1992–93 Atlanta Hawks season

The 1992–93 NBA season was the 44th season for the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association, and their 25th season in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hawks received the tenth overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft, and selected power forward Adam Keefe out of Stanford University. During the off-season, the team acquired Mookie Blaylock and Roy Hinson from the New Jersey Nets; however, Hinson never played for the Hawks due to knee injuries he sustained in New Jersey.

Despite having Dominique Wilkins back after missing half of the previous season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Hawks lost five of their first seven games of the regular season, but managed to defeat the 2-time defending champion Chicago Bulls on the road, 100–99 at the Chicago Stadium on November 7, 1992. As the season progressed, the team continued to struggle playing below 500. basketball for the first half of the regular season, holding a 24–27 record at the All-Star break. However, after holding a 26–31 record as of March 4, 1993, the Hawks would win 12 of their next 13 games while posting a 12–3 record in March, finishing in fourth place in the Central Division with a 43–39 record, earning the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference, and returning to the NBA playoffs after a one-year absence.

Wilkins surpassed Bob Pettit as the Hawks all-time scoring leader, averaging 29.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, plus leading the team with 120 three-point field goals; he was also named to the All-NBA Second Team, and was selected for the 1993 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition, Kevin Willis averaged 17.9 points and 12.9 rebounds per game, while second-year guard Stacey Augmon contributed 14.0 points per game, and Blaylock provided the team with 13.4 points, 8.4 assists and 2.5 steals per game, along with 118 three-point field goals. Off the bench, Duane Ferrell provided with 10.2 points per game, while second-year guard Paul Graham contributed 8.1 points per game, Keefe averaged 6.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, and starting center Jon Koncak provided with 3.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

Wilkins also finished in fifth place in Most Valuable Player voting, with 0 first-place votes and 54 points, and Blaylock finished tied in eleventh place in Most Improved Player voting, with 1 first-place vote and point each.

However, in the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1993 NBA playoffs, the Hawks were swept by the Bulls in three straight games. The Bulls would go on to defeat the Phoenix Suns in six games in the 1993 NBA Finals, winning their third consecutive championship. The Hawks finished last in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 491,229 at the Omni Coliseum, which was 27th in the league.

This was also Wilkins' final full season with the Hawks before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers midway through the following season. Also, following the season, head coach Bob Weiss was fired after three seasons with the Hawks, and Travis Mays was released to free agency.

For the season, the Hawks changed their uniforms, adding side panels to the right side of their jerseys and shorts, which remained in use until 1995.