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

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

With the NBA Draft merely a few months away, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at the top 10 players that could have been Boston Celtics since 1996.

Over the last 20 years the Boston Celtics have missed more than they’ve hit on draft day. Outside of Paul Pierce, the Celtics along with some other teams of course, have let several future Hall of Fame players slip by them in the draft. Or, they’ve traded them away before even giving them a chance.

To be fair, the Celtics aren’t the only teams to have passed on some of these players. I’m sure you could find a “top 10 could have been” list for just about any team in any sport, but I haven’t seen one for the Celtics personally so I decided to make one myself.

I put the list together by looking back on every NBA Draft since 1990. After doing so, I found that the top 10 players in the list were all drafted between 1996 and 2011. The players on the list were all selected after the Celtics made their selection in that given round, and I narrowed down the list based on statistics, and accolades such as All Star Games and awards.

While I will cover the Celtics draft day misses since 1996, we must also remember some of the success the team has had.

Paul Pierce – In 1998 the Celtics drafted Paul Pierce out of Kansas with the 10th pick in the draft. You could make the argument that Pierce is the best player to come out of the 98′ class. It all depends on how you stack him up with the likes of Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter. In my opinion, Pierce and Vinsanity aren’t even on the same level, it’s The Truth by a long shot. But Pierce and Dirk on the other hand…there’s an argument to be had there. But regardless, they’re both Hall of Famers and drafting Pierce was one of the best decisions the organization has made in its’ history.
2004 Draft – The Celtics had three first round picks in the 2004 NBA Draft and with those selected Al Jefferson, Delonte West, and Tony Allen. West ended up being the lesser of the three, but both Big Al and Tony Allen have had solid NBA careers. In Al Jefferson’s final season as a member of the Celtics he averaged 16 points per game to go along with 11 rebounds, and he ended up being the cornerstone of the deal that landed the Celtics Kevin Garnett. Tony Allen has made a career of being one of the premiere defenders in the league, something that was crucial for the Celtics during their championship runs.
2007 NBA Draft – This draft was crucial for the Celtics as it established the team that would eventually win the NBA Championship in 08′. The Celtics had the 5th pick in the draft which ended up being Jeff Green. That pick was then traded to the Seattle Supersonics for Ray Allen. The Celtics were hoping for a high lottery pick in the 07′ draft after finishing the season with the second worst record in the NBA, and it was apparent that Danny Ainge had his sights set on drafting Kevin Durant. You can only imagine what the landscape would like had the Celtics been able to select Durant, but Danny Ainge made the best of the situation and built a team that brought a championship back to Boston for the first time since 1986.

That being said, it’s time to go ahead and take a look at the “could have been” scenarios for the Celtics over the last 20 years. A list that, at the very least will have you questioning how many championship runs the Celtics would have been able to make over the years.

Next: 6th Man of The Decade

Number 10: Manu Ginobili

Career Averages: 14.0 Points/1.4 Steals/4.0 Assists/52% Field Goal Percentage

Awards: Sixth Man of the Year 07-08/2x NBA All Star/2x All NBA 3rd Team/4x NBA Champion

In the Celtics defense, almost every team in the NBA passed up the opportunity to draft Manu Ginobili. He was taken with the second to last pick in the 1999 draft by the San Antonio Spurs. The Celtics had one pick in the 99′ draft, and that pick came just two spots before the Spurs selected Ginobili at number 58. The Celtics instead took Kris Clack with the 56th pick in the draft, and if you’re asking yourself who the hell is Kris Clack? It’s probably because he never even played in an NBA game.

The Spurs got perhaps the steal of the century by drafting Ginobili, who has played a huge role in the success of the franchise over the last 17 years. I have Ginobili at number 10 on the list for that exact reason.

He was virtually unknown heading into the draft and it’s hard to fault the Celtics for not taking a player that they didn’t even know was out there. All the credit in the world goes to the Spurs organization for finding and scouting Ginobili.

It’s also difficult to determine just how successful Manu’s career would have been had he been selected by another team. It’s just one of those situations where the player was a perfect fit for the system and flourished because of it. One of the many reasons why the Spurs are considered to be the Patriots of the NBA.

Nonetheless, Ginobili has had quite the professional career and thus deserves a spot on the list.

Next: The Big Spaniard

Number 9: Marc Gasol

Career Averages: 14.3 Points/7.8 Rebounds/1.5 Blocks

Awards: NBA Defensive Player of the Year 2012-13/2x NBA All Star/1x All NBA First Team/1x All NBA Second Team

What do the Celtics absolutely need most right now? The answer: A rim protecting big man. Marc Gasol is that and so much more.

