Paul Pierce, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen

Please note that this does not necessarily reflect the last five Small Forwards inducted but rather the previous five peak runs of that particular player.  Also, we are going with what each player predominantly played.  For some positions, we see very different players who bring unique skill sets, and at Small Forward, they often see action in other roles.

The five Small Forwards we are using as the baseline are:

Paul Pierce.  Class of 2021 & Peak Period 2004-05 to 2010-11:  Pierce logged more minutes in the first half of his career as a Shooting Guard, which bled into significant time into his Peak Period.

Grant Hill.  Class of 2028 & Peak Period 1994-95 to 2000-01:  Hill also played at Shooting Guard, but unlike Pierce, there was no internal debate in slotting Hill at the three.

Tracy McGrady.  Class of 2017 & Peak Period 2000-2001 to 2006-07:  This was the trickiest one among our baselines.  McGrady played just as much as a Shooting Guard, which includes our Peak Period.  We could have easily placed T-Mac in the SG spot, and we will be open on this; the lack of Small Forwards recently inducted might have swayed this decision. 

Chris Mullin.  Class of 2011 & Peak Period 1987-88 to 1993-94:  Mullin played more games as a Shooting Guard early in his career, but that did not occur in his peak period.

Scottie Pippen.  Class of 2010 & Peak Period 1991-92 to 1997-98: Pippen is the only player here who was always a Small Forward, and we could arguably use him as a one-man bar for this spot for decades to come.

Peak Period is the best seven consecutive seasons by a player.*All-NBA have weighted points.  3 for the First Team, 2 for the Second Team, and 1 for the Third Team.

MVP and Defensive Player of the Year have weighted points.  10 for 1^st Place, 9 for 2^nd Place, 8 for 3^rd Place, 7 for 4^th Place, 6 for 5^th Place, 5 for 6^th Place, 4 for 7^th Place, 3 for 8^th Place, 2 for 9^th Place and 1 for 10^th Place.

All-Defensive have weighted points.  2 for the First Team, 1 for the Second Team.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Boston Celtics.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Basketball Association.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Boston made history by winning their 18^th NBA Championship, giving them the sole lead.  Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the Celtics from beginning to end, giving us some significant list jumps, though no new entrants.  That will likely change next year.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Bill Russell
2. Larry Bird
3. John Havlicek
4. Bob Cousy
5. Paul Pierce

You can find the entire list here.

Jayson Tatum, who added another First Team All-NBA, moved from #15 to #12.

Al Horford inched up three spots to #19.

Jaylen Brown, who won the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP vaulted to #21 from #27.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Boston Celtics.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Basketball Association.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Boston made it to their second Eastern Conference Final, and they are legit contenders to make it there again.  There were some significant jumps on the list based on last season.

As always, we present our top five, which was not affected by the last season:

1. Bill Russell

2. Larry Bird

3. John Havlicek

4. Bob Cousy

5. Paul Pierce

You can find the entire list here.

Jayson Tatum only went up two spots to #15, despite a second consecutive First Team All-NBA, but that is more due to the incredible players the franchise has had. 

Veteran Center, Al Horford, went up two spots to #22.

Jaylen Brown, who was named a Third Team All-NBA player last year, advanced five spots to #27.

Marcus Smart, who is now with Memphis did not jump from #29.  This is not a reflection on Smart’s season, but more of a commentary on how loaded this list is and how hard it is to jump.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

The day after the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inducted the Class of 2020, the Class of 2021 has been announced.

Let’s get right to it:

The members of the Class of 2021 are:

Val Ackerman:  After her playing career ended, Ackerman worked in the legal field and would later be a special assistant to NBA Commissioner, David Stern.  She would become the first President of the WNBA (serving eight years) and became an appointee to the Board of Directors of USA Basketball.

 

Rick Adelman:  Adelman was a former WCC Player of the Year, but he enters the Hall as a Coach, having helmed Portland (1989-94), Golden State (1995-97), Sacramento (1999-06), Houston (2007-11) and Minnesota (2011-14) with an overall record of 1,042-749.

 

Chris Bosh:  Bosh enters Springfield on his second year of eligibility, and though he played more games with Toronto, it was his time in Miami with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade where he is best known.  With the Heat, Bosh won two NBA Championships, and is an overall 11-time All-Star.  Bosh also has an Olympic Gold Medal with Team U.S.A. in 2008.

