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5. Paul Pierce

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5. Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce had a good rookie season (1998-99), averaging just over 16 Points per Game, but it is unlikely that even the biggest diehard Celtic fan knew how good he would become.  Pierce would explode two years later with a 25 PPG year, which was followed by five straight All-Star seasons that included a pair of Third Team All-NBA Selections.  Nicknamed "The Truth", Pierce was an elite shooter and a more than competent court general, but the Celtics didn't have much around him. They couldn't escape the middle of the Eastern pack until the Boston management swung for the fences, landing Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, and this version of the "Big 3" would win it all in 2008, and Pierce would begin a second five-year All-Star run.  In those Finals, Pierce would win the MVP, which was so appropriate given how long he carried the team before he got the help he needed.

Before he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Pierce played 1,102 games for the Celtics with a 21.8 Points per Game Average.  Pierce's #34 was retired in 2018, and three years later, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  He was also chosen for the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Shooting Guard, Small Forward
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 10th Overall 6/24/98.
  • Departed: Traded to the Brooklyn Nets with Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry, D.J. White a 2017 1st Round an 2nd Round Pick (which would be Kyle Kuzma and Sasha Veznekov respectively) for Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Kris Joseph, Gerald Wallace, and a 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 1st Round Pick (which would be James Young, Jaylen Brown, Markelle Fultz and Colin Sexton respectively) 7/12/13.
  • Games Played: 1102
  • Per Game Averages: 36.6 MP
    .499 eFG%
    .806 FT%
    21.8 PTS
    6.0 RB
    3.9 AST
    1.4 STL
    0.6 BLK

    136 Playoff Games
    39.9 MP
    .470 eFG%
    .834 FT%
    20.9 PTS
    6.4 RB
    4.0 AST
    1.3 STL
    0.7 BLK
  • Advanced Stats: 20.6 PER
    .568 TS%
    56.8 VORP
    138.4 WS

    136 Playoff Games
    17.8 PER
    .549 TS%
    7.5 VORP
    14.5 WS
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    NBA Champion (2008)
    Second Team All-NBA (2009)
    Third Team All-NBA (2002, 2003 & 2008)
    All-Star (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012)
    Finals MVP (2008)
    First Team All-Rookie (1999)
    Most Free Throws (2002-03)
    Most Free Throw Attempts (2002-03)
    Most Points (2001-02)
  • Other Points of Note: Top Ten MVP Finishes:
    7th in 2009
    Finished 3rd in Rookie of the Year Voting in 1999
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