25 Greatest Celtics of All-Time : #15

[Casperian]

This is #15 in a series of threads to determine the 25 greatest Celtics of All-Time.

It´s the off-season, and we need something to talk about besides nonsensical trade-rumors.

So I thought we could make a big poll to decide once and for all who are the greatest Celtics of all-time. I´m sure it has been done many times before, and I know that it´s tricky to rate our legends, but I think there´s no better place for this than Celticsblog, and I haven´t seen such a poll here before.



Players to consider:

Ray Allen
Nate Archibald
Cedric Maxwell
M.L. Carr
Frank Ramsey
Satch Sanders
Don Nelson
K.C. Jones
Jim Loscutoff
Paul Silas
Ed Macauley
Reggie Lewis
Danny Ainge
Don Chaney
Charlie Scott



Rules

1. Only former or current players are eligible.
No former coaches, GMs or owners. The Celtics´ history has just too many characters to include all of them.
You can´t vote for a player who has already won one of the earlier polls.

2. You can include off-the-court performances.
Although only former or current players are eligible, it is perfectly fine to include Tommy`s contributions as a coach and broadcaster, Danny Ainge`s work as a GM or Dave Cowens´ nap on a parkbench after celebrating with the fans in 1974 in your evaluation.

3. You have three votes
The first vote is worth 4 points, the second 2 points, and the third 1 point. This system is certainly more suited for a poll like this than a simple "one vote" poll.

Just write a post with your votes, and after the poll is closed, I will go through the thread and count every vote personally. I´ll close the poll in 2-4 days.


#1  Bill Russell
#2  Larry Bird
#3  John Havlicek
#4  Bob Cousy
#5  Kevin McHale
#6  Tommy Heinsohn
#7  Paul Pierce
#8  Dave Cowens
#9  Sam Jones
#10 Robert Parish
#11 Bill Sharman
#12 Dennis Johnson
#13 JoJo White

Winner of the last poll:




Kevin Maurice Garnett
12× NBA All-Star
1× NBA Champion (2008)
NBA Most Valuable Player (2004)
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2008)
All-NBA First Team (2000, 2003–2004, 2008)
All-NBA Second Team (2001–2002, 2005)
All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2007)
All-Defensive First Team (2000–2005, 2008–2009)
All-Defensive Second Team (2006–2007)
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1996)
NBA All-Star Game MVP (2003)

On July 31 2007, Kevin Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, cash considerations, Boston's 2009 first-round draft pick (top 3 protected) and the 2009 first-round pick Minnesota had traded to Boston in the Ricky Davis-Wally Szczerbiak trade of 2006. The 7-for-1 deal constitutes the largest number of players traded for a single player in league history. At the time of the trade, Garnett had the longest current tenure of any player in the NBA with one team, having played for the Timberwolves for his first 12 seasons (a total of 927 games). Garnett said that he was proud to be a part of the Celtics, and hoped to continue its proud tradition and basketball success. On the day the trade was announced, Garnett signed a three-year $60 million contract extension that will start after his current deal runs out in 2009. On August 1, 2007 the day after signing his Celtics contract, Garnett threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park prior to a Red Sox-Orioles game. Garnett has claimed to be a long-time Red Sox fan

Garnett wore jersey number 5 for the Celtics' since his number with the Timberwolves, number 21, was retired by the Celtics', previously worn by Bill Sharman. He made his Boston debut with a strong performance against the Washington Wizards, with 22 points and 20 rebounds. He also led all players in voting for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. Garnett received 2,399,148 votes, the sixth highest total in NBA All-Star balloting history. Among active players, Garnett's 11 All-Star selections rank second to Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O'Neal, who has appeared 14 times in the All-Star Game. However, Garnett was unable to play due to an abdominal strain, and Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace was named by NBA Commissioner David Stern to replace him. Garnett passed 20,000 points for his career, becoming the 32nd player in NBA history to reach the mark, with a layup in the 2nd quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 8, 2008. On April 22, 2008, Garnett was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2007-08 season. It was the only major award a Celtic player had not claimed since the franchise's foundation in 1946. However, Garnett claimed it was a team effort which helped him win the award. Garnett helped the Celtics to their 17th NBA Championship, with 26 points and 14 rebounds in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Source: Wikipedia

Final Outcome (points in parenthesis):
Total Votes: 26

Kevin Garnett (45)
Reggie Lewis (32)
Cedric Maxwell (20)
Ed Macauley (18 )
Satch Sanders (17)
Frank Ramsey (14)
K.C. Jones (12)
Danny Ainge (8 )
Nate Archibald (6)
Paul Silas (5)
Jim Loscutoff (4)
Don Nelson (1)

[Roy Hobbs]

After playing a year and a half, I have a hard time accepting KG as one of the 15 best / most influential Celtics of all-time.

Anyway,

Ed Macauley
Danny Ainge
K.C. Jones

[2short]

reggie lewis
satch sanders
ed mccauley

I 2nd the post by roy.  KG is one of the all time greats but he's only played how many games?? for the celtics?

[crownsy]

After playing a year and a half, I have a hard time accepting KG as one of the 15 best / most influential Celtics of all-time.

Anyway,

Ed Macauley
Danny Ainge
K.C. Jones

Understood, i can see where that's coming from easily.

 but as a 25 year old who voted for him, you have to understand that alot of us voting never had the feeling of a successful team before that we could claim as ours....we've had the stories of course, but we didn't live it.

