I actually love lists like this. It's from the Wages of Wins Journal… and it's a ranking of EVERY Celtic since 1977… according to wins produced with the Celtics (via CelticsBlog). Wins produced (explained here) is clearly not the be-all end-all statistic on which to rank players. It can produce some weird results. But it is an interesting topic. The highlights.
- Larry Bird has produced, by far, the most wins for the Celtics since 1977. Please note, players before 1977 are not on the list… so no comments about "Where's Bill Russell" or "What about Cousy."
- Pierce is 3rd on the list
- Danny Ainge is 6th
- Rajon Rondo is 7th!
- Players above Ray Allen on this list: Dee Brown, Rick Fox, Antoine Walker, Ed Pinkney
- Last on the list, at 223, is… Brian Scalabrine. Sorry Scal.
So while I had some fun with the headline, this list clearly doesn't tell you "this player is better than that player." Ray's only been here a couple of years, and some of his "wins produced" are being spread between KG, Pierce and Rondo. Dee Brown was a Celtic for 6 more years than Ray, and he only managed to produce 8 more wins.
And while this list should absolutely NOT be interpreted as a ranking of players from best to worst, it should show how productive some guys are. The fact that Rajon Rondo is 7th shows how much he does. And keep in mind, you can pretty much toss out his first year because he was splitting time with Delonte West and he wasn't really running this team. Also, Pierce at third should be further affirmation of his place in Celtics history.
And what about Danny at 6? Think he was a little more than a shooter?
Quick update on Tom Thibodeau. He's interviewing the Sacramento Kings today. Danny has a contract waiting for Thibs if the Kings pass.
Also out there: Phil Jackson wants transparency to improve game | NBC: Add a 4th ref (compare that column to my "add a 4th ref" post. They even used the same picture) | Video: The NBA where caucasian happens. | Lakers… ugh… advance to NBA finals
