Tag: Raef LaFrentz

Who were the teams that passed on Paul Pierce in the draft – and did they regret it?

Nine teams passed on The Truth on draft night in 1998; thanked in his basketball hall induction, which regretted it most?

When Boston Celtics Hall of Fame small forward Paul Pierce was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the former Kansas standout made a point of thanking each and every team that passed him over in favor of another prospect on draft night in 1998.

Explaining how he used the snub as motivation, Pierce said, “Coming out of college, I was a first-team All-American, a projected No. 2 pick,” continuing on by naming every franchise that doubted him. “Thank you for passing on me and adding fuel to my fire,” he explained. “I appreciate that.”

But who were those teams, and who did they go with instead? Let’s look back at the top nine picks of that draft, and whether there were any teams that didn’t end up regretting their selection.

Every player in Boston Celtics history who wore No. 45

This is every player in Boston’s history who wore the Celtics’ No. 45 jersey for at least one game as of Aug. 2023.

The Boston Celtics have more retired jerseys than any other team in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean the rest of their jerseys have little history of interest tied to them.

In fact, with 17 titles to their name and decades of competitive basketball played in them, their unretired jersey numbers pack in some of the most history not hanging from the rafters of any team in the league. To that end, we have launched our accounting of that history, with every player in every jersey worn by more than one Celtics player in the storied franchise’s history accounted for.

Today’s installment focuses on the dozen players who wore No. 45 over the years as of Aug. 2023.

Four Boston Celtics alumni on the move in 1998 NBA class redraft

Let’s take a look at which Celtics alumni landed where.

As Hoops Hype’s staff keep themselves busy reassessing the draft orders of the last few decades over the years, there are always a fair number of Boston Celtics alumni making moves in their re-drafts as a result.

In the H/H reassessment of the 1998 NBA draft class, a total of four Boston alumni ended up seeing their draft stock shift with the benefit of hindsight lifting their fortunes. And while they won’t see any pay raises or anything else of that sort given the fictitious nature of such an exercise, it’s also nice to see this group get their flowers, too.

Let’s take a look at which Celtics alumni landed where.

On this day: Raef LaFrentz born; Tom Boswell, Jerome Anderson drafted

On this day, former Boston Celtic big man Raef LaFrentz was born, and Tom Boswell and Jerome Anderson were drafted

On this day, the Boston Celtics selected two players of note in the 1975 NBA draft. The first was Jerome Anderson, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard out of the University of West Virginia, who was taken with the 53rd pick.

The Mullens, West Virginia, native won a championship with the Celtics in his lone season with the team (1975-76). Anderson recorded 2.8 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game over 5.7 minutes per game in his rookie season. Anderson’s tenure in the league was not an especially long one, however. He failed to stick with the team beyond that season.

In October of 1976, he was waived and picked up by the Indiana Pacers, his final stop in the NBA.

Who has the highest block average in Boston Celtics playoff history?

Can you guess who that center might be, as well as the others of the top ten rim protectors in the history of Boston’s playoff action?

When talking about nabbing steals in the NBA playoffs, fans of the Boston Celtics might be surprised to learn that despite his fame as one of the most fearsome shot blockers in the recent history of the sport, the man we have come to call the Timelord, Celtics center Robert Williams III, does not hold the record for the most playoff blocks per game for the storied ball club.

In fact, that record belongs to another Boston big man. Can you guess who that center might be, as well as the others of the top ten rim protectors in the history of Boston’s playoff action?

Let’s take a look at the record books to find out.

What are the 5 biggest Celtics trades made during the NBA draft?

The Boston Celtics have made some hugely impactful trades during the NBA draft. Check out the miraculous story behind some of these deals.

The NBA draft is all about roster design. There are a lot of different strategies out there, but let’s stick with what legendary Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach once offered: “They said you have to use your five best players but I found you win with the five who fit together the best.”

With that frame, the draft offers a tantalizing number of opportunities. Sure, you can select the best available player and hope he grows with your system. But fortune favors the bold — the NBA draft is a chance to really swing for the fences and bring in the right player. A smart trade on draft night can change everything.

Boston, unsurprisingly, has a history of moving and shaking far beyond the limited frame of their own specific pick. Following the leadership of Auerbach, the Celtics’ NBA draft trade history is a rich and storied one. As we’ll see, some of the franchise’s best players landed in green by way of a draft-day trade. Let’s discuss.

Who were the teams that passed on Paul Pierce in the draft – and did they regret it?

Nine teams passed on The Truth on draft night in 1998; thanked in his Hoops Hall induction, which regretted it most?

When Boston Celtics Hall of Fame small forward Paul Pierce was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Kansas product made a point of thanking each and every team that passed on the Jayhawk standout who passed him over to take another prospect on draft night in 1998.

Explaining how he used the snub as motivation, Pierce said, “Coming out of college, I was a First Team All-American, a projected No. 2 pick,” continuing on by naming every franchise that doubted him. “Thank you for passing on me and adding fuel to my fire,” he explained. “I appreciate that.”

But who were those teams, and who did they go with instead? Let’s look back at the top nine picks of that draft, and whether there’s any that didn’t end up regretting their selection, in retrospect.

Ranking every No. 3 pick who played for the Boston Celtics

The Athletic ranked every third pick in league history, and we re-ranked the 13 Boston Celtics on that list.

The Boston Celtics are one of the few franchises dating back all the way to the birth of the NBA in 1946 when it was still the Basketball Association of America (BAA), so it’s racked up a lot of things, most notably titles at 17 overall.

But it’s also collected a number of players drafted third overall — both that the franchise made the pick as well as providing a new club for players who’d moved on from their first team.

So it’s no surprise the Celtics have a heavy presence in The Athletic’s article by Zach Harper ranking the top No. 3 picks in NBA history; between players Boston drafted and those it picked up later on, there’s 10 in total.

The Celtics Wire decided to compare their overall achievements with what they’ve managed to do in green and white, with a re-ranking at the end strictly for their Bostonian accomplishments.

With that said, let’s get started.

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On this day: Raef LaFrentz born; Tom Boswell, Jerome Anderson drafted

On this day, former Boston Celtic big man Raef LaFrentz was born, and Tom Boswell and Jerome Anderson were drafted

On this day, the Boston Celtics selected two players of note in the 1975 NBA Draft.

The first of the two was Jerome Anderson, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard out of the University of West Virginia taken with the 53rd overall pick.

The Mullens, West Virginia native would win a championship with the Celtics in his sole season with the team in 1975-76.

Anderson would record 2.8 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game over 5.7 minutes per game in his rookie season.

In October of 1976, he would be waived by the team only to be picked up by the Indiana Pacers, his final stop in the NBA.

 

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