Atlanta Hawks(2001-)

Theo Ratliff - Hawks

Theo Ratliff 

Theo Ratliff was not thrilled when he was traded from the Sixers to Atlanta one day after undergoing surgery on his right wrist, calling it "a dirty business."

2002-2003 SEASON

Hawks fans finally got the opportunity last year to view a healthy and dominant Ratliff patrolling the paint, the 6-10 center bounced back from his injury-plagued season the year before to finish ninth in balloting for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award • Reminding many of the shot-blocking abilities of former Atlanta post players Tree Rollins and Dikembe Mutombo, he turned away a career-best 262 blocks and took home his second league shot blocking title in the last three years • Speaking of Rollins and Mutombo, Ratliff’s season total was the sixth-highest in team history, trailing those two guys • In addition to forcing players to think twice before coming down the lane, his overall production improved tremendously over the last three months of the year • From February 1 to the season’s end, he totaled 9.8 points and 8.0 rebounds and rejected a staggering 4.2 shots in 33 minutes • On the season, Ratliff averaged 8.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 3.2 bpg (.464 FG%, .720 FT%) • He had nine double-doubles and 16 double-digit rebounding games • In an early-season game against the Hornets (11/16), Ratliff pulled down 17 boards - tying his career best, and he missed out on a triple-double on two occasions (9 pts/9 rebs/9 blks v/Orl (2/2), and 16 pts/14 rebs/9 blk @Ind (2/14)) • He also set or tied single game career highs in assists, steals and blocks • Saw action in 81 of the 82 regular season games, missing the only one because of illness (flu) • He has missed 108 games since joining the Hawks • SEASON HIGHS: 20 pts v/Tor (3/8), 17 rebs v/NO (11/16), 5 assts v/Milw (12/5), 4 stls (2x), 9 blks (3x), 48 mins @Bost (11/22), 9 FGM v/Tor (3/8), 7 FTM (2x).

 

2001-2002 SEASON

If there's any player hopeful of an injury-free, 82-game campaign, it is Ratliff, whose brief career in the Hawks' red-and-white has only consisted of three games...Completely recovered from the wrist injury that ended his season the year before, the 6-10 center suffered another setback when doctors found a small cartilage tear in his right hip...After seeing action in the first two games, Ratliff required surgery to repair the damage and he was placed on the injured list on November 5...Following weeks of rehabilitation and believing that his problems were behind him, he played 15 minutes at Toronto (January 11), but the pain continued to bother him and forced him to the sidelines yet again...The Hawks' trainers, medical staff and Ratliff turned to the Alex McKechnie Physiotherapy Clinic for assistance, and McKechnie - who has worked with the Vancouver Canucks and the Los Angeles Kings - spent the rest of the season getting Ratliff ready for the upcoming season...His drills created constant resistance against the limbs to correct the body's alignment and with repeated emphasis, Ratliff was forced to use positioning to strengthen his movements and ease the pain in the affected area...In order to test his recovery process, Ratliff played in two of Atlanta's summer league games and declared himself ready to re-establish his dominance on the court...If healthy, his presence will certainly improve the Hawks' defensive capabilities...In his brief appearances last season, Ratliff averaged 8.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 2.7 bpg (.500 FG%, .545 FT%)...Reached a personal milestone in his final game when he blocked the 1000th shot of his career against the Raptors...He has missed 107 games since joining the Hawks...SEASON HIGHS: 12 pts (2x), 8 rebs @Hou (10/30), 6 blks @Hou (10/30), 1 asst v/Wash (11/1), 1 stl @Hou (10/30), 39 mins @Hou (10/30), 5 FGM (2x), 2 FTM (3x).

 

2000-2001 SEASON

Always viewed as one of the NBA's premier shotblockers, Ratliff was gaining recognition for his all-around contributions and was preparing for the greatest honor of his career before injury struck on February 7. He suffered a stress fracture in his right wrist in the fourth quarter of that night's contest against Houston and the injury forced him to miss the rest of the 2000-01 season ... Not only did the 6-10 center miss the remaining 28 games of the year, but the injury prevented him from playing in his first NBA All-Star Game ... He was voted the Eastern Conference starter by the fans and was unable to perform ... One of Philly's key forces as the Sixers had the East's best record through the break, Sixers management was forced to make a tough decision when they realized they would be without his services because of the injury ... As a result, they sent Ratliff (and three teammates) to Atlanta for Dikembe Mutombo and Roshown McLeod ... He still won the NBA's blocked shots crown with 3.74 bpg, in addition to averaging career highs in scoring average (12.4 ppg) and rebounding average (8.3 rpg) ... He made 49.9 percent of his shots from the field and 76.0 percent from the FT line ... Finished the season with 12 double-doubles (pts/rebs) ... HIGH GAMES: 22 pts @NJ (2/4), 17 rebs @Orl (11/3), 4 assts v/Char (12/1), 3 stls v/Char (1/15), 9 blks v/Wash (11/29), 9 FGM @NJ (2/4), 9 FTM v/NJ (1/19), 52 mins v/Orl (2/2).