 

Bob Dandridge:  Dandridge is a two-time NBA Champion, one with Milwaukee (1971), and one with Washington (1978), and is a four-time NBA All-Star.  Both the Bucks and his collegiate alumni, Norfolk State, retired his number.

 

Cotton Fitzsimmons:  Fitzsimmons was an NBA Head Coach for Phoenix (1970-72, 1988-92 & 1996-97), Atlanta (1972-76), Buffalo (1977-78), Kansas City (1978-84) and San Antonio (1984-86) and was a two-time NBA Coach of the Year (1979 & 1989).  He had a lifetime coaching record of 832-775.

 

Clarence “Fats” Jenkins’:  Jenkins enters as this year’s Early African -American Pioneer inductee, and he most notably played for the New York Rens from 1925 to 1939.  He also played in the Negro Leagues of baseball for twenty years.

Howard Garfinkel:  Garfinkel, was the co-founder and director of Five-Star Basketball Camps and creator of Basketball Illustrated, the first high school scouting report.  He was inducted to the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Yolanda Griffith:  Griffith was an eight-time WNBA All-Star, two-time All-WNBA First Team Selection and was twice the Rebounding leader.  She also took the Sacramento Monarchs to a WNBA Championship in 2005, and while representing the United States, she won two Gold Olympic Gold Medals (2000 & 2004).

Lauren Jackson:  One of the top female players ever, Australia’s Lauren Jackson was a seven-time WNBA All-Star, three-time WNBA MVP, and she led the Seattle Storm twice to an WNBA Championship.  She was also a seven-time All-WNBA First Team Selection and was also a former Defensive Player of the Year.  Internationally, Jackson led Australia to Gold in the 2008 World Championship, and captured three straight Silvers (2000, 2004 & 2008) at the Olympics.  

Toni Kukoc:  From Croatia, Kukoc is this year’s International Inductee.  Kukoc famously was part of the Bulls’ second three-peat (1996-98), and was the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1996.  In Europe, Kukoc was a five-time Euroscar Player of the Year, four-time Mister Europa Player of the Year, and he led Benetton Treviso to three consecutive EuroLeague Championships (1989-91).  Representing Yugoslavia, he won Gold in 1990 World Cup, and Silver in the 1992 Olympics representing Croatia.

Pearl Moore:  With 4,061 Points at Francis Marion College, Moore is the all-time leader in Points in Women’s College Basketball.  She would later play professionaly in the Women’s Basketball League, and in 2011, she was chosen for the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Paul Pierce:  The arguable headliner of this class, Pierce enters on his first year of eligibility.  An All-American at Kansas, Pierce was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1998, where he was their best player, but needed help to bring them back to greatness.  He got that when they signed Hall of Famers, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, and Pierce was the 2008 Finals MVP.  Pierce was a ten-time All-Star, a four-time All-NBA honoree (one Second Team and three Third Team), and his number 34 was retired by both the Boston Celtics and University of Kansas.

Bill Russell:  Russell enters the Hall again, this time as a Head Coach.  His coaching career began while still playing for the Celtics, and he not only became the first African-American Head Coach in the NBA, he was the first to win the NBA Championship (1968).  Russell won a second Title as a player/coach in 1969, and he would later coach Seattle (1973-77) and Sacramento (1987-88).  He has an overall coaching record of 341-290

Ben Wallace:  Wallace is one of the best defensive players in the last 30 years, and he was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005 & 2006.  Also, a five-time All-NBA Selection (three Second Team, and two Third Team), Wallace led the Pistons to the Championship in 2004, making him the first player of that championship squad to earn a spot in Springfield.  Wallace also was a two-time Rebounding leader, one-time Blocks leader, and he also logged time for the Washington, Orlando, Chicago and Cleveland.  The Pistons retired his number 3 in 2016.

Chris Webber:  Webber was the leader of one of the most influential college teams in recent memory, “The Fab Five” of the University of Michigan.  He would be most known for his failed time-out call in the NCAA Finals, but there was no doubt that he was the star of the NCAA.  Professionally, Webber was a five-time All-Star, and three-time Second Team All-NBA Selection.  Webber also was the 1994 Rookie of the Year, and he led the NBA in Rebounds in 1998-99, and his number 4. Was retired by the Sacramento Kings.

Jay Wright:  Wright, who is the current Head Coach at Villanova, brought the Wildcats to three Final Fours, winning two National Championships (2016 & 2018), and he is also a two-time Naismith College Coach of the Year.  He currently has a coaching record of 606-271. 

