The NBA Draft is right around the corner on June 21, and the Celtics currently own the 27th pick. In his latest mock draft, Gary Parrish of CBS Sports has them selecting center Mitchell Robinson.
The Celtics have won 17 championships in their illustrious history. Only one has come since 1986 though. So while Boston has drafted many historic players in decades past, who have been their best (and worst) draft selections since 1990?
There are a few things to know about these lists. The player must have been drafted by the team and not acquired in a draft-day trade (ex.
Rajon Rondo). While Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both have a great chance to be on the best selections list in a couple years, the player must have played at least three seasons with the team to be considered.
To be on the worst selections list, the player must have actually appeared in a game for the team. Also, only first-round picks were in play for the worst list. (All stats and draft history were taken from Basketball-Reference.com.)
- To see the Knicks’ best and worst draft picks since 1990, click here.
- To see the Bulls’ best and worst draft picks since 1990, click here.
- To see the Lakers’ best and worst draft picks since 1990, click here.
- To see the Heat’s best and worst draft picks in franchise history, click here.
Best selections
- 5. Rick Fox (1991 - 24th pick)
Fox may be best known for winning three championships with the Lakers, but his first six years were with Boston.
His last two seasons with the Celtics were his most productive ones as he averaged 14.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.
- 4. Avery Bradley (2010 - 19th pick)
Bradley spent his first seven seasons with Boston until he was traded to the Detroit Pistons last offseason. He averaged 15 points per game in his last four seasons with the team and was named to the All-Defensive First Team in 2015-16.
- 3. Dee Brown (1990 - 19th pick)
The 1991 Slam Dunk Champion, Brown played his first 7.5 seasons with Boston. He was an All-Rookie First Team member and totaled 253 starts with the Celtics.
- 2. Antoine Walker (1996 - 6th pick)
Walker made three All-Star teams with Boston and averaged over 20 points per game in five seasons with the club.
In 552 games with the team, he finished with averages of 20.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.
- 1. Paul Pierce (1998 - 10th pick)
A Hall of Fame player as soon as he becomes eligible, Pierce scored 24,021 points over 15 seasons with Boston. He was named to 10 All-Star teams in his Celtics tenure.
Other notables: Eric Williams (1995 - 14th pick), Al Jefferson (2004 - 15th pick), Tony Allen (2004 - 25th pick), Marcus Smart (2014 - 6th pick), Terry Rozier (2015 - 16th pick).
Worst selections
- 5. Acie Earl (1993 - 19th pick)
Earl spent his first two seasons playing for Boston. In 104 games with the team, he averaged only 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds.
- 4. Joseph Forte (2001 - 21st pick)
A great scorer at North Carolina, Forte was unable to make a seamless transition to the pros.
He played eight games his rookie season, 17 the following season with the Seattle SuperSonics, and then was never seen on an NBA court again.
- 3. Fab Melo (2012 - 22nd pick)
Melo’s NBA career saw him play just six games his rookie season and never again. He tragically died in 2017 at the age of 26 from natural causes.
- 2. Kedrick Brown (2001 - 11th pick)
A bust of a lottery pick, Brown played 2.5 seasons for the Celtics before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 101 games with Boston, he averaged 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds.
- 1. Jerome Moiso (2000 - 11th pick)
Moiso played just 24 games and 135 minutes his rookie season before Boston dealt him away. He scored 386 career points in 145 games over five seasons.
Other notables: Eric Montross (1994 - 9th pick), J.R. Giddens (2008 - 30th pick), R.J. Hunter (2015 - 28th pick)
