1997–98 Boston Celtics season

1997–98 Boston Celtics season
Head coach Rick Pitino
Arena Fleet Center
Results
Record 36–46 (.439)
Place Division: 6th (Atlantic)
Conference: 12th (Eastern)
Playoff finish DNQ
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television SportsChannel New England, WSBK
Radio WEEI

The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association.[1] In the 1997 NBA draft, the Celtics selected Chauncey Billups out of the University of Colorado with the third pick. Billups only spent half of his rookie season in Boston, and was traded along with Dee Brown to the Toronto Raptors for Kenny Anderson at midseason.[2] The Celtics also had the sixth pick in the draft and selected Ron Mercer from the University of Kentucky. In the offseason, they acquired second-year forward Walter McCarty from the New York Knicks and signed free agents Travis Knight, Andrew DeClercq and Bruce Bowen.

Despite finishing with the NBA's second worst record in 1996–97, the Celtics were back in the headlines after hiring Rick Pitino as head coach. Pitino's Celtics career had an auspicious beginning on opening night when the Celtics upset the 5-time defending NBA Champion Chicago Bulls at the FleetCenter.[3] Although the Celtics did not make the playoffs, they improved their win total by 21 games from the previous season, finishing sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 36–46 record. Second-year star Antoine Walker averaged 22.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, as he was selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game. Mercer made the All-Rookie First Team averaging 15.3 points per game. Following the season, Knight was traded back to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College/Team
1 3 Chauncey Billups PG  United States Colorado
1 6 Ron Mercer SF/SG  United States Kentucky
2 56 Ben Pepper C  Australia Newcastle Falcons

Roster

Boston Celtics roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
PG 7 United States Anderson, Kenny 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 168 lb (76 kg) Georgia Tech
PG 11 United States Barros, Dana 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 163 lb (74 kg) Boston College
SF 12 United States Bowen, Bruce  6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Cal State Fullerton
C 45 United States DeClercq, Andrew 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Florida
PG 20 United States Edney, Tyus 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 152 lb (69 kg) UCLA
PF 29 United States Ellison, Pervis  6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Louisville
SF 34 United States Hanson, Reggie 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Kentucky
SF 13 United States Jones, Dontae' 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Mississippi State
PF 4 United States Jones, Popeye  (IN) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Murray State
C 40 United States Knight, Travis 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Connecticut
SF 0 United States McCarty, Walter 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Kentucky
SG 5 United States Mercer, Ron 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Kentucky
SF 9 United States Minor, Greg 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Louisville
C 55 Croatia Tabak, Žan 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Croatia
PF 8 United States Walker, Antoine 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 224 lb (102 kg) Kentucky
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Roster

Roster Notes

  • Forward Popeye Jones was acquired from the Toronto Raptors at midseason, but did not play for the Celtics this season due to a torn ACL.

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Miami Heat 5527.671–30-1125–1618–6
x-New York Knicks 4339.5241228–1315–2613–11
x-New Jersey Nets 4339.5241226–1517–2412–12
Washington Wizards 4240.5121324–1718–2312–13
Orlando Magic 4141.5001424–1717–2411–13
Boston Celtics 3646.4391924–1712–2912–23
Philadelphia 76ers 3151.3782419–2212–297–17