We will begin work on revising our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball List.  Look for that next month.  

We here would like to congratulate the sixteen new members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has announced 14 Finalists for the Class of 2021, ten men and four women.

The North American Committee Finalists are:

Rick Adelman (Coach): Portland 1989-94, Golden State 1995-97, Sacramento 1999-06, Houston 2007-11 & Minnesota 2011-14.  A seven-year pro, Adelman went into coaching, first obtaining a Head Coaching role in the NBA with the Trail Blazers in 1989.  Adelman led Portland to two Western Conference Championships (1990 & 1992).  Last coaching in 2014, Adelman had a career record of 1,042-749, and is currently ninth all-time in wins.

Chris Bosh (Player):Toronto 2003-10 & Miami 2010-17. Bosh went to eleven consecutive All-Star Games (2006-16) and helped the Heat win two NBA Titles (2012 & 2013), and won Olympic Gold for the United States in 2008.  The former ACC Rookie of the Year has already had his number (1) retired by the Heat.  He was eligible last year, but was not nominated.  Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Michael Cooper (Player): Los Angeles Lakers (1978-90).  The Shooting Guard for the “Showtime” Lakers, Cooper aided L.A. win five NBA Championships.  A defensive wizard, Cooper won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1987, and was five times part of the All-Defensive First Team roster. Ranked #33 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Tim Hardaway (Player): Golden State (1989-96), Miami (1996-01), Dallas (2001-02), Denver (2002) & Indiana (2003).  Hardaway was a five-time All-Star and a First Team All-NBA Selection in 1997.  Also, a three-time Second Team Selection, Hardaway was a member of the 2000 Olympic Gold winning team for the United States.  Ranked #8 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Marques Johnson (Player):  Milwaukee (1977-84), Los Angeles Clippers (1984-87) & Golden State (1989). Johnson went to five All-Star Games and in 1979 was a First Team All-Star.  An NCAA Champion and former College Player of the Year at UCLA, Johnson’s number was retired by both the Bruins and the Milwaukee Bucks.  Ranked #25 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Paul Pierce (Player): Boston (1998-13), Brooklyn (2013-14), Washington (2014-15) & Los Angeles Clippers (2015-17).  A First Team All-American at Kansas, Pierce played 19 seasons, the first fifteen with the Celtics.  Pierce led Boston to the NBA Championship in 2008, where he was named the Finals MVP. Pierce’s number is retired by the Celtics and Jayhawks, and he is currently 19^thall-time in Points. Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com

Bill Russell (Coach): Boston (1966-69), Seattle (1973-77) & Sacramento (1987-88).  Russell is already inducted as a player (1975), and in 1966, he became the Celtics Player/Coach, becoming the first African-American Coach in the NBA.  Russell took the Celtics to his last two of eleven titles in that capacity, and had an overall record of 341-290.

Ben Wallace (Player):  Washington (1996-99), Orlando (1999-00), Detroit (2000-06), Chicago (2006-08), Cleveland (2008-09) & Detroit (2009-12).  Wallace brought the Pistons to an NBA Championship in 2004, and he was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.  A two-time Rebounding Leader and one-time Blocking Leader, Wallace was also a four-time All-Star.  His number was retired by Detroit.  Ranked #4on Notinhalloffame.com. 

Chris Webber (Player):  Golden State (1993-94), Washington (1994-98), Sacramento (1998-05), Philadelphia (2006-07), Detroit (2007) & Golden State (2008).  Webber was the leader of Michigan’s “Fab Five”, and was a Consensus All-American. Named the NBA Rookie of the Year, Webber was a five-time All-Star, and was a First Team All-NBA Selection in 2001.  Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jay Wright (Coach):  Hofstra 1994-01 & Villanova (2001-).  Wright, who is still the Head Coach at Villanova, has taken the Wildcats to two NCAA Championships and three Final Fours.  He was named by the Associated Press Coach of the Decade (2010s).  

The Women’s Committee Finalists are:

Leta Andrews (Coach): Tolar HS (1962-65), Gustine HS (1965-70), Comanche (1970-76), Granbury HS (1976-80), Calallen HS (1980-82) & Granbury (1992-14).  Andrews has an overall coaching record of 1,416-355, and has won more than any other coach in high school basketball.   Andrews is already in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Yolanda Griffith (Player):  Chicago (1998), Sacramento (1999-07), Seattle (2008) & Indiana (2009).  Griffith won the WNBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1999, and was an eight-time All-Star.  She also won the WNBA Title in 2005 with the Monarchs where she was also the Finals MVP.

