1998–99 Boston Celtics season

The 1998–99 NBA season was the 53rd season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association.[1] This season is most memorable when the Celtics selected future All-Star, and one-time champion Paul Pierce from the University of Kansas with the tenth pick in the 1998 NBA draft.[2] In the off-season, the team acquired second-year center Tony Battie from the Los Angeles Lakers. Pierce would get off to a fast start as he was named Rookie of The Month in February after the season was delayed by a lockout, which cut the season to 50 games.[3][4] However, after a 7–7 start to the season, the Celtics struggled losing ten of their next eleven games, as they traded Andrew DeClercq to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Vitaly Potapenko.[5] The Celtics finished fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 19–31 record,[6] as fans began to get restless with head coach Rick Pitino's slow growth.

1998–99 Boston Celtics season
Head coachRick Pitino
General managerChris Wallace
Owner(s)Paul Gaston
ArenaFleet Center
Results
Record19–31 (.380)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Atlantic)
Conference: 12th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWABU
(Tom Heinsohn, Bob Cousy)
Fox Sports New England
(Mike Gorman, Tom Heinsohn)
RadioWEEI
(Howard David, Cedric Maxwell)

Pierce averaged 16.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, and finished in third place in Rookie of the Year voting,[7] while Antoine Walker led the team with 18.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. In addition, second-year star Ron Mercer provided the team with 17.0 points per game, while Kenny Anderson contributed 12.1 points and 5.7 assists per game, and sixth man Dana Barros provided with 9.3 points and 4.2 assists per game off the bench.[8] Following the season, Mercer was traded to the Denver Nuggets,[9] and Bruce Bowen signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Draft picks
Main article: 1998 NBA Draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 10 Paul Pierce SF/SG  United States Kansas

Roster
1998–99 Boston Celtics roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
G 7 Anderson, Kenny  6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 168 lb (76 kg) 1970–10–09 Georgia Tech
G 11 Barros, Dana 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 163 lb (74 kg) 1967–04–13 Boston College
F/C 40 Battie, Tony 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1976–02–11 Texas Tech
G/F 12 Bowen, Bruce  6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1971–06–14 Cal State Fullerton
F 29 Ellison, Pervis  (IN) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1967–04–03 Louisville
G 13 Jones, Damon 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1976–08–25 Houston
F 4 Jones, Popeye  6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1970–06–17 Murray State
F 0 McCarty, Walter 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1974–02–01 Kentucky
G 5 Mercer, Ron 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1976–05–18 Kentucky
G 9 Minor, Greg  6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1971–09–18 Louisville
F 34 Pierce, Paul 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1977–10–13 Kansas
C 52 Potapenko, Vitaly 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 280 lb (127 kg) 1975–03–21 Wright State
C 44 Riley, Eric 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1970–06–02 Michigan
C 55 Schintzius, Dwayne 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 260 lb (118 kg) 1968–10–14 Florida
F 8 Walker, Antoine (C) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 224 lb (102 kg) 1976–08–12 Kentucky
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (IN) Inactive
  • Injured

Roster
Last transaction: May 4, 1999

Roster Notes
  • Power forward Pervis Ellison missed the entire season due to an ankle injury.

Regular season

Season standings
Atlantic Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div GP
c-Miami Heat 33 17 .660 0.0 18–7 15–10 12–8 50
x-Orlando Magic 33 17 .660 0.0 21–4 12–13 12–6 50
x-Philadelphia 76ers 28 22 .560 5.0 17–8 11–14 9–10 50
x-New York Knicks 27 23 .540 6.0 19–6 8–17 12–8 50
Boston Celtics 19 31 .380 14.0 10–15 9–16 10–9 50
Washington Wizards 18 32 .360 15.0 13–12 5–20 6–13 50
New Jersey Nets 16 34 .320 17.0 12–13 4–21 6–13 50