Record vs. opponents

1997-98 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 —2–14–01–34–02–02–02–22–01–11–32–00–21–33–10–21–22–22–23–10–21–12–01–11–14–00–22–04–0
Boston 1–2—1–21–31–31–11–12–21–11–10–42–01–10–42–21–12–22–22–23–10–21–11–10–21–13–00–22–03–2
Charlotte 0–42–1—1–32–22–02–03–11–12–03–12–01–13–13–11–12–21–33–12–11–12–01–11–11–14–01–12–02–2
Chicago 3–13–13–1—2–21–12–03–12–02–02–22–01–12–14–01–14–04–03–12–11–11–12–02–01–14–00–22–03–1
Cleveland 0–43–12–22–2—1–12–03–12–01–12–22–01–11–32–22–03–11–22–23–12–01–12–00–20–23–11–12–01–2
Dallas 0–21–10–21–11–1—3–10–21–30–41–11–30–40–20–22–20–21–10–20–20–40–40–40–42–21–10–44–01–1
Denver 0–21–10–20–20–21–3—0–21–30–40–22–20–40–20–21–30–20–20–20–20–42–21–30–40–40–20–41–31–1
Detroit 2–22–21–31–31–32–02–0—2–01–11–32–00–21–22–20–22–22–21–23–11–10–21–11–10–24–00–20–22–2
Golden State 0–21–11–10–20–23–13–10–2—1–30–21–31–30–20–20–40–21–11–10–20–41–32–21–31–30–20–41–30–2
Houston 1–11–10–20–21–14–04–01–13–1—1–14–01–30–21–11–31–11–10–21–11–31–34–02–21–32–00–43–11–1
Indiana 3–14–01–32–22–21–12–03–12–01–1—2–00–23–14–02–02–12–13–14–01–11–12–00–20–24–01–12–04–0
L.A. Clippers 0–20–20–20–20–23–12–20–23–10–40–2—0–40–20–20–41–10–20–21–10–40–43–11–30–41–11–31–30–2
L.A. Lakers 2–01–11–11–11–14–04–02–03–13–12–04–0—1–12–04–01–11–11–10–22–22–24–04–01–32–03–14–01–1
Miami 3–14–01–31–23–12–02–02–12–02–01–32–01–1—3–11–13–12–23–14–00–22–02–00–20–24–01–12–02–2
Milwaukee 1–32–21–30–42–22–02–02–22–01–10–42–00–21–3—1–10–43–12–12–20–22–02–00–21–13–10–21–11–2
Minnesota 2–01–11–11–10–22–23–12–04–03–10–24–00–41–11–1—2–01–10–22–03–11–33–11–31–31–11–34–00–2
New Jersey 2–12–22–20–41–32–02–02–22–01–11–21–11–11–34–00–2—2–23–13–11–11–12–01–10–23–10–22–01–3
New York 2–22–23–10–42–11–12–02–21–11–11–22–01–12–21–31–12–2—4–02–22–01–11–10–21–13–10–22–01–3
Orlando 2–22–21–31–32–22–02–02–11–12–01–32–01–11–31–22–01–30–4—4–00–22–00–20–21–13–10–22–03–1
Philadelphia 1–31–31–21–21–32–02–01–32–01–10–41–12–00–42–20–21–32–20–4—1–11–11–10–20–22–20–22–03–1
Phoenix 2–02–01–11–10–24–04–01–14–03–11–14–02–22–02–01–31–10–22–01–1—2–23–13–12–22–01–34–01–1
Portland 1–11–10–21–11–14–02–22–03–13–11–14–02–20–20–23–11–11–10–21–12–2—3–12–20–42–03–12–21–1
Sacramento 0–21–11–10–20–24–03–11–12–20–40–21–30–40–20–21–30–21–12–01–11–31–3—0–41–31–12–22–21–1
San Antonio 1–12–01–10–22–04–04–01–13–12–22–03–10–42–02–03–11–12–02–02–01–32–24–0—2–22–01–34–01–1
Seattle 1–11–11–11–12–02–24–02–03–13–12–04–03–12–01–13–12–01–11–12–02–24–03–12–2—2–02–24–01–1
Toronto 0–40–30–40–41–31–12–00–42–00–20–41–10–20–41–31–11–31–31–32–20–20–21–10–20–2—0–21–10–3
Utah 2–02–01–12–01–14–04–02–04–04–01–13–11–31–12–03–12–02–02–02–03–11–32–23–12–22–0—4–00–2
Vancouver 0–20–20–20–20–20–43–12–03–11–30–23–10–40–21–10–40–20–20–20–20–42–22–20–40–41–10–4—1–1
Washington 0–42–32–21–32–11–11–12–22–01–10–42–01–12–22–12–03–13–11–31–31–11–11–11–11–13–02–01–1—

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. ↑ 1997-98 Boston Celtics
  2. ↑ "BASKETBALL; Kenny Anderson Is Traded To Celtics in 7-Player Deal". New York Times. February 19, 1998. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  3. ↑ "PRO BASKETBALL; Pitino Begins Era by Beating Bulls". New York Times. November 1, 1997. Retrieved July 26, 2017.

See also

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