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The Debate: Top 5 C's Defensive Players of All Time

Marc D'Amico
Team Reporter and Analyst

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Who are the top scorers in Celtics history? How about the top rebounders, passers, offensive players and defenders?

With so much history – unquestionably the most of any franchise in the sport – these debates are heated. However, we have dug through the numbers and come up with our top-five lists for each of the five categories.

Over the next week, we will release our lists while likely throwing fire onto the debate. So without further ado, here are the top five defensive players in Celtics history. All statistics are from a player’s career with Boston.

* The NBA did not begin tracking blocked shots and until the 1973-74 season.

5. Robert Parish

Making the case...

The Chief was the anchor of Boston’s defense during its stretch of success in the 1980s, which included titles during the 1981, 1984 and 1986 seasons. He was the Bill Russell of those teams, the guy the Celtics looked toward to dominate the paint, particularly at the defensive end of the court. Parish still holds the franchise record for total blocks after swatting 1,703 shots during his days in Boston. He finished his career in green with an average of 1.54 blocks per game, which ranks second in team history. Also in his favor is the fact that he is fifth on the team’s all-time list for defensive win shares with a mark of 54.9. His shot-blocking ability was a game-changer, and Boston likely would have experienced much less success during the 80s without his 7-foot frame roaming the paint at the defensive end.

4. Kevin McHale

Making the case...

Parish was a great shot blocker, but Kevin McHale was even more potent in that area despite the fact that he stood two inches shorter and played power forward rather than center. He played 135 fewer games in a Celtics uniform than Parish, yet blocked only 13 fewer shots than Parish did during his time in Boston. Thus, it is no surprise that McHale is the team’s all-time leader in blocks per game average, with a rate of 1.74 per contest. McHale was also a three-time selection to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team, which has only been matched by John Havlicek in team history. McHale is known much more for his offensive prowess, but his impact at the defensive end certainly cannot be overlooked.

3. Larry Bird

Making the case...

Larry Bird just went 5-for-5, having appeared on all five of our top-five lists. He checks in as Boston’s third-best defender of all time after racking up some impressive defensive numbers during his illustrious Celtics career. Bird ranks second in team history in steals (1,556), second in steals per game (1.7) and third in blocks (755). He also ranks third in team history in defensive box plus/minus rating, at 2.5. Those are pretty impressive numbers for a guy who was known more for his offense than his defense, and for a guy who only played 10 full seasons with the team and 13 total.

2. Kevin Garnett

Making the case...

You don’t win the only Defensive Player of the Year award in team history and not find a spot toward the top of this list. Kevin Garnett deserves this spot. He only played six seasons in a Celtics uniform, and that is why he is not high on the all-time totals lists, but his impact was as great as any defensive player who has put on a Boston uniform. In fact, from a defensive box plus/minus standpoint, no player has made a greater impact; Garnett’s mark of 3.5 in that category is the best in franchise history. Garnett also ranks sixth in defensive rating at 96.7. Though all of the raw numbers don’t indicate it, there was no better defender in the league than Garnett during his early days with the team. He almost single-handedly turned the team’s defense into a juggernaut, which led to the 2008 NBA title. His defensive impact was nearly unmatched in team history.

1. Bill Russell

Making the case...

Notice how above we said “nearly unmatched.” No one can really match what Bill Russell did at the defensive end of the court. Steals and blocks were not tracked until after his career came to an end, so it’s difficult to back that statement up from a statistical standpoint. However, there is one stat that will blow your mind: Russell is atop the team’s defensive win shares list with a mark of 133.6. The next-best number? That would be 74.1, a mark set by John Havlicek. It’s no surprise that he headlined the first-ever NBA All-Defensive First Team back in 1969, the final season of his career. Russell was, without question, the first true defensive anchor in the history of the team. His defense set the tone for 11 NBA championship teams.

Honorable Mentions