This is #19 in a series of threads to determine the 25 greatest Celtics of All-Time.
Itīs 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. Iīm sure it has been done many times before, and I know that itīs tricky to rate our legends, but I think thereīs no better place for this than Celticsblog, and I havenīt seen such a poll here before.
Players to consider:
Ray Allen
Nate Archibald
M.L. Carr
Bailey Howell
Satch Sanders
Don Nelson
Jim Loscutoff
Paul Silas
Ed Macauley
Danny Ainge
Don Chaney
Charlie Scott
Rules1. Only former or current players are eligible.
No former coaches, GMs or owners. The Celticsī history has just too many characters to include all of them.
You canīt 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 Cowensī nap on a parkbench after celebrating with the fans in 1974 in your evaluation.
3.
You have three votesThe 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. Iīll 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
#14 Kevin Garnett
#15 Cedric Maxwell
#16 Reggie Lewis
#17 K.C. Jones
Winner of the last poll:
Frank Vernon Ramsey, Jr.Ramsey graduated from Kentucky in 1953 and, as a result, became eligible for the NBA Draft. After being selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round, Ramsey stayed at Kentucky for one more season and led the Wildcats to a perfect 25-0 record in 1954. Had the Wildcats not declined an NCAA bid, that team, led by Ramsey and Hagan, probably would also have won a championship; they finished the regular season ranked #1 by the Associated Press. At that time NCAA rules prohibited graduate students from participating in post-season play; Ramsey, Hagan and a third starter, Lou Tsioropoulos, were graduate students and ineligible for post-season play. Although Kentucky was offered an NCAA bid, the rules prohibited the three players from participating and Kentucky chose to decline the invitation rather than risk its perfect record.
After playing his rookie season with the Celtics (19541955), Ramsey spent one year in the military before rejoining the team. In the eight seasons he played after military service, he was a member of seven championship teams (1957, 1959-1964). He was a major contributor of the Celtics dynasty, playing behind the duo of Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman and playing with Bill Russell, Sam Jones, K. C. Jones, Tom Heinsohn and John Havlicek. In his 623 NBA games Ramsey scored 8378 points for an average of 13.4 points per game. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1981. His #23 is retired by the Celtics.
Auerbach is often credited throughout basketball with creating the sixth man. Though Ramsey was one of the Celtics' best players, he felt more comfortable coming off the bench and Auerbach wanted him fresh and in the lineup at the end of close games. Ramsey was the first in a series of sixth men who won championship rings with the Celtics. In the championships the Celtics won after Ramsey's retirement, they have had successful sixth men such as Havlicek, Paul Silas, Kevin McHale or Bill Walton.
Ramsey's best statistical season was 1958; he averaged 16.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. It was also his only post-military season in which the Celtics did not win the NBA championship; the Bob Pettit-led St. Louis Hawks (which also featured Cliff Hagan, Ramsey's ex-college teammate) defeated them in the NBA Finals.
Final Outcome (points in parenthesis):
Total Votes: 22
Frank Ramsey (38 )
Ed Macauley (37)
Danny Ainge (22)
Satch Sanders (18 )
Paul Silas (16)
Nate Archibald (15)
Antoine Walker (5)
Three players tied with 1 point
Topic: 25 Greatest Celtics of All-Time : #19 (Read 7004 times)