"People are expecting Superman every night" - When Hawks coach defended Dominique Wilkins against critics who pointed out his inconsistency

Dominique Wilkins entered the league in 1982 with big expectations. Initially selected by the Utah Jazz, Nique was traded to the Atlanta Hawks due to the Jazz's cash flow problems. The trade was branded as one of the lopsided deals despite the Hawks giving up players like John Drew and Freeman Williams and $1 million in cash.

Hence, the bar was set high for Wilkins, and fans were expecting a huge improvement. Before he came in, the farthest Atlanta got was the division finals – the last of which was during the 1969-70 season.

Then-coach Kevin Loughery was in his second year and led the Hawks to the first round of the playoffs during the 1981-82 season. With Wilkins in tow, most projected Atlanta to go beyond that.

Being a highly-touted prospect, high expectations were set for the former Georgia Bulldog. Wilkins was an exciting player, someone who proved he could score. However, as most know, the NBA is a different league.

Wilkins ain't no Superman

Oozing with potential, Wilkins had to adjust his game. Loughery knew the pressure on Wilkins and the Hawks but knew it would take time.

"Because of the media hype that he has had, and the great charisma that he has, people are expecting Superman every night," Loughery said back in 1983 via UPI.com .

In his first 30 games, Wilkins averaged 18.0 points and 5.7 rebounds. He played better during home games.

"I think most any young player coming into the league is going to score more at home," Wilkins said. "You have the home crowd behind you and that's going to give you a little bit more of a spurt."

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Games are not won in the first quarter

One notable aspect of 'The Human Highlight Film' is that he would start games strong. However, he fades along the way, hardly becoming a factor in the fourth quarter.

This is because Nique gets double-teamed by the opposition once he goes on scoring bursts. It is understandable, and Wilkins needed to get used to it and adjust.

In Loughery's eyes at the time, Wilkins had all the time to adjust. He had huge potential but had a lot of things to learn. One of them was handling the basketball, especially against half-court defenses.

"The biggest key to his game is going to be learning how to handle the basketball and not just in the open court. It's the ability to get the shot against the half-court defense. That's going to be the key to determining how good a player Dominique becomes," the two-time ABA champion coach pointed out.

Wilkins eventually figured it out. His numbers improved with each season, and he became a nine-time All-Star.

Moreover, Nique-a-Zoid etched his name in the Hawks record books. He remains the all-time career leader in the following categories in franchise history: games played (822), minutes played (32,545), field goals (8,752), 2-point field goals (8,252), and points per game (26.2).

The best Wilkins could do was help the Hawks reach the EC conference semifinals six times. After leaving Atlanta in 1993, Nique would suit up for the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and the Orlando Magic.

Related: "I'd prefer to put a ring on my finger" – Dominique Wilkins admitted wanting an NBA championship over another scoring title in 1986