Last Updated on January 26, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Boston Celtics > Roster & Statistics
Here is the Boston Celtics 1978–79 roster and regular season player statistics. This was another challenging season for the Celtics as they continued their rebuild following John Havlicek’s retirement. The team finished with a 29–53 record, missing the playoffs for the second straight year.
Boston Celtics 1978–79 Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Height | Weight | Birthdate | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Jo Jo White | G | 6-3 | 190 lbs | Nov 16, 1946 | Kansas |
| 11 | Jeff Judkins | G/F | 6-6 | 185 lbs | Jul 23, 1956 | Utah |
| 15 | Cedric Maxwell | F | 6-8 | 205 lbs | Nov 21, 1955 | UNC Charlotte |
| 17 | Dave Cowens | C | 6-9 | 230 lbs | Oct 25, 1948 | Florida State |
| 20 | Don Chaney | G | 6-5 | 210 lbs | Mar 22, 1946 | Houston |
| 21 | Rick Robey | C/F | 6-11 | 230 lbs | Jan 30, 1956 | Kentucky |
| 24 | Billy Knight | G/F | 6-6 | 195 lbs | Jun 9, 1952 | Pittsburgh |
| 26 | Steve Kuberski | F | 6-8 | 215 lbs | Nov 6, 1947 | Bradley |
| 30 | Kevin Stacom | G | 6-3 | 185 lbs | Sep 4, 1951 | Providence |
| 31 | Jim Ard | F/C | 6-8 | 200 lbs | Sep 19, 1948 | Cincinnati |
| 44 | Sidney Wicks | F | 6-8 | 225 lbs | Sep 19, 1949 | UCLA |
| 50 | Freeman Williams | G | 6-4 | 190 lbs | May 15, 1956 | Portland State |
Head Coach: Satch Sanders (replaced midseason)
Interim Head Coach: Dave Cowens (player-coach)
Regular Season Per Game
| PLR | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob McAdoo | C | 27 | 20 | 0 | 31.9 | 20.6 | 7.1 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 3.2 | 16.7 | 8.4 | .500 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 5.8 | 3.9 | .670 |
| Cedric Maxwell | SF | 23 | 80 | 60 | 37.1 | 19.0 | 9.9 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 10.1 | 5.9 | .584 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 9.0 | 7.2 | .802 |
| Dave Cowens | C | 30 | 68 | 0 | 37.0 | 16.6 | 9.6 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 14.9 | 7.2 | .483 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 2.8 | 2.2 | .807 |
| Chris Ford | SG | 30 | 78 | 0 | 33.7 | 15.6 | 3.3 | 4.7 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 14.2 | 6.7 | .474 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 2.8 | 2.1 | .753 |
| Billy Knight | SF | 26 | 40 | 0 | 28.0 | 13.9 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 3.2 | 10.9 | 5.5 | .502 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 3.7 | 3.0 | .808 |
| Jo Jo White | PG | 32 | 47 | 0 | 31.0 | 12.5 | 2.7 | 4.6 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 3.0 | 12.7 | 5.4 | .428 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1.9 | 1.7 | .888 |
| Rick Robey | C | 23 | 36 | 0 | 25.4 | 12.4 | 7.2 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 2.1 | 10.5 | 5.1 | .481 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 2.9 | 2.3 | .816 |
| Tiny Archibald | PG | 30 | 69 | 0 | 24.1 | 11.0 | 1.5 | 4.7 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 2.9 | 8.3 | 3.8 | .452 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 4.4 | 3.5 | .788 |
| Jeff Judkins | SF | 22 | 81 | 0 | 18.8 | 8.8 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 7.2 | 3.6 | .503 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1.8 | 1.5 | .815 |
| Marvin Barnes | PF | 26 | 38 | 0 | 20.9 | 8.1 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 7.1 | 3.5 | .491 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1.7 | 1.1 | .652 |
| Frankie Sanders | SF | 22 | 24 | 0 | 9.0 | 5.5 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 2.3 | .462 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1.1 | 0.9 | .815 |
| Curtis Rowe | PF | 29 | 53 | 0 | 23.1 | 6.7 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 6.5 | 2.8 | .436 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1.4 | 1.0 | .693 |
