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The Boston Celtics are without a doubt, the most prestigious franchise in the NBA. A record 17 NBA titles, one more than longtime rivals the Lakers, the Celtics have seen multiple Hall Of Famers play at The Garden.
It hasn't all been smooth sailing for the Boston Celtics this past decade, and definitely not close to the heights they reached when led by Bill Russell, and although they have won only one Championship in this century, in 2008, they have still seen some great players play for them. Today we look at the best player in each position to play for the Celtics in the past decade.
Point Guard: Kyrie Irving (2017 - Current)
Career Statistics: PPG - 22.0, APG - 5.5, RPG 3.4
The number one draft pick, rookie of the year, five-time All-star and NBA champion, Kyrie Irving made a controversial move as he requested a trade from the LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers after making three consecutive finals appearances with them.
Kyrie ended up at the Boston Celtics, a trade that saw Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and others in the opposite direction. Irving would go on to be the leader of the Celtics, averaging 24.4 points for Boston and leading them to a 55 win season and the second seed.
Although Kyrie suffered an injury and was forced to sit out for the playoffs run which saw them to be knocked out in a seven-game thriller against Cleveland, few now believe that the point guard made the wrong decision in requesting a trade to the Celtics.
Back from injury, alongside fellow star Gordon Hayward, the Boston Celtics are favorites to win the Eastern Conference in the 2018/19 season which should see Kyrie lead the team to their first NBA Finals appearance in years.
Shooting Guard: Ray Allen (2007 - 2012)
Career Statistics: PPG - 18.9, APG - 3.4, RPG 4.1
Part of the team that brought back the record-breaking championship to Boston in 2008, Ray Allen will most likely go down as the second greatest shooter of all time, behind Steph Curry.
A crucial member of the Boston Celtics team, Allen was part of the making of the first ever 'Big Three' when he teamed up with fellow all-stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, where they found immediate success, by winning the NBA championship.
Ray Allen was part of the Celtics franchise for five seasons, before departing in free agency for Eastern Conference rivals the Miami Heat, where he would go on to help LeBron James and Dwayne Wade surpass the Boston Celtics and then score one of the most memorable shots in history against the San Antonio Spurs to his second NBA title.
Small Forward: Paul Pierce (1998 - 2013)
Career Statistics: PPG - 19.7, APG - 3.5, RPG 5.6
Nicknamed "The Truth" in 2001 by legend Shaquille O'Neal, Paul Pierce is one of the greatest Celtics to ever play the game.
Pierce is one of only three players, including Larry Bird and John Havlicek to score over 20,000 career points with the Celtics alone. Pierce also holds the Celtic record for most three-pointers made and ranks third in games played for the Celtics.
An all out superstar that led the big three to the 2008 NBA Championship, winning the Finals MVP award after averaging 22.0 points per game in the finals series.
Paul Pierce was sent to the Brooklyn Nets along with Kevin Garnett for what is seen as one of the best trades in Celtics' history as they acquired countless first round draft picks for the declining superstars.
Pierce played seasons for the Wizards and Clippers before signing a one day contract with the Boston Celtics on July 17th, 2017, allowing him to retire with the franchise that he spent 15 years with.
Power Forward: Kevin Garnett (2007-2013)
Career Statistics: PPG - 17.8, APG - 3.7, RPG 10.0
No surprises here, KG completed the "Big Three" when the Celtics traded for him for a mass of players and picks, with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In his very first season in the Celtics uniform, Garnett was unstoppable, winning the NBA title, finishing third in the MVP voting behind Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul and become the first Boston Celtics player in the history of the franchise to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, gaining the only major award that a Celtics player had not yet won since the foundation of the franchise in 1946.
In their title-winning season, Garnett led the players in All-star voting receiving 2,399,148 votes, making him the sixth highest vote getter in NBA history.
KG is most likely going down as a top five power forward of all time and he deserves his position on this list, as the Celtics have not found anyone of Garnett's ability to replace him since they traded him away.
Centre: Al Horford (2016 - Current)
Career Statistics: PPG - 14.2, APG - 3.2, RPG 8.6
Al Horford was taken number three in the 2007 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks where he played nine seasons before joining the Boston Celtics in the 2016 offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
The five-time All-Star signed a four year, $113 million contract with the Celtics, where he has proven his worth as the leading veteran in an up and coming young team.
In the two playoff runs Horford has had with the Celtics, he has averaged 15 ppg and 8 rebounds as the slightly undersized centre, looks to help develop the younger rookies such as Tatum and Brown.
Now 32 years of age, Al Horford will hope to keep injury at bay as he moves into a stage of his career where he has the greatest chance of bringing the 18th NBA championship to Boston.