Gasol was the 18th pick in the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft (48th overall). The same draft that netted the Celtics Ray Allen and eventually an NBA title. Now imagine if the Celtics had selected Marc Gasol with the 32nd pick in that draft instead of Gabe Pruitt… The C’s could be going for banner number 20 this year instead of still chasing number 18.

Pruitt played in just 62 career games in the NBA before falling off the face of planet. Gasol however, has played in 569 career games for the Grizzlies and has been a major reason as to why the team is able to compete year after year in a tough western conference.

Defensively, Gasol is one of the most feared big men in the league. As demonstrated by winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2012-13 season. But Gasol has also been a forced to be reckoned with on the offensive end. He averages over 14 points per game for his career and shoots over 50% from the field.

Imagine what the Celtics could have done with a starting 5 of Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett, and Gasol? I know I’m being a bit greedy here since they did win the championship in 08′, but come on now.. this team could have dominated for a few more seasons. It also would have made the Celtics quite the destination for free agents. Who knows who the Celtics may have been able to pull in had they had Rondo and Gasol both on the roster.

Next: Another Grizzly Miss for the Celtics

Number 8: Zach Randolph

Career Averages: 17.0 Points/9.4 Rebounds

Awards: NBA Most Improved Player 2003-04/2x NBA All Star/1x All NBA Third Team

You could argue that Gasol should be in this spot instead of Randolph. But the fact is, Gasol’s dominance as a big man in this league started only a few seasons ago and while he has been extremely successful, Z-Bo has been a force in this league for 16 seasons now.

Even in his hot-head days in Portland, Zach Randolph was one of the best offensive big men in the league.

Randolph was taken with the 19th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, a draft that ended up being quite the disaster for the Celtics. Boston had three picks in the first round in the 01′ draft, numbers 10,11, and 21.

With the 11th pick in the draft the Celtics decided to take Kendrick Brown. Brown spent 5 seasons in the NBA but never panned out to be a legitimate NBA player. He averaged just over 3 points per game for his career.

Randolph on the other hand has finished a season averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds, six times over the course of his career.

There’s no question that there were some red flags surrounding Randolph when he entered the draft. His temper and inability to remain levelheaded certainly played a part in the former McDonald’s All American’s draft stock, but I still believe the Celtics could have and should have taken the chance on Z-Bo with at least one of their first round picks in the 2001 draft.

Next: Bulls Superstar

Number 7: Jimmy Butler

Career Averages: 13.6 Points/1.4 Steals/4.5 Rebounds

Awards: NBA Most Improved Player 2014-15/2x NBA All Star/2x NBA All-Defensive Second Team

After less than stellar years in his rookie and sophomore seasons, Chicago Bulls swing-man Jimmy Butler has established himself as one of the premiere players in the NBA.

In the 2011 NBA Draft, Butler was taken with the last pick in the 1st round (30th overall) by the Bulls. If this draft class were to be redrafted, Butler would certainly be a top 5 pick along with Kyrie Irving (1st overall), Klay Thompson (11th overall), and Kawai Leonard (15th overall).

The Celtics originally held the 25th pick in the draft, but swapped picks with the Brooklyn Nets to move down two spots to select JaJuan Johnson from Purdue. Brooklyn selected MarShon Brooks with pick number 25.

Neither Johnson nor Brooks have had any success in the league since being drafted. Johnson found himself in the D-league after playing in just 36 games for the Boston Celtics in 2011-12, and Brooks was primarily a bench warmer during his first 5 seasons in the league before he too was sent down to the D-league.

Butler on the other hand, is now an All Star and has averaged over 20 Points Per Game in each of his last two seasons. The man can do it all. He can score, he can defend with the best of them, and he has developed into a solid rebounder at the position.

While it did take Butler a year or two to develop into the player he is now, there is no question that the Celtics would love to have a guy like Jimmy Butler on the roster. He would have fit perfectly into Brad Stevens’ system.

Butler has been linked to the Celtics in trade rumors for the last season or so, so who knows – maybe we’ll get to see the rising star in a Celtics uniform someday.

Next: More From the Disaster That Was the 2001 Draft

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

Number 5: Chauncey Billups

Career Averages: 15.2 Points/5.4 Assists/1.0 Steals

Awards: 2003-04 NBA Finals MVP/5x NBA All Star/2x NBA All Defensive Second Team/2x All NBA Third Team/1x All NBA Second Team

4 years before the Celtics made the mistake of trading away Joe Johnson too early, the team made the same mistake with Chauncey Billups.