Lauren Jackson (Player):  Seattle (2001-12).  Jackson was a three-time WNBA MVP and seven-time WNBA All-Star, and she also led the league in scoring three times.  Jackson also led Australia to three Olympic Silver Medals, one Olympic Bronze, and a World Championship Gold Medal in 2006.

Marianne Stanley (Coach):  Old Dominion (1977-87), Penn (1987-89), USC (1989-93), Stanford (1995-96), California (1996-2000), Washington WNBA (2002-03), Indiana WNBA (2020-).  Stanley took her teams to three Final Fours and brought Old Dominion to a NCAA Championship in 1985. 

The Class of 2021 will be announced at this year’s Final Four.

Please note that at present, we only rank male players.  This could change in the future.

The Class of 2021 ceremony is currently slated for September of this year.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the Finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

The College Basketball Hall of Fame has announced the Class of 2021, which will comprise of six former players and two coaches.

The new inductees are:

Len Bias, Maryland 1982-86:  One of the best athletes in Terrapin history, Bias was a two-time ACC Player of the Year, and was a Consensus First Team All-American in 1986.  Bias tragically died two days after he was taken second overall by the Boston Celtics from a cocaine overdose.

Rick Byrd, Coach, Lincoln Memorial 1983-86 & Belmont 1986-2019:  Byrd retired last year with a record of 805-402 and was named the NAIA Coach of the Year in 1995.  

David Greenwood, UCLA 1975-79:  Greenwood was twice a Consensus First Team All-American and was a two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year.  He would later win an NBA Championship in 1990 with the Detroit Pistons.

Hersey Hawkins, Bradley 1984-88:  In his senior year, Hawkins led the NCAA in scoring, and was named the AP Player of the Year, the UPI Player of the Year, and also won the Oscar Robertson Trophy and Adolph Rupp Trophy.  Hawkins was also a former Consensus First Team All-American and was a two-time MVC Player of the Year.  He would later be named an All-Star as a pro in 1991 when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jim Jackson, Ohio State 1989-92:  With the Buckeyes, Jackson was a two-time Consensus All-American, two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, and he was named the UPI College Player of the Year in 1992. Jackson went on to have a 15-year NBA career spent over 12 NBA teams.

Antawn Jamison, North Carolina 1995-98:  Jamison was the ACC Player of the Year in 1998 and was also a Consensus First Team All-American and Consensus National Player of the Year.  As a pro, he would be a two-time All-Star and a Sixth Man of the Year.

Tom Penders, Coach, Tufts 1971-74, Columbia 1974-78, Fordham 1978-86, Rhode Island 1986-88, Texas 1988-98, George Washington 1998-01 & Houston 2004-10:  Penders would have an overall record of 649-437 and was the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 1987.

Paul Pierce, Kansas 1995-98:  Pierce was a Consensus First Team All-American in 1998, and he would later go to ten All-Star Games in the NBA, as well as winning an NBA Championship with Boston in 2008.

The 2021 ceremony is tentatively scheduled for next November.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame related lists are at the forefront of what we do. Hell, it is in the name of our site; Notinhalloffame.com!

The problem (or actually our perpetual joy) is that we have to continuously revise lists, most of them annually.  With the ones in reference to the main Halls of Fame, we try to tackle the revisions immediately.  With that in mind, we are pleased to have our new Notinhalloffame.com Basketball list of those to consider for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Before we get into it, please note that this list only covers the male candidates.  We may look at doing a separate list for coaches, international, and women, but for now we will remain with this core list.

As always, the first thing we do is remove those who were chosen for the incoming class.  This involved the removal of our top three, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett, all of which were in their first year of eligibility.  We should note that while Rudy Tomjanavich was also chosen for Springfield, he did so as a Coach, and in the Basketball Hall, you can enter multiple times as a Coach and as a Player.

The second thing we do is input the new entries who are now eligible and are worthy of being ranked.  

The third is look at your comments and votes and alter accordingly.

The complete list can be found here, but below are the former players who now comprise our new top ten.

Paul Pierce debuts at #1, and is our highest ranked new entry.  Pierce was a ten-time All-Star, and was chosen for four All-NBA Teams (one Second Team and three Third Team).  Pierce was a teammate of this year’s inductee, Kevin Garnett, in Boston, and he was the Finals MVP in their Championship win in 2008. 