| Earl Tatum | SG | 25 | 3 | 0 | 12.7 | 6.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 6.7 | 2.7 | .400 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1.7 | 1.3 | .800 |
| Earl Williams | C | 27 | 20 | 0 | 13.7 | 6.1 | 5.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 6.2 | 2.7 | .439 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1.2 | 0.7 | .583 |
| Don Chaney | SG | 32 | 65 | 0 | 16.5 | 5.9 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 6.4 | 2.7 | .420 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.6 | 0.6 | .857 |
| Kevin Stacom | SG | 27 | 24 | 0 | 10.8 | 4.9 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 5.5 | 2.2 | .391 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.8 | 0.5 | .684 |
| Tom Barker | C | 23 | 12 | 0 | 10.9 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 4.0 | 1.8 | .438 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1.3 | 0.9 | .733 |
| Dennis Awtrey | C | 30 | 23 | 0 | 10.7 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 0.7 | .386 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.9 | 0.7 | .800 |
| Totals | 82 | 82 | 240.0 | 108.2 | 42.9 | 24.3 | 8.7 | 3.5 | 20.9 | 89.6 | 43.0 | .480 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 28.3 | 22.2 | .784 |
Regular Season Per 36 Minutes
| PLR | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob McAdoo | C | 27 | 20 | 0 | 31.9 | 23.2 | 8.0 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 3.6 | 18.9 | 9.4 | .500 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 6.5 | 4.4 | .670 |
| Frankie Sanders | SF | 22 | 24 | 0 | 9.0 | 22.0 | 8.5 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 19.8 | 9.2 | .462 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 4.5 | 3.7 | .815 |
| Earl Tatum | SG | 25 | 3 | 0 | 12.7 | 18.9 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 18.9 | 7.6 | .400 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 4.7 | 3.8 | .800 |
| Cedric Maxwell | SF | 23 | 80 | 60 | 37.1 | 18.4 | 9.6 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 9.8 | 5.7 | .584 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 8.7 | 7.0 | .802 |
| Billy Knight | SF | 26 | 40 | 0 | 28.0 | 17.9 | 5.6 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 4.2 | 14.0 | 7.0 | .502 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 4.7 | 3.8 | .808 |
| Rick Robey | C | 23 | 36 | 0 | 25.4 | 17.6 | 10.2 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 3.0 | 14.9 | 7.2 | .481 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 4.1 | 3.3 | .816 |
| Jeff Judkins | SF | 22 | 81 | 0 | 18.8 | 16.8 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 13.9 | 7.0 | .503 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 3.5 | 2.8 | .815 |
| Tiny Archibald | PG | 30 | 69 | 0 | 24.1 | 16.5 | 2.2 | 7.0 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 4.3 | 12.4 | 5.6 | .452 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 6.6 | 5.2 | .788 |
| Kevin Stacom | SG | 27 | 24 | 0 | 10.8 | 16.2 | 3.3 | 4.8 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 3.6 | 18.4 | 7.2 | .391 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 2.6 | 1.8 | .684 |
| Chris Ford | SG | 30 | 78 | 0 | 33.7 | 16.6 | 3.5 | 5.1 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 15.2 | 7.2 | .474 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 3.0 | 2.3 | .753 |
| Dave Cowens | C | 30 | 68 | 0 | 37.0 | 16.1 | 9.3 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 14.4 | 7.0 | .483 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 2.7 | 2.2 | .807 |
| Earl Williams | C | 27 | 20 | 0 | 13.7 | 16.1 | 13.8 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 16.2 | 7.1 | .439 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 3.2 | 1.8 | .583 |
| Jo Jo White | PG | 32 | 47 | 0 | 31.0 | 14.6 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 3.5 | 14.7 | 6.3 | .428 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 2.2 | 2.0 | .888 |
