HH Tournament: (6) Sam Jones vs (11) Danny Ainge

Sam Jones and Danny Ainge face off in the Hardwood Houdini Tournament

Don Chaney didn’t stand much of a chance against Kevin McHale yesterday. McHale took an early lead and ran away with things. Although, this could end up being one of the closest match-ups we’ve had so far.

Don’t forget that this is based solely off their playing careers with the Boston Celtics. Any coaching or front office experience shouldn’t be taken into account, neither should their collegiate careers or any other NBA teams they may have played for.

Sam Jones – 1984 Hall of Fame Inductee

17.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.5 APG

12 Seasons with Boston, 10x Champion, 5x All-Star, #24 Retired by Celtics

Sam Jones was drafted a season before the Celtics won 10 championships in 11 seasons. Standing at 6-4, Jones was the perfect size to be a dominating shooting guard, and he became just that. Nicknamed The Shooter, Jones was one of the best scorers of his era. Despite being on teams that featured Bob Cousy, John Havlicek and Bill Russell, Jones is considered the scorer of the bunch.

His consistent and clutch shooting was a big component to the Celtics’ success. He averaged at least 18 points per game in seven straight seasons and led the team in scoring in three of four seasons in the mid-1960s. Although, the 1964-65 season was easily the best year of his career.

In the regular season, Jones averaged 25.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He led the team in scoring and once again was a solid contributor on the boards, even though there weren’t many to go around next to Bill Russell. However, in the playoffs his production increased even more. Jones chipped in an outstanding 28.6 points per game on 45.9 percent shooting. He made the All-Star Team, was named to the first of three straight All-NBA Second Teams, and the Celtics won another title.

Jones was drafted eighth overall in 1957 and became one of the best shooting guards of his era. In Celtics history, he currently ranks seventh in points and tenth in both minutes played and games played in a Celtics jersey.

Sam Jones was a solid two-way player, although his ability as a scorer was very important alongside one of the best passing point guards ever in Bob Cousy and a defensive-minded center in Bill Russell. Maybe not the first guy that comes to mind when thinking about the 1960s Celtics, but he was one of the best scorers of his era.

Danny Ainge – 1988 All-Star

11.3 PPG, 4.4 APG, 1.2 SPG

8 Seasons with Boston, 2x Champion, 1x All-Star

Danny Ainge actually started out his athletic career with the Toronto Blue Jays in which he became the youngest player in Blue Jays history to hit a home run, but only hit .220 in his career. He then pursued a basketball career, with the Celtics willing to take a chance in the second round on him in 1981.

After failing to only crack 20 minutes per game once in his first three seasons, Ainge took off with a bigger role over the next five and a half seasons. He saw over 30 minutes per game each year and never averaged less than double-digit points.

While he wasn’t the difference maker in the Celtics two championship runs, he still had an important role. During the 1986 championship run he started all 18 games he played in, averaging 15.6 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. His tough defense with good outside shooting became Ainge’s staple throughout his career, and it was at its best during that playoff run.

In an era where the three-point line was new and not used as heavily, Ainge was able to take advantage of it as his career went on. After shooting just 17.2 percent from three in his second season, he shot 44.3 percent in 1986-87 and 41.5 percent in 1987-88 – his lone All-Star year. Paired alongside Larry Bird, Ainge gave the Celtics another outside shooting threat that helped space the floor for their big men.

The intensity that Ainge played with on defense wouldn’t have been tolerated by today’s rules. It wasn’t out of the norm to see him getting into an altercation with a player as he was constantly trash talking or complaining to the referees about calls. In fact, he once got in a tussle with Michael Jordan at mid-court.

Ainge currently ranks seventh in steals and free-throw percentage, and eighth in three-point makes in Celtics history.

Once Ainge found his footing in the NBA, he became an important part to what the Celtics were trying to do. He wasn’t afraid of anyone which helped him become one of the better defenders of his era. His three-point shooting and toughness was perfect for his era and the Boston Celtics.

Don’t forget to vote on Twitter @HoudiniCeltics! The poll is up for 20 hours. Comments on here don’t count as votes, only the poll on Twitter will be looked at to determine who goes on to round two.

Next: Why Celtics/Knicks is the Perfect Christmas Day Game

Also, look at tomorrow’s match-up to see the results from today’s showdown.