Chris Bosh moved from #4 to #2.  Bosh was openly upset when he was not included in this list of Finalists for the 2020 Hall of Fame Class, but we suspect this was to hold him back for a class with Pierce. The former Raptor and Heat player, was an 11-time All-Star and won two NBA Championships with Miami.

Chris Webber climbs back to #3 from #5.  Webber was the leader of the Michigan’s “Fab Five”, and was the NBA Rookie of the Year. C-Webb was a five-time All-Star, and was once a First Team All-NBA Selection, as well as a three-time Second Team All-NBA Selection.  Webber was at one time ranked number one on this list.

Ben Wallace moves up two spots to #4.  Wallace was a part of the Detroit Pistons 2004 NBA Championship, and he was a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.  The four-time All-Star was a three-time Second Team All-NBA and a two-time Third Team All-NBA Selection.

Shawn Kemp rose three to #5.  The former Seattle SuperSonic went to six All-Star Games, and was chosen for three-time Second Team squads.

Max Zaslofsky also went up three spots from #9 to #6.  Zaslofsky was a four-time First Team All-NBA player in the 1940s and 1950s.

Mark Aguirre climbed to #7 from #10.  The former Naismith College Player of the Year, won two NBA Championships as a Detroit Piston, and he was also a three-time All-Star.

Tim Hardaway returns to the top ten, moving up to #8.  The former five-time All-Star was a star at Golden State, and he was also a First Team All-NBA player in 1997.

Lou Hudson shot up from #16 to #9.  Hudson was a six-time All-Star.

Bob Dandridge closes the top ten, and he rose from #13.  He was a four-time All-Star, and he won two NBA Titles, one with Milwaukee and one with Washington.

There are two new entries.

Deron Williams enters at #57 and Metta World Peace (the former Ron Artest) makes his list debut at #83.

At present, the list goes to 115.  In the future, the intent is to bring it to 150, where it will be capped at that number.

You know what we want you to do!

Take a look at the new list, and cast your votes and offer your opinions.  

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you for your support.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Boston Celtics. 

Founded in 1946, the Boston Celtics are one of the original teams of the National Basketball Association, and one of the most successful.  Under the early guidance of Red Auerbach, and the on-court presence of Bill Russell and Bob Cousy, the Celtics became the first dynasty in the league.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NBA.

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2018-19 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Bill Russell

2. Larry Bird

3. John Havlicek

4. Bob Cousy

5. Paul Pierce

We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.  

Look for or All-Time Top 50 Indiana Pacers coming next!

As always we thank you for your support.

Paul Pierce had a good rookie season (1998-99) where he averaged a little over 16 Points per Game, but it is unlikely that even the biggest diehard Celtic fan knew how good he would be.  Pierce would explode two years later with a 25 PPG year, which was followed by five straight All-Star seasons that included a pair of Third Team All-NBA Selections.  Nicknamed "The Truth", Pierce was an elite shooter and a more than competent court general, but the Celtics didn't have much around him, and they couldn't escape the middle of the Eastern pack until the Boston management swung for the fences landing Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and this version of the "Big 3" would win it all in 2008 and Pierce would begin a second five-year All-Star run.  In those Finals, Pierce would win the MVP, which was so appropriate given how long he carried the team before he got the help he needed.

We are a little late in taking a look at this at this, but a very significant retirement has taken place in the National Basketball Association. 

Los Angeles Clipper, Paul Pierce announced prior to the 2016-17 season that this would be his last in the National Basketball Association.  With the Clippers first round exit at the hands of the Utah Jazz, the career of Pierce officially came to an end.

A First Team All-American in 1998 at the University of Kansas, Pierce was drafted 10th overall by the Boston Celtics and would immediately become a starter.  Pierce would really blossom in his third season where he finished with an average of over 25 Points per Game, and the following season he would go to his first of ten All Star Games.  He would also be named a Second Team All NBA Selection once and a three time Third Team All NBA Selection.

While statistically it wasn’t his best season, 2007-08 has to be the most magical one for Pierce.  In the Celtics off-season, they acquired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and they would win the NBA Championship with Pierce leading the way as the Finals MVP. 

Overall, Paul Pierce retired with 1,343 Games Played with a 19.7 Points per Game Average.  In our eyes, Pierce will get into the Basketball Hall of Fame and likely on the first ballot.   

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Paul Pierce on his outstanding career and we wish him the best in his post playing career.