Boston Celtics: Remembering the NBA Finals and the Season that Was

The Celtics did make up for the mistake they made with Montross by drafting embattled Kansas combo forward Paul Pierce with the tenth overall pick in the 1998 draft four years later. Pierce had been labeled as “immature” and “one dimensional” by most draft experts and was drafted behind such household names as Michael Olowokandi (first overall pick), Raef Lafrentz (third overall pick), and Robert “Tractor” Traylor (sixth overall pick). Pierce has managed to dispel any complaints about his play throughout his career in Boston, as illustrated by the fact that he has averaged a respectable 1.6 steals per game, as well as 6.4 rebounds, to go along with his 23.1 points.

Perhaps most importantly, Pierce has also remained good natured and hard working throughout what has been by most accounts a very arduous tenure in Boston. Never once did he demand a trade or even voice his displeasure about the travails of the Celtics to the ravenous Boston media, despite the fact that the Celtics have accrued an underwhelming 387-401 win-loss record during Pierce’s tenure in Boston, and that number includes this year’s +50 win-loss differential.

Even before this season, Pierce had come up big for the Celtics when he was given the chance. For instance, during the 2001-2002 season, with the help of forward Antoine Walker, he led a Celtics team that had not made the playoffs for the previous six years to an improbable 49-33 regular season record and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance.

Despite the fact that Boston ultimately fell to a more balanced New Jersey Nets team in six games, Pierce certainly did his part to keep his team alive. He scored 19 points in the fourth quarter of game three to cap off the greatest fourth quarter comeback in NBA playoff history, a 94-90 victory over the Nets, who led by 21 going into the final quarter.

Pierce’s Celtics were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs the following year and had two first round exits after that. During the 05-06 season, Boston would go on to struggle its way to a miserable 33-49 record and a 3^rd place finish in the Atlantic division. Unfortunately for Pierce, the worst was yet to come.

“They had lottery team written all over them,” said avid Celtics fan Sean Crowe. “Remember, going into the season there was Paul Pierce and nobody… Tony Allen was probably the second best player on the team: Tony Allen.”

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