After Bill Russell, who are the next Greatest Celtic Centers of all time?

[Lose Remerswaal]

We've had lots of greats play the 5, including McAdoo and Shaq and Artis Gilmore, but they were really short timers. And this question is to consider ONLY the time they played for the Celtics.

I'd give 2nd spot to Dave Cowens.

Robert Parish 3rd

Garnett 4th?

5th? I never saw Easy Ed Macauley, but he played 6 years for the C's and was an All Star each year. And he got traded for Bill Russell, although I don't think we should include that in the calculation.

Walton 6th for me? Big Al knocking on the door at 7? Porzingis could move up to 4th, maybe 3rd if he stays healthy and earns a few more rings, but I can't place him Top 5 at this time.

Am I forgetting anyone?

 

[EddieYost]

I wouldn’t include KG. He was primarily a 4 for us.

 

[Kliq]

I don't see Bill Russell with any forums on here named after him. Just sayin'.

 

[bankshot1]

Taking nothing from Chief, but I love Cowens.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

I wouldn’t include KG. He was primarily a 4 for us.

Good point, the other KP was mostly the center. This is why I ask questions like this, to be reminded of things I knew and to learn

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

I don't see Bill Russell with any forums on here named after him. Just sayin'.

And one of our finest posters is named @Eric Fernsten's Disco Mustache . None named for Russell

 

[joe dokes]

Parish v. Cowens is interesting. Cowens was the straw that stirred the drink in a way that Parish wasn't (didn;t have to be).

 

[HomeRunBaker]

I don't see Bill Russell with any forums on here named after him. Just sayin'.

^^^ This

The level of disrespect our patriarch endures is borderline criminal!

 

[E5 Yaz]

Parish v. Cowens is interesting.

But not as interesting as Ard v. Fernsten

 

[phineas gage]

not as interesting as Ard v. Fernsten

No love for Hank Finkel?

 

[E5 Yaz]

No love for Hank Finkel?

Hank's in a class of his own.

 

[jose melendez]

So where do we have Acie Earl?

Like is he equidistant between Montrose and Szabo?

 

[Ale Xander]

HM: Mcadoo, Shaq, Montross (RIP Big Grits), Kleine

 

[Ale Xander]

^^^ This

The level of disrespect our patriarch endures is borderline criminal!

With apologies to Mark Blount, he has to be replaced by Sir Russell.

 

[phineas gage]

So where do we have Acie Earl?

Just to this side of Brad Lohaus a.k.a. Fifi

 

[Dahabenzapple2]

Hank's in a class of his own.

High Henry

 

[NYCSox]

Those 50 games from Michael Olowokandi were ....um.. wait he played for us right?

 

[joe dokes]

Did Celtic Shaq outweigh Celtic Thomas Hamilton?

 

[E5 Yaz]

Greg Kite's sitting the corner, waiting to be picked

 

[Ale Xander]

Did Celtic Shaq outweigh Celtic Thomas Hamilton?

It would have been cool to have 0, 00, and 000 retired.

Alas.

 

[jose melendez]

Did Celtic Shaq outweigh Celtic Thomas Hamilton?

I bet Celtic Shaq is in the top third of Celtics centers. Only one year, and he was hurt a lot, but he was pretty good when he played.

 

[joe dokes]

Can you say "Shaq, 'Sheed, Schintzius" 10 times fast?

 

[bankshot1]

Honorable mention:
Wayne Embry was a legit very good center, a HoF for his time in Cinn. w/Oscar, who was built like a brick shithouse and gave Russell a breather against Wilt. And he would have likely won a 2nd ring with the Celts if he hadn't been snagged by the pre-Alcindor Bucks to be their starting center in the expansion draft.

 

[joe dokes]

Honorable mention:
Wayne Embry was a legit very good center, a HoF for his time in Cinn. w/Oscar, who was built like a brick shithouse and gave Russell a breather against Wilt. And he would have likely won a 2nd ring with the Celts if he hadn't been snagged by the pre-Alcindor Bucks to be their starting center in the expansion draft.

And he was preceded in that same Celtics' role by John Thompson.

 

[SumnerH]

Can you say "Shaq, 'Sheed, Schintzius" 10 times fast?

Stojko.

 

[Smokey Joe]

What about All of Australia.

 

[Devizier]

Doing the mental math and Al is like 5 or 6, right?

