time Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo. However, Ellis would be out for the remainder of the season with a hernia injury after just 20 games,[22][23] being replaced by second-year forward Chris Crawford as the team's starting small forward. The Hawks played around .500 with a 9–9 start, then later on posted a 7-game winning streak in April, and won nine of their final eleven games. The team finished second in the Central Division with a 31–19 record.[24]
Steve Smith led the team in scoring with 18.7 points per game, while Mookie Blaylock averaged 13.3 points, 5.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and Mutombo provided the team with 10.8 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. In addition, Alan Henderson provided with 12.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while Ellis contributed 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds, and Long played a sixth man role, averaging 9.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game off the bench. Corbin contributed 7.5 points per game also off the bench, and Crawford provided with 6.9 points per game.[25] Mutombo and Blaylock were both named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and Mutombo also finished in second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.[26][27]
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Hawks faced off against the Detroit Pistons. Despite losing Henderson to an eye injury in Game 1, and losing Crawford to a shoulder injury in Game 2,[28][29] the Hawks defeated the Pistons in five games,[30][31][32][33] but would be swept by the 8th-seeded New York Knicks in four straight games in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.[34][35][36][37] The Knicks would become the first #8 seed to reach the NBA Finals, but would lose in five games to the San Antonio Spurs.[38][39][40][41][42] This season would also be the last time the Hawks appear in the playoffs until 2008.
Following the season, Smith and second-year guard Ed Gray were both traded to the Portland Trail Blazers,[43][44][45][46] while Blaylock was traded to the Golden State Warriors after seven seasons in Atlanta,[47][48][49][50] Long signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Grizzlies,[51][52] and Tyrone Corbin re-signed with the Sacramento Kings.[53]
