Breaking Down the Boston Celtics' All-Decade Starting Fives

It's no secret that the Boston Celtics have one of the most illustrious histories in sports. So many great players have donned the Celtic green, but who were their very best players?

This article will select the best possible starting lineups for the Celtics for each and every decade, ranging from Bill Russell to Larry Bird to Paul Pierce. It will discuss those dominant Boston teams of the 1960s and the not-so-dominant squads of the '90s. All of that is in here.

I'm sure many of you can already picture what these lineups will look like. 

By the way, how amazing is it that many other franchises can't put together as good of a starting five over the course of their entire history as the C's could for just one season?

So, without further ado, let's get to it.

1950s

C - Bill Russell

PF - Tommy Heinsohn

SF - Frank Ramsey

SG - Bill Sharman

PG - Bob Cousy

And so it began.

When the Celtics acquired the draft rights to Russell from the St. Louis Hawks (imagine how the course of history would have changed if that trade did not occur) in 1956, a dynasty was born.

Russell joined a group that already boasted an incredible backcourt that consisted of Sharman and Cousy, and his addition to the lineup was essentially the icing on the cake. The most ironic part about all of this? Boston would proceed to play the Hawks in four of the five NBA Finals between 1957 and 1961, winning three out of the four meetings.

Boston immediately won its first championship in Russell's rookie season, the first of the 17 banners that are now hanging in the rafters of TD Garden. The most amazing thing about the late '50s C's was that there was no "Big Three."

As a matter of fact, Russell was actually fourth on the team in points per game each season throughout this period, and Ramsey was right on his tail for that No. 4 spot. Not that Russell was ever a big-time scorer, but it speaks volumes as to how great the '50s Celtics truly were.

How is this for balance? During the 1957-58 season, Sharman, Cousy, Heinsohn (now the beloved color commentator for Boston), Russell, and Ramsey averaged 22.3, 18, 17.8, 16.6, and 16.5 points per game, respectively. How often do you see that in this day and age in the NBA? Well, pretty much never.

1960s

C - Bill Russell

PF - Tommy Heinsohn

SF - John Havlicek

SG - Sam Jones

PG - K.C. Jones

When Cousy retired at the conclusion of the 1961-62 season, a season in which the Celtics won their fourth of what would be a record-setting eight titles in a row, people wondered how the team would fare. Could Boston continue to reel off championships without its floor general?

Well, with Russell still leading the way, the C's didn't miss a beat.

With Havlicek and the two Joneses now in the fold, the Celtics continued their stretch of dominance. The combination of Havlicek and Sam Jones at the wing spots was unbelievably explosive, particularly during the 1966-67 and 1967-68 seasons, when both players averaged over 20 points per game.

As far as the other Jones goes, K.C. filled Cousy's shoes admirably, and while he would never be the scorer that Cousy was, he controlled and managed the game well enough to become a crucial part of Boston's run in the '60s.

I was tempted to put Bailey Howell in the power forward slot ahead of Heinsohn, but I just couldn't do it, as Howell spent only four years with the C's and won three rings while Tommy, who retired in 1965, was a part of six championships during the 60s.

The 1960s Celtics put together what is considered by most to be the the most impressive run in U.S. professional sports history.

1970s

C - Dave Cowens

PF - Paul Silas

SF - John Havlicek

SG - Charlie Scott

PG - Jo Jo White

The 1970s marked a "down" period for the Celtics, as the franchise won "only" two championships during this period.

The days of Russell were over, as the decorated center decided to retire in 1969, and Boston was now Havlicek's team. The small forward put up some monster numbers in the early '70s, averaging a shade under 29 points per game in the 1970-71 season and 27.5 a night the following year.

However, it wouldn't be until the 1973-74 campaign that the C's would recapture their place on the NBA throne, with the "Big Three" of Havlicek, Cowens, and White leading the way.

Cowens certainly wasn't Russell, but he was good enough to eventually have his No. 18 jersey raised into the rafters. The 6'9" center put up some very impressive numbers throughout the 70s.

White assumed the role of Cousy, being a scoring-minded point guard who could take over a game at moment's notice.