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

marty Conlon is like 28th, right?

 

[DavidTai]

Darko Milicic for a spell, yes?

 

[snowmanny]

Cowens went ROY then 7-1-4-2-3 in MVP voting and was all-NBA second team three times. Parish had one each all-NBA second and third team and a 7th and a 4th in MVP voting.

Argument for Parish is longevity, really, but I think it’s Cowens.

 

[BrandyWhine]

Rick Robey?

 

[EddieYost]

Russell
Cowens
Parish
Horford
Easy Ed
Walton
Zinger (edit)

 

[jmcc5400]

Stojko.

Stiemsma

 

[reggiecleveland]

Perk was very good at his job. He has to be near top of the role player pile. Also that he became an analyst is like Doug Mirabeli emerging as the TV personality from the 2004 Sox.

 

[Reardon's Beard]

^^^^^^

Perk above many names bandied about in this forum, but obviously not an all time great.

Also too many 4s getting labeled as 5s.

 

[wade boggs chicken dinner]

Here's one random website's list of the top 68 centers in Cs history: The 25+ Best Boston Celtics Centers of All Time, Ranked by Fans (ranker.com).

Not really posting this because of the rankings, which are suspect, but it's a good reminder of some of the guys who came through here, like Chris Mihm, Zaid Abdul-Aziz, Semih Erden, and Vitor Faverani.

Funny that this particular ranking has Tristan Thompson last at 68.

 

[Smokey Joe]

I don’t know how we got this far without Travis Knight being mentioned.

 

[runnels3]

But not as interesting as Ard v. Fernsten

Don't knock big Jim # 34. His 2 FTs sealed the deal in triple OT '76

 

[jose melendez]

Darko Milicic for a spell, yes?

I have no memory of this whatsoever

 

[Dahabenzapple2]

I met Jim Ard years ago. Very nice guy. If I have the patience, I’ll tell a nice story here one day.

 

[Humphrey]

And he was preceded in that same Celtics' role by John Thompson.

And before that (or concurrently), "Wide" Clyde Lovellette, Hall of Famer, first of a chosen few to play on a NCAA, Olympic and NBA champion.

 

[joe dokes]

I met Jim Ard years ago. Very nice guy. If I have the patience, I’ll tell a nice story here one day.

He was a solid New York Net backup (10-15mpg) when I was a kid. Got traded just before the start of Julius Erving's 1st Net season. Nets got Larry Kenon (eventually Mr. K, opposite Dr. J.). Big trade win for the Nets.

 

[The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa]

I don’t know how we got this far without Travis Knight being mentioned.

He probably made more money than most of the guys on that list.

 

[TaiwanManny]

Parish v. Cowens is interesting. Cowens was the straw that stirred the drink in a way that Parish wasn't (didn;t have to be).

I though Parish was a beast his first year here but then took a lower scoring role once Bird, Mc, and the others took off but NBA reference proved me wrong. Averaged 18.9 - 19.0 points per game his first few years but went down some after. I thought i remembered him scoring high 20's consistently early on here but my memory is fading.

 

[reggiecleveland]

I though Parish was a beast his first year here but then took a lower scoring role once Bird, Mc, and the others took off but NBA reference proved me wrong. Averaged 18.9 - 19.0 points per game his first few years but went down some after. I thought i remembered him scoring high 20's consistently early on here but my memory is fading.

The first time I heard of Parish was in an old Basketball digest article when he was putting up 17 and 12 in GS. I remember an unamed "executive" saying Parish would be incredible on a good team. My teenage heart always believed it was Red.

 

[Koufax]

How quickly they forget the number 1 overall draft pick, "Out of Service" Pervis Ellison.

 

[Eric1984]

How quickly we forget…

 

[Eric Fernsten's Disco Mustache]

Just discovering this whole thread. Great stuff.

Having always been kinda sensitive, our Board's namesake is a little sad and upset that nobody has made fun of him in this thread yet

And one of our finest posters is named @Eric Fernsten's Disco Mustache . None named for Russell

Nothing about me is great enough to be regularly associated with #6

 

[lars10]

Just discovering this whole thread. Great stuff.

Having always been kinda sensitive, our Board's namesake is a little sad and upset that nobody has made fun of him in this thread yet

Nothing about me is great enough to be regularly associated with #6

Was sort of done in the third post in the thread

 

[The Social Chair]

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