The Celtics selected Billups with the 3rd pick in the 1997 NBA Draft behind Tim Duncan and Keith Van Horn. Billups a.k.a Mr. Big Shot, came out of the University of Colorado as one of the best players in the nation and a sure fire top 5 pick.

Billups played in just 51 games for the Boston Celtics before being traded to the Raptors for Kenny Anderson, Popeye Jones, and Zan Tabak.

Anderson had a solid career as a pro at the Point Guard position, but with all due respect Anderson and Billups are incomparable. Billups was no slouch in his rookie season for the C’s. Before being traded he was averaging over 11 Points Per Game to go along with 4 assists. Anderson, after being picked up by the Celtics in exchange for Billups, averaged 11.6 Points Per Game and right around 6 assists.

The Celtics once again gave up on a top pick way too early. They traded away the number 3 pick in the draft, a player who still had so much potential, for a veteran who was virtually putting up the same numbers.

Chauncey led the Detroit Pistons to an NBA Championship in 2004 in which he was named the Finals MVP. He then went on to appear in 5 straight All Star Games from 2006 to 2010. In addition to his All Star appearances and his All-NBA awards, Billups also ranks in the top 10 all time for three pointers made.

The Celtics drafted Paul Pierce a year later in the 98′ Draft. Had the Celtics kept Billups, he and Pierce could have been one of the best young duos in the NBA and the Celtics may have seen some more success in the late 90’s.

Next: Yet Another 2001 Miss

Number 4: Tony Parker

Career Averages: 16.6 Points/5.9 Assists/50% Field Goal Percentage

Awards: 2006-07 NBA Finals MVP/6x NBA All Star/3x All NBA Second Team/1x All NBA Third Team/1x All Rookie First Team/4x NBA Champion

Once again another player from the 2001 draft class that the Celtics missed out on.

As I mentioned earlier, the Boston Celtics had three first round picks in 2001 (numbers 10,11, and 21). The C’s took Joe Johnson at 10, Kendrick Brown at 11, and Jospeh Forte at number 21.

As the Celtics picked at 21, names such as Gerald Wallace, Samuel Dalembert, Jamal Tinsley, Tony Parker, and Gilbert Arenas all remained on the board, but the Celtics decided to take Forte who ended up playing in only 25 games throughout his very brief NBA career.

Tony Parker was taken with the last pick in the first round by the Spurs, 7 picks after the C’s took Forte. Parker, like Ginobili was another European talent that went under every teams radar. Every team except the Spurs that is.

Parker, a future Hall of Famer, came into the league and was productive immediately. He averaged 9 points, 4 assists, and 1.2 steals in his rookie season and then followed that up by averaging 15.5 points and 5.3 assists in his sophomore season.

The already loaded Spurs got the steal of the draft once again, while the Celtics fumbled every pick they had. Instead of ending up with Joe Johnson, Zach Randolph, and Tony Parker the Celtics settled for Tony Delk, Kendrick Brown, and Jospeh Forte.

Let that soak in for a minute..

Now let’s think about the fact that in the 2001-02 season the Celtics made the Eastern Conference Finals with a starting 5 of Kenny Anderson, Paul Pierce, Eric Williams, Antoine Walker, and Tony Battie.

Pierce averaged over 26 points per game that season, while Walker chipped in 22 points per game. Quite the scoring punch there if you ask me. But outside of those two there was a serious drop off in talent. The C’s didn’t have a point guard that could stop Jason Kidd in the conference finals, and they didn’t have a significant presence down low. While Tony Battie was an above average defender, he didn’t make a significant difference on the offensive side of the ball.

Had the Celtics taken Tony Parker, along with the likes of Zach Randolph they may have been able to compete for a championship right away and for years to follow.

Next: Second Mistake in the 97' Draft

Number 3: Tracy McGrady

Career Averages: 19.6 Points/5.6 Rebounds/4.4 Assists/1.2 Steals

Awards: NBA Most Improved Player 2001-02/7x NBA All Star/2x All NBA First Team/3x All NBA Second Team/2x All NBA Third Team/2x Scoring Champion

We already covered the Celtics first mistake in regards to the 1997 Draft (Chauncey Billups) but perhaps their biggest mistake of the draft was taking Ron Mercer with the 6th overall pick over Tracy McGrady.

T-Mac was taken with the 9th pick in draft by the Toronto Raptors and before injuries marred his career, McGrady was one of the best players the league had seen in the new millennium. From 2001 to 2007 Tracy McGrady made 7 consecutive All Star appearances and over that span never averaged less than 24 points per game in a given season.