| Tom Barker | C | 23 | 12 | 0 | 10.9 | 14.6 | 8.2 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 3.6 | 13.2 | 5.8 | .438 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 4.1 | 3.0 | .733 |
| Don Chaney | SG | 32 | 65 | 0 | 16.5 | 12.9 | 4.7 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 13.9 | 5.8 | .420 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 1.4 | 1.2 | .857 |
| Marvin Barnes | PF | 26 | 38 | 0 | 20.9 | 14.0 | 8.0 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 12.3 | 6.0 | .491 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 3.0 | 1.9 | .652 |
| Curtis Rowe | PF | 29 | 53 | 0 | 23.1 | 10.4 | 7.1 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 10.2 | 4.4 | .436 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 2.2 | 1.5 | .693 |
| Dennis Awtrey | C | 30 | 23 | 0 | 10.7 | 7.3 | 6.9 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 6.4 | 2.5 | .386 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 2.9 | 2.3 | .800 |
| Totals | 82 | 82 | 240.0 | 316.1 | 122.2 | 62.3 | 18.7 | 8.5 | 55.0 | 256.3 | 115.3 | .465 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 66.8 | 49.3 | .739 |
Regular Season Totals
| PLR | POS | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | FGA | FGM | FG% | 3PA | 3PM | 3P% | FTA | FTM | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric Maxwell | SF | 23 | 80 | 60 | 2969 | 1518 | 791 | 228 | 98 | 74 | 273 | 808 | 472 | .584 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 716 | 574 | .802 |
| Chris Ford | SG | 30 | 78 | 0 | 2629 | 1215 | 256 | 369 | 114 | 24 | 200 | 1107 | 525 | .474 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 219 | 165 | .753 |
| Dave Cowens | C | 30 | 68 | 0 | 2517 | 1127 | 652 | 242 | 76 | 51 | 174 | 1010 | 488 | .483 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 187 | 151 | .807 |
| Tiny Archibald | PG | 30 | 69 | 0 | 1662 | 760 | 103 | 324 | 55 | 6 | 197 | 573 | 259 | .452 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 307 | 242 | .788 |
| Jeff Judkins | SF | 22 | 81 | 0 | 1521 | 709 | 191 | 145 | 81 | 12 | 109 | 587 | 295 | .503 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 146 | 119 | .815 |
| Jo Jo White | PG | 32 | 47 | 0 | 1455 | 589 | 128 | 214 | 54 | 4 | 142 | 596 | 255 | .428 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 89 | 79 | .888 |
| Billy Knight | SF | 26 | 40 | 0 | 1119 | 556 | 173 | 66 | 31 | 3 | 129 | 436 | 219 | .502 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 146 | 118 | .808 |
| Rick Robey | C | 23 | 36 | 0 | 914 | 448 | 259 | 79 | 23 | 3 | 75 | 378 | 182 | .481 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 103 | 84 | .816 |
| Marvin Barnes | PF | 26 | 38 | 0 | 796 | 309 | 177 | 53 | 38 | 39 | 68 | 271 | 133 | .491 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 66 | 43 | .652 |
| Bob McAdoo | C | 27 | 20 | 0 | 637 | 411 | 141 | 40 | 12 | 20 | 64 | 334 | 167 | .500 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 115 | 77 | .670 |
| Frankie Sanders | SF | 22 | 24 | 0 | 216 | 132 | 51 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 23 | 119 | 55 | .462 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 27 | 22 | .815 |
| Curtis Rowe | PF | 29 | 53 | 0 | 1222 | 354 | 242 | 69 | 15 | 13 | 88 | 346 | 151 | .436 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 75 | 52 | .693 |
| Don Chaney | SG | 32 | 65 | 0 | 1074 | 384 | 141 | 75 | 72 | 11 | 65 | 414 | 174 | .420 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 42 | 36 | .857 |
| Tom Barker | C | 23 | 12 | 0 | 131 | 53 | 30 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 48 | 21 | .438 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 15 | 11 | .733 |
| Earl Tatum | SG | 25 | 3 | 0 | 38 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 8 | .400 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 5 | 4 | .800 |