Eastern Conference
# Team W L PCT GB GP
1 c-Miami Heat * 33 17 .660 – 50
2 y-Indiana Pacers * 33 17 .660 0.0 50
3 x-Orlando Magic 33 17 .660 0.0 50
4 x-Atlanta Hawks 31 19 .620 2.0 50
5 x-Detroit Pistons 29 21 .580 4.0 50
6 x-Philadelphia 76ers 28 22 .560 5.0 50
7 x-Milwaukee Bucks 28 22 .560 5.0 50
8 x-New York Knicks 27 23 .540 6.0 50
9 Charlotte Hornets 26 24 .520 7.0 50
10 Toronto Raptors 23 27 .460 10.0 50
11 Cleveland Cavaliers 22 28 .440 11.0 50
12 Boston Celtics 19 31 .380 14.0 50
13 Washington Wizards 18 32 .360 15.0 50
14 New Jersey Nets 16 34 .320 17.0 50
15 Chicago Bulls 13 37 .260 20.0 50
z - clinched division title
y - clinched division title
x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents
1998-99 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MIA MIL MIN NJN NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA TOR UTA VAN WAS
Atlanta –3–03–03–12–10–10–01–20–01–03–11–00–00–31–20–01–22–12–22–11–00–00–00–00–02–10–01–02–1
Boston 0–3–1–22–12–20–01–00–30–00–00–31–00–03–00–30–11–21–21–21–20–00–10–10–00–01–20–01–03–1
Charlotte 0–32–1–2–12–10–00–03–00–10–01–20–00–11–22–20–03–01–31–21–21–01–00–00–00–02–11–00–02–1
Chicago 1–31–21–2–0–30–10–00–30–00–00–31–00–01–21–30–02–11–20–31–20–00–00–00–10–11–20–11–01–2
Cleveland 1–22–21–23–0–0–00–01–21–00–10–30–01–00–31–20–03–01–21–21–21–00–00–01–00–02–20–10–01–2
Dallas 1–00–00–01–00–0–2–10–12–22–20–03–00–30–10–01–20–10–01–00–01–30–32–21–30–30–00–32–10–0
Denver 0–00–10–00–00–01–2–0–01–30–40–13–01–20–11–00–31–00–00–00–00–30–30–30–42–20–01–23–10–1
Detroit 2–13–00–33–02–11–00–0–0–00–02–10–00–02–12–10–12–12–10–41–31–00–00–00–11–02–11–00–02–1
Golden State 0–00–01–00–00–12–23–10–0–0–31–02–11–20–00–12–20–00–00–10–01–22–21–20–31–20–00–44–00–0
Houston 0–10–00–00–01–02–24–00–03–0–0–03–11–20–10–02–11–00–00–10–02–22–13–00–32–11–00–34–00–0
Indiana 1–23–02–13–03–00–01–01–20–10–0–0–01–02–23–00–03–12–11–21–20–00–10–00–00–02–10–01–03–0
L.A. Clippers 0–10–10–00–10–00–30–30–01–21–30–0–0–40–00–02–21–00–10–00–00–31–21–20–30–30–11–31–30–0
L.A. Lakers 0–00–01–00–00–13–02–10–02–12–10–14–0–0–00–02–10–01–01–00–13–12–21–22–12–20–01–32–10–0
Miami 3–00–32–12–13–01–01–01–20–01–02–20–00–0–2–10–13–12–22–12–10–00–00–00–00–03–00–10–03–0
Milwaukee 2–13–02–23–12–10–00–11–21–00–00–30–00–01–2–1–02–12–11–21–20–10–00–00–01–03–10–00–02–1
Minnesota 0–01–00–00–00–02–13–01–02–21–20–02–21–21–00–1–0–00–10–00–01–20–33–12–22–10–10–33–10–0
New Jersey 2–12–10–31–20–31–00–11–20–00–11–30–10–01–31–20–0–0–30–31–20–00–10–00–01–02–10–00–02–1
New York 1–22–13–12–12–10–00–01–20–00–01–21–00–12–21–21–03–0–0–33–11–00–00–10–00–01–20–00–02–1
Orlando 2–22–12–13–02–10–10–04–01–01–02–10–00–11–22–10–03–03–0–1–20–00–01–00–10–01–20–00–02–1
Philadelphia 1–22–12–12–12–10–00–03–10–00–02–10–01–01–22–10–02–11–32–1–0–00–11–00–10–12–10–01–01–2
Phoenix 0–10–00–10–00–13–13–00–12–12–20–03–01–30–01–02–10–00–10–00–0–0–30–32–23–00–02–23–00–0
Portland 0–01–00–10–00–03–03–00–02–21–21–02–12–20–00–03–01–00–00–01–03–0–4–01–32–20–01–24–00–0
Sacramento 0–01–01–00–00–02–23–00–02–10–30–02–12–10–00–01–30–01–00–10–13–00–4–1–22–20–01–24–01–0
San Antonio 0–00–00–01–00–13–14–01–03–03–00–03–01–20–00–02–20–00–01–01–02–23–12–1–2–10–12–13–00–0
Seattle 0–00–00–01–00–03–02–20–12–11–20–03–02–20–00–11–20–10–00–01–00–32–22–21–2–0–02–22–10–1
Toronto 1–22–11–22–12–20–00–01–20–00–11–21–00–00–31–31–01–22–12–11–20–00–00–01–00–0–0–01–02–2
Utah 0–00–00–11–01–03–02–10–14–03–00–03–13–11–00–03–00–00–00–00–02–22–12–11–22–20–0–3–01–0
Vancouver 0–10–10–00–10–01–21–30–00–30–40–13–11–20–00–01–30–00–00–00–10–30–30–40–31–20–10–3–0–0
Washington 1–21–31–22–12–10–01–01–20–10–00–30–00–00–31–20–01–21–21–22–10–00–10–10–01–02–20–10–0—

Player statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Awards and records

References
  1. 1998-99 Boston Celtics
  2. "PRO BASKETBALL; 7 Feet 1 Inch of Potential at No. 1". New York Times. June 25, 1998. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  3. "BASKETBALL; It's Their Ball, and N.B.A. Owners Call for Lockout". New York Times. June 30, 1998. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  4. "With Lockout Over, Players Work Out". New York Times. January 24, 1999. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  5. "Cavs Trade Potapenko To Celtics". CBS News. March 11, 1999. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  6. "1998–99 Boston Celtics Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  7. "1998–99 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  8. "1998–99 Boston Celtics Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  9. "NBA Trade Roundup". AP News. August 4, 1999. Retrieved October 14, 2021.

See also
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