Boston Celtics’ Draft History (2006-2015)
Over the past 10 NBA Drafts (2006-2015), the Boston Celtics have made 23 selections, yielding just one All-Star in Rajon Rondo.
The following table details the Celtics’ track record by tiers, noting the number of All-Stars and starters selected, along with players who either never made the league or were out in five years or less:
Tier | Picks | All-Star | All-Star Appearances | Starter* | Not in NBA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1-5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
6-10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
11-15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16-20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 (33.3%) | 0 |
21-25 | 3 | 1 (33.3%) | 4 | 1 (33.3%) | 1 (33.3%) |
26-30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (66.7%) |
31-40 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (33.3%) |
41-50 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (100%) |
51-60 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 (83.3%) |
Total | 23 | 1 (4.3%) | 4 | 2 (8.7%) | 12 (52.2%) |
*Starter criteria determined as an average of 50 or more starts, over at least 40 percent of the player’s career.
The following is the league average over the same tiers:
Tier | All-Star | Starter | Not in NBA |
---|---|---|---|
1-5 | 12 (24%) | 30 (60%) | 3 (6%) |
6-10 | 8 (16%) | 30 (60%) | 7 (14%) |
11-15 | 2 (4%) | 12 (24%) | 8 (16%) |
16-20 | 3 (6%) | 10 (20%) | 8 (16%) |
21-25 | 2 (4%) | 8 (16%) | 15 (30%) |
26-30 | 1 (2%) | 5 (10%) | 20 (40%) |
31-40 | 1 (2%) | 11 (11%) | 52 (52%) |
41-50 | 2 (2%) | 8 (8%) | 70 (70%) |
51-60 | 1 (1%) | 1 (1%) | 87 (87%) |
Total | 32 (5.3%) | 115 (19.7%) | 270 (45.0%) |
The Celtics’ overall draft percentages are below the league average, though Rondo was an excellent pick and a championship contributor.
Note that players are included with the team through any draft-day trades. Some teams pick well but let an eventual starter leave for another, but that’s beyond the scope of this article. Recently drafted players have yet to officially pass the “at least five years” test, but were considered as such if on a team’s roster by the end of the 2015-16 season. Additionally, recent picks who have yet to join the NBA may still do so, but for this analysis are considered “out.”
Pick History 2006-2015
All-Stars: Rajon Rondo (2006-21) — four appearances
Starters: Rondo, Avery Bradley (2010-19)
Rotation Players: Glen Davis (2007-35), E’Twaun Moore (2011-55), Jared Sullinger (2012-21), Kelly Olynyk (2013-13), Marcus Smart (2014-6), James Young (2014-17), Terry Rozier (2015-16), R.J. Hunter (2015-28), Jordan Mickey (2015-33)
Out in Five Years or Less: Leon Powe (2006-49),Gabe Pruitt (2007-32), JR Giddens (2008-30), Bill “Henry” Walker (2008-47), Semih Erden (2008-60), Lester Hudson (2009-58), Luke Harangody (2010-52), JaJuan Johnson (2011-27), Fab Melo (2012-22), Kris Joseph (2012-51), Colton Iverson (2013-53), Marcus Thornton (2015-45)