HH Tournament: (6) Tom Heinsohn vs (11) Frank Ramsey

Tom Heinsohn and Frank Ramsey is the next matchup in the Hardwood Houdini Tournament

Paul Pierce had no problem getting by Ed Macauley during yesterday’s matchup. Side B is coming closer to the end, eventually leading us to the second round of the Hardwood Houdini Tournament. Although, today’s matchup between Tom Heinsohn and Frank Ramsey should be close to decide who takes on Pierce in the second round.

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.

Tom Heinsohn – 1986 Hall of Fame Inductee (Player)

18.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.0 APG

9 Seasons with Boston, 8x Champion, 6x All-Star, Rookie of the Year, #15 Retired by Celtics

Tom Heinsohn had a long tenure with the Boston Celtics, expanding way past his playing days. When he did play with the Celtics he was one of the winningest players in NBA history. He won eight titles as part of one of the most dominating stretches in NBA history – Celtics winning eight titles in nine years.

He didn’t wait to get started, putting up impressive numbers right away in the NBA. Heinsohn was named the 1956-57 Rookie of the Year, and was named to the All-Star team, as well. After being the sixth pick in the 1956 NBA Draft, he contributed a very impressive 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game during his rookie year. He also added an incredible 22.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per night during the Celtics championship run.

As a 6-7 forward, Heinsohn was a dominating rebounder. He averaged a double-double twice in his career and at least nine rebounds per game in each of his first six seasons. The league was much smaller back then, but his ability to be a dominating rebounder at just 6-7 was impressive, nonetheless.

Heinsohn is most known for his dominating scoring, though. He had a three-year stretch in which he averaged at least 20 points per game and only failed to reach 15 points per night once – his final season in 1964-65. His efficient scoring (career 40.5 field-goal percentage) and solid rebounding at his position led to him being named to six All-Star teams and four consecutive All-NBA Second Teams.

In the postseason, Heinsohn was even more efficient. He averaged a double-double twice, at least 20 points per game four times – including 24.7 points in 1962-63. In his postseason career, Heinsohn contributed 19.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per night, being an integral part to all eight championship runs.

As a small forward, Tom Heinsohn ranked ninth in total rebounds and seventh in points and rebounds per game in Celtics history.

Tom Heinsohn had a very long and successful tenure with the Boston Celtics, and it started on the court. He was one of the best rebounding small forwards in the history of the game, and his efficiency throughout the years in the postseason is matched by few. He knew his game and stuck to it, and paid off as he became one of the best players in an era where the Celtics absolutely dominated everyone.

Frank Ramsey – 1982 Hall of Fame Inductee

13.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.8 APG

9 Seasons with Boston, 7x Champion, #23 Retired by Celtics

Tom Heinsohn’s teammate, Frank Ramsey, had a pretty incredible career, as well. He was mainly a bench player, although was an integral part to seven championship runs with the Celtics. Ramsey was the fifth overall pick in the 1953 NBA Draft, however had to serve military time before joining the Celtics for the 1954-55 season.

As previously mentioned, Ramsey was a bench player for much of his career with the Celtics, but it didn’t stop him from putting up solid numbers. He never saw 30 minutes per game – the most playing time he saw was 29.7 minutes per game in 1957-58. That may be why Ramsey was never named to an All-Star team and received no major awards or honors during his NBA career, but it was hard for anyone to see minutes on one of the deepest teams in NBA history.

Ramsey still managed to score in double-digits every season besides his final season in 1963-64, though. In fact, Ramsey had a six-year stretch in which he averaged double-digit points and started his career with five straight seasons averaging at least five rebounds per night. Maybe not the same dominating rebounder as Heinsohn, but he played less minutes and at 6-3 Boston didn’t depend on his impact on the glass.

In the postseason, Ramsey led the playoffs in field-goal percentage as a rookie – 51.9 percent. He averaged a solid 10.7 points per game, however his best postseason came in 1958-59 when he added 23.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per night during his second championship run. In total, Ramsey averaged 13.6 points and five rebounds per game in the playoffs.

Ramsey is not top-ten in any category on the Celtics all-time leaderboard, though.

In the end, Frank Ramsey was one of the most valuable bench players in NBA history. He managed to make the Hall of Fame and get his jersey retired by Boston, telling how big of an impact he had on seven championship teams. Sure, he didn’t play a ton of minutes, but he was extremely efficient and was almost like adding another starter to the floor when key players needed rest.

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: Hardwood Houdini Roundtable: Celtics in Rio

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