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Boston Celtics: Top 10 “Could Have Been’s” Since 1996

By Jamie Gallagher

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the stage before the start of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the stage before the start of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

Number 6: Joe Johnson

Career Averages: 16.9 Points/4.2 Assists/4.1 Rebounds

Awards: 7x NBA All Star/1x All NBA Third Team/All Rookie Second Team

Here’s where things get a bit different.

Although the Celtics did select Joe Johnson with the 10th pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, the team turned around and traded Johnson not even half way through his rookie season.

The C’s traded Johnson ALONG with a first round pick to the Suns in exchange for Tony Delk and Rodney Rodgers, neither of whom turned out to be anything other than disappointments for the Celtics.

Johnson however, has only turned out to be a 7x NBA All Star and one of the best offensive players in the game for the last decade-plus. Once again the Celtics missed out on an opportunity for a franchise altering player.

Now obviously the Celtics had Paul Pierce at the time, who had already established himself as one of the best players in the league. But can you imagine what would have been if the Celtics elected to keep both Pierce and Johnson? The team would have had two of the most dynamic offensive players in the NBA, both of whom have been known to be clutch performers.

The Boston Celtics would have had arguably the best SG/SF combo in the NBA and would have been extremely difficult to defend.

This wasn’t a case of the Celtics missing out on a pick, they just gave up on a top 10 pick far too early. After his rookie season it didn’t take Johnson very long to develop into a great offensive player. In just his third season in the NBA, Johnson was averaging over 16.5 Points Per Game and it took over 10 years for that number to decline again.

Even now at almost 35 years old, Johnson is still putting up productive numbers and is currently shooting over 41% from beyond the arc.

Next: Gone too Soon

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