In the 2002-03 season McGrady averaged 32.1 points per game. The only other players to have averaged more since the 1997 draft were Allen Iverson (33 ppg) and Kobe Bryant (35.4 ppg) both in 2006, a year after rule changes made scoring easier across the league.

While Ron Mercer was certainly not what many would consider to be a “bust” he never came close to putting up the numbers that McGrady did. He did however make the All Rookie Team as a member of the Celtics, and averaged around 17 points per game in his sophomore season before being traded by the Celtics that following offseason.

Mercer wasn’t necessarily a mistake, but in comparison to Tracy McGrady – the Celtics missed out big time. Had McGrady been able to stay healthy for the length of his career we would be sitting here talking about him as one of the best players to have played the game, and he’d be a lock for the Hall of Fame.

That being said, when T-Mac was healthy he was one the best in the league and certainly one the most prolific players in the last 20 years. McGrady’s shortened career is just as disappointing as the Celtics not drafting him in 1997.

Next: Revolutionary Point Guard

Number 2: Steve Nash

Career Averages: 14.3 Points/8.5 Assists/43% 3pt Field Goal Percentage

Awards: 2x NBA MVP/8x NBA All Star/3x All NBA First Team/2x All NBA Second Team/2x All NBA Third Team/6x League Leader in Assists/3rd All Time in Assists

In the 1996 NBA Draft the Celtics selected Antoine Walker with the 6th pick. Walker was a great scorer at the forward position during his time in Boston, but offered almost nothing else to the team. He was a below average defender and possessed an “all about me” mentality that eventually led to his departure from Boston.

Steve Nash was taken 9 picks later (15th overall) by the Phoenix Suns. While the hype surrounding Nash certainly didn’t compare to that of Walker at the time, Nash ended up becoming a Hall of Famer and one of the best point guards of all time while Walker went bankrupt and fell off the map.

If you have even the vaguest interest in basketball you know who Steve Nash is. You know that his ability to pass and handle the ball was out of this world.

The Boston Celtics have had their chances to land many great point guards over the years, such as Tony Parker and Chauncey Billups, but missing out on the guy who became one of the best of all time is just heartbreaking.

Nash finished his career 3rd all time on the NBA Assists list, and joined Magic Johnson (and soon to be Steph Curry) as the only point guards in the last 50 years to win multiple MVP Awards.

It’s fun to think about what the Boston Celtics would have looked like had they built a team around young stars and future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce and Steve Nash.

Next: The Great Mistake

Number 1: Kobe Bryant

Career Averages: 25.0 Points/5.2 Rebounds/4.7 Assists/1.4 Steals

Awards: 1x NBA MVP/2x NBA Finals MVP/18x NBA All Star/4x All Star Game MVP/11x All NBA First Team/2x All NBA Second Team/1x All NBA Third Team/9x NBA All Defensive First Team/3x NBA All Defensive Second Team/NBA All Rookie Second Team/2x NBA Scoring Champion/3rd All Time in Points/5x NBA Champion

The awards say it all.

Kobe Bryant is hands down one of the greatest players in NBA history and 13 teams passed on him in the 1996 NBA Draft, including the Boston Celtics.

Out of the teams that passed on him however, the most disappointed of the bunch are the Charlotte Hornets, who traded Kobe to the Lakers for Vlade Divac before he ever even got the chance to play in a game for them.

As stated before, the Celtics had the 6th pick in this draft and they passed on both Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant in favor of Antoine Walker.

As a Celtics fan it’s pretty agonizing to even think about that..

More from Chowder and Champions

This post basically writes itself. Kobe Bryant, perhaps the closest thing to Michael Jordan as we’ve ever seen other than MJ himself, could have been in a Celtics uniform and instead of playing his last game as a Laker this week, he would be playing his last game as a Celtic and cementing his legacy right up there with Bird and Russell as the greatest Celtics of all time.

Instead, we got the second best thing. We got to witness the rebirth of the greatest rivalry in NBA history. I’m talking about the Celtics and Lakers of course. For a few seasons from 2008 to 2010 we got a glimpse of what it was like to be a Celtics or a Lakers fan in the 80’s. We saw Pierce, Garnett, and Allen go up against Kobe and the Lakers not once, but twice in the NBA Championship in a matter of 3 years.

The possibilities are endless when you think about what could have been if Kobe had ended up a Celtic. We almost certainly wouldn’t have seen our beloved Paul Pierce in the celtic green, but perhaps he would’ve ended up a Laker, and we would all feel the same way about him as we have felt about Kobe over the years.