That's going to inflate his stature a bit over guys who may deserve it more on balance, but we didn't get to see on a nightly basis when they were playing.

I was surprised he went at 14, but not shocked, since i feel alot of the younger fans are like me, and really cherish that banner. That one meant a hell of a lot to us, as the generation removed from the success of the 80's teams, you know?

I will say, even though i put KG first, i probably would have put danny first, if i had it back....just because he built the team for us, along with his play on the 80's teams.

[Redz]

Reggie
Cornbread
KC Jones

[2short]

After playing a year and a half, I have a hard time accepting KG as one of the 15 best / most influential Celtics of all-time.

Anyway,

Ed Macauley
Danny Ainge
K.C. Jones

Understood, i can see where that's coming from easily.

 but as a 25 year old who voted for him, you have to understand that alot of us voting never had the feeling of a successful team before that we could claim as ours....we've had the stories of course, but we didn't live it.

That's going to inflate his stature a bit over guys who may deserve it more on balance, but we didn't get to see on a nightly basis when they were playing.

I was surprised he went at 14, but not shocked, since i feel alot of the younger fans are like me, and really cherish that banner. That one meant a hell of a lot to us, as the generation removed from the success of the 80's teams, you know?

I will say, even though i put KG first, i probably would have put danny first, if i had it back....just because he built the team for us, along with his play on the 80's teams.

if you please an old farts thoughts
this is what makes the celtics so great
knowing the history and tradition that comes with the team
We have a group of players that came to us at different times: tiny, kg, paul silas, bill walton, ray allen and i'm sure others.  All great players who contributed to the c's in some way but we are talking about a team with hall of famers galore.  I'm a bit older and remember tiny archibald as an amazing guard with kc.  He was really really good when he came to us and helped win a title but I still haven't put his name down because of who did more for the c's.  (just a thought) I never saw ed mccauley play but i do know his contributions to the team

[crownsy]

After playing a year and a half, I have a hard time accepting KG as one of the 15 best / most influential Celtics of all-time.

Anyway,

Ed Macauley
Danny Ainge
K.C. Jones

Understood, i can see where that's coming from easily.

 but as a 25 year old who voted for him, you have to understand that alot of us voting never had the feeling of a successful team before that we could claim as ours....we've had the stories of course, but we didn't live it.

That's going to inflate his stature a bit over guys who may deserve it more on balance, but we didn't get to see on a nightly basis when they were playing.

I was surprised he went at 14, but not shocked, since i feel alot of the younger fans are like me, and really cherish that banner. That one meant a hell of a lot to us, as the generation removed from the success of the 80's teams, you know?

I will say, even though i put KG first, i probably would have put danny first, if i had it back....just because he built the team for us, along with his play on the 80's teams.

if you please an old farts thoughts
this is what makes the celtics so great
knowing the history and tradition that comes with the team
We have a group of players that came to us at different times: tiny, kg, paul silas, bill walton, ray allen and i'm sure others.  All great players who contributed to the c's in some way but we are talking about a team with hall of famers galore.  I'm a bit older and remember tiny archibald as an amazing guard with kc.  He was really really good when he came to us and helped win a title but I still haven't put his name down because of who did more for the c's.  (just a thought) I never saw ed mccauley play but i do know his contributions to the team

Oh i agree short, and i'm not trying to discount that history, i know it, and love to hear about it from people like my uncles, who lived it, grandfather before he passed, and from everyone on this board. That history and lore, as you said, is one of the greatest parts about being a C's fan.

I'm just saying im not shocked that KG bounced up into the top 15, just because for the generation that never LIVED the success of the older teams, he's a huge factor in giving us something that we can point to and say "I was there when..."

For those of us, like myself personally, who got on board when paul was drafted when i was 14, and have had to deal with all the lean years....KG means alot to us, probably, more than he rationally should when taken against the entire scope of Celtics history, but that banner is still so fresh, and so meaningful as the one that was won when we were living and breathing Celtics history that we can pass on later...I dunno, that probably sounds like alot of sentimental crap, but that's how i feel 

[slamtheking]

After playing a year and a half, I have a hard time accepting KG as one of the 15 best / most influential Celtics of all-time.

Anyway,

Ed Macauley
Danny Ainge
K.C. Jones

I agree on KG---to soon to have been voted onto this type of list with the rich history of players that have played for this organization.

[fairweatherfan]

Ed Macauley
Reggie Lewis
KC Jones

I don't have any real problem with KG at #14.  I think it's pretty much agreed that he's a greater player overall, as an individual and team player, than anyone left on the list.  His contributions to the C's are the big sticking point, but his arrival transformed the team in a way that only Russell and Bird can really compete with.  And the down period KG ended was longer and darker than any other in team history. 

I respect the people that disagree, but I think there's a legit case to be made that KG's accomplishments here, even over 1.5 seasons, combined with his overall ability have earned him the spot.  Even the people that think 14 is too high probably wouldn't have him too much lower.

[slamtheking]

My 2 cents:
Max
Ramsey
Tiny

[GaBerkowitz]

Maxwell
Reggie Lewis
K.C.

[RAcker]

Ed McCauley
K.C. Jones
Danny Ainge

[Roy Hobbs]

Ed McCauley
K.C. Jones
Danny Ainge

Wahoo!

[Who]

Paul Silas
KC Jones
Satch Sanders

[PistolPete]

Satch
K C
Cornbread