Boston Celtics: Creating a team from 2000’s role players

The Boston Celtics won an NBA title in 2008 and competed in the early part of the millennium, but what if they had an all-2000’s team made up of non-stars?

Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett were all superstars for the Boston Celtics in the 2000’s. So was Antoine Walker in the earlier part of the millennium.

What if you had to comprise an All-2000’s Boston Celtics team, using only role players. That’s what I’ve tried to do here, but I’m sure there will be plenty of debate.

You won’t find players that made a huge contribution night after night on this list. These are the unsung guys on the Boston Celtics teams of the 2000’s. That means players like Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, and Tony Allen will have to be left out. They played too large of a role on their teams.

The starters and bench players that follow were all members of the Celtics sometime between 2000 and 2009. Some put up great, unexpected numbers. Others had a few big games. Mostly, these guys were beloved by fans, even through the rough patch in the middle of the decade. Without further ado, here is your All-2000’s Boston Celtics role player roster.

Starters

• PG Nate Robinson (2009-2011)
• SG Ricky Davis (2003-2006)
• SF James Posey (2007-2008)
• PF Walter McCarty (1997-2005)
• C Tony Battie (1998-2004)

With the Boston Celtics, Nate Robinson was a flashy player. He played 81 games in green over parts of two seasons, tallying 6.9 points and 1.9 assists per game. Coming off of the bench, he often provided a much-needed spark.

Ricky Davis is the player I feel like I’ll get the most flack for, but over three seasons in Boston, he became one of my favorites. He appeared in 181 games while starting 58 of those and putting up 16.2 points on average. He was a really fun player to watch.

At small forward, James Posey was crucial to the Celtics 2008 NBA title run, his lone season in Boston. He was a 38% 3-point shooter that season with 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per night. In the playoffs, he was nearly a 40% 3-point shooter for Boston.

Walter McCarty was a fan favorite and a Tommy Heinsohn favorite. “I love Waltah!” could be heard in the Fleet Center most nights thanks to his heart and hustle. McCarty spent 8 seasons in Boston, averaging 2.8 rebounds and 5.7 points in 19.2 minutes played. His effort alone earns him a starting role on this team.

I’m always surprised when I’m reminded that Tony Battie played in the NBA through 2012. He was in Boston for 6 seasons, his longest stay in any city, and averaged 6.8 points and 5.9 rebounds for the green. Battie was a critical piece of the team that went to the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals against the New Jersey Nets.

Bench

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PG Kenny Anderson (1997-2002)

PG Marcus Banks (2003-2006)

PF/C Glen Davis (2007-2011)

PG/SG Tony Delk (2001-2003)

PG Eddie House (2007-2010)

C Raef LaFrentz (2003-2006)

SF Leon Powe (2006-2009)

PF Brian Scalabrine (2005-2010)

SF Wally Szczerbiak (2005-2007)

I don’t think there should be much debate with this bench. Each guy had some clutch moments for the Celtics, and some made those moments count, like Powe in the NBA Finals. Sure you may think I’m crazy for including Marcus Banks, but I’m biased and he was one of my favorite players at the time. And of course, we can all agree on Scal here!

Next: The 50 greatest Celtics of All-Time

So, who did I forget about or leave off? Let me know what you think @CandCFanSided on Twitter! Let the debate rage on! Also, who’s ready for some Celtics basketball!? The season is right around the corner waiting for us all.