NBA: Celtics Duo Shines Despite Bad Times In Boston

The Boston Celtics are one of the most celebrated franchises in sports history.

Under the watchful eye of Arnold “Red” Auerbach, names like Russell, Cousy, Havlicek, Cowens, Bird, McHale, and Parish helped build a true basketball dynasty. These players along with many other key contributors helped the Celts win a remarkable 16 World Championships in a 29-year span from 1957-1986.

However, since the tragic and untimely death of then team captain Reggie Lewis in 1993, the Celtics haven’t made the playoffs once and their best finish has been a 36-46 campaign in the 1997-98 season.

Today, the Celtics have two of the top young players in the game on their roster. Current team captains Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce have only been in the league for five and three seasons respectively, yet this franchise’s future is resting firmly on the shoulders of this duo.

Antoine Walker, 24, was drafted by Boston in 1996 after winning an NCAA title during his sophomore year at Kentucky. After suffering through a dismal 15-67 season in his rookie year, Antoine stepped it up in his second season to average 22.4 ppg and 10.2 rpg while making his first all-star team.

Playing in a city where second place is not excepted, Walker has felt the wrath from the Boston fans and media alike throughout his early career. With the future of the franchise in the hands of employee #8, every missed shot or mental error made by Antoine was immediately met with a chorus of boos from the supposed Celtic faithful. Being named team named captain at the age of 22 may have been too much, too soon for Walker.

Jump ahead to June of 1998 at the annual NBA draft. The Celtics had missed out on the Tim Duncan sweepstakes the previous year, after being the frontrunner to get him with one of their two high lottery picks. However in 1998, the leprechaun must have been looking for redemption because Paul Pierce, an all-American from the University of Kansas had slid all the way down to the C’s at the tenth spot. Expected to be one of the top three or four picks in the draft, Pierce was just as surprised as the Celtics to be drafted at number ten.

With the 1998-99 season kicking off late because of the NBA lockout, Pierce stormed out of the blocks and was named NBA Rookie of the Month in February. After averaging 16.5 ppg and 6.4 rpg on the season, Pierce finished second to Vince Carter for NBA Rookie of the Year honors and was named to the All-Rookie first team. It was quite obvious that the Celtics had committed larceny by stealing Pierce in the 1998 draft.

Both Walker and Pierce are blessed with tremendous ability. Antoine Walker can play all five positions and is capable of recording a triple-double on any night of the week. He has the ability to play inside or outside, however his quickness and handle make him a threat when playing down on the blocks. Most of the bigger players in the league have trouble guarding Antoine under the basket, which is why he needs to stay down low more often and use this to his advantage.

Paul Pierce, 23, is silky smooth and can play at the 1, 2, and 3 spots. A fan favorite since arriving in Beantown, Pierce hasn’t had to endure any of the personal abuse that Walker often gets from the fans, but has heard the boo birds after many disappointing team performances. Pierce has shown flashes of brilliance during his early career and has become the leader of this team alongside Walker. Occasional shooting slumps and lapses of concentration have hit Paul at times, but overall he has been just what the doctor ordered for the Celtic offense. He has also been among the league leaders in steals since entering the NBA.

This year, Rick Pitino has already stated that he will resign as coach of the Celtics if his team doesn’t make the playoffs or at least improve dramatically. Whether or not the Celtics will improve as a team is questionable, but the play of Boston’s co-captains early on this season should not be overlooked. With Antoine averaging 20.7 ppg and 10.3 rpg and Pierce averaging 23.3 ppg and 6.2 rpg, they are doing their part to try and bring this desperate franchise back to the promise land, or at least to a .500 record. Combined, they are the fourth ranked scoring duo in the league behind Shaq and Kobe, Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson, and Jalen Rose and Reggie Miller.

Walker and Pierce are the Celtics future, and a pretty good one at that. Obviously, they do need a lot of help to get back to the days of yesteryear and right now it seems more and more likely that Ricky P. will be back in the Final Four before the C’s are in the Finals again. However, with three first round draft picks coming up at the end of this season, maybe the Celtics can find another steal like Pierce, or trade for a proven veteran to help these young stars bring this storied franchise back where it belongs, on top!