As far as the rest of the '70s Celtics go, they weren't as star-studded as the '60s. They essentially had a revolving door at shooting guard, with Scott being the best player they had at that position. However, Scott was only with the team for two-and-a-half years, so when talking about Boston's all-time greats, his name is rarely, if ever, mentioned.

Silas wasn't a world-beater at power forward, put he was still a very solid rebounder and an integral part of the two titles the C's collected during this decade.

1980s

C - Robert Parish

PF - Kevin McHale

SF - Larry Bird

SG - Danny Ainge

PG - Dennis Johnson

When people in this day and age talk about Celtics teams of the past, this is the group they usually remember, as it is obviously the most recent.

First of all, the starting lineup I chose is missing a Boston great in Cedric Maxwell, but he was a small forward, and he certainly isn't going to bump Bird from that spot.

Now, as for the '80s C's, this is a group that many people feel could have given Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls of the '90s a run for their money.

They had someone many (if not most) people consider to be a top 10 player of all-time in Bird, one of the greatest low-post scorers ever in McHale, a durable and immensely talented center in Parish, and a lockdown defender in Johnson.

Not to mention the fact that the Celtics had unbelievable depth during this period of time (Bill Walton came off the bench for them during the 1985-86 season. That should tell you all you need to know right there).

Boston won three titles during the '80s, its most famous one being the epic seven-game series it had with the rival Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. The other two came against the Houston Rockets, once when Moses Malone was patrolling the paint for Houston, and the other with Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson defending the rim.

The '80s C's were absolutely loaded, and one truly has to wonder how those teams would have fared against the competition of today.

Still, after 1986, the Celtics went through a 22-year dry spell that tormented the Boston fanbase, as the franchise went through its darkest period in the very next decade—which I am about to discuss.

1990s

C - Robert Parish

PF - Antoine Walker

SF - Reggie Lewis

SG - Paul Pierce

PG - Dee Brown

Selecting the '90s roster was tough for a couple of reasons.

First of all, it was pretty slim pickings. The Celtics weren't exactly a juggernaut during this period of time.

From the 1993-94 season right through the 1999-2000 campaign, not once did they post a winning record.

Second of all, I had to slide guys like Pierce and Brown into their not-so-primary positions just because of the fact that they were clearly two of the best C's players of that era. As you all know, Pierce is actually a small forward with the ability to play the two, and Brown was more of an undersized shooting guard.

Now, to break down the choices. Even though Parish was in the twilight of his career at this point in time, he was still better than any other Celtics center of the '90s. It's not like he wasn't a solid player by then, either, as he managed to average nearly a double-double in the four (or five if you count the 1989-90 campaign) seasons he spent in Boston during this decade.

Then there is the tragedy of Lewis. Had it not been for his untimely death in practice in the summer of '93, he could have been a special player. Lewis had become a 20 point per game scorer, shooting a very efficient 48.8 percent from the floor for his career. He was also a great defensive player. Who knows how good he would have become had he not perished.

Walker basically defined the term "volume shooter," as the 6'9" power forward shot 41.4 percent from the field over the course of his 14-year career. As frustrating of a player as he was, he was still easily one of the best C's players of the 90s.

Finally, I understand Pierce didn't come into the league until 1998, but based on the rest of the players available to pick from, how could I not put "The Truth" in this lineup?

2000s

C - Kendrick Perkins

PF - Kevin Garnett

SF - Paul Pierce

SG - Ray Allen

PG - Rajon Rondo

Gee, that lineup looks familiar, doesn't it?

After the doldrums of the '90s and even the early 2000s, the Celtics landed Garnett and Allen in the summer of 2007. That season, Boston returned to prominence, winning its 17th title.

Garnett completely altered the complexion of the C's, and he will always be remembered for that. Allen broke the all-time three-point record as a Celtic, and we have all watched Rondo mature into one of the game's best point guards.

Who knows? When it's all said and done, Rondo might end up being talked about as one of the greatest floor generals to ever play the game.

Pierce needs no explanation, as he is a shoo-in to have his No. 34 retired. Perkins wasn't spectacular, but he is certainly better than all of the other centers who came through Boston in the 2000s. His post defense and tenacity was a big part of the Celtics' 2008 championship run.

I mean, who else am I going to put in that spot? Mark Blount?