| Kevin Stacom | SG | 27 | 24 | 0 | 260 | 117 | 24 | 35 | 15 | 0 | 26 | 133 | 52 | .391 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 19 | 13 | .684 |
| Earl Williams | C | 27 | 20 | 0 | 273 | 122 | 105 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 20 | 123 | 54 | .439 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 24 | 14 | .583 |
| Dennis Awtrey | C | 30 | 23 | 0 | 247 | 50 | 47 | 20 | 3 | 6 | 21 | 44 | 17 | .386 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 20 | 16 | .800 |
| Totals | 82 | 82 | 19680 | 8874 | 3515 | 1995 | 710 | 283 | 1690 | 7347 | 3527 | .480 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 2321 | 1820 | .784 |
Team Impact Spotlight
| Player Name | Role Tier | MPG | Usage Tier | PPG | RPG | APG | STK (SPG+BPG) | Impact Index* | Notes | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedric Maxwell | Primary Frontcourt Scorer & Inside Facilitator | 37.1 | High | 19.0 | 9.9 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 17.0 | Breakout season as Celtics’ leading scorer and rebounder; efficient low‑post and high‑percentage scoring complemented by playmaking and strong interior presence set tone for a struggling roster. Led NBA in field goal percentage. | — |
| Dave Cowens | Interior Anchor & Playmaking Big | 37.0 | Medium‑High | 16.6 | 9.6 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 15.8 | Veteran center and emotional leader anchoring both defense and offense; strong rebounding, facilitating from the post, and physical play maintained team competitiveness despite broader struggles. | — |
| Chris Ford | Secondary Scoring Wing & Perimeter Playmaker | 33.7 | Medium | 15.6 | 3.3 | 4.7 | 1.8 | 12.7 | Starting shooting guard who contributed significant scoring and secondary playmaking; known for perimeter shooting and veteran stability as part of rotation. | — |
| Bob McAdoo | High‑Volume Scoring Big (Short Tenure) | 31.9 | High | 20.6 | 7.1 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 15.7 | Hall‑of‑Fame scorer in limited Celtics stint; brought elite scoring ability and inside presence in 20 games before being traded, adding instant offensive firepower. | — |
| Jo Jo White | Experienced Lead Guard & Floor General | 31.0 | Medium | 12.5 | 2.7 | 4.6 | 1.2 | 10.5 | Veteran point guard and former Finals MVP; provided steady leadership, playmaking, and consistent scoring when healthy, adding stability. | — |
| Rick Robey | Backup Big & Rotation Interior | 25.4 | Medium | 12.4 | 7.2 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 11.2 | Provided meaningful backup minutes in frontcourt, offering size, rebounding, and secondary scoring to support starters. | — |
| Billy Knight | Wing Scorer & Complementary Player | 28.0 | Medium | 13.9 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 10.4 | Contributed as offensive wing with scoring versatility and secondary ball movement; added punch alongside core rotation. | — |
| Tiny Archibald | Playmaking Guard Off Ball | 24.1 | Medium | 11.0 | 1.5 | 4.7 | 0.9 | 9.1 | Veteran playmaker facilitating offense with ball distribution and penetration; secondary scoring threat and assist initiator. | — |
| Jeff Judkins | Role Wing & Spot Contributor | 18.8 | Low | 8.8 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 7.0 | Bench wing providing occasional scoring, spacing and hustle minutes in reserve role. | — |
| Don Chaney | Perimeter Defender & Support Guard | 16.5 | Low | 5.9 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 5.3 | Veteran defender known for intensity and perimeter stops; limited scoring but contributed defensive reliability. | — |
| Earl Williams | Backup Big Board & Interior Energy | 13.7 | Low | 6.1 | 5.3 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 6.5 | Provided frontcourt depth with rebounding energy and occasional scoring behind starters. | — |
| Frankie Sanders | Role Wing Reserve | 9.0 | Low | 5.5 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 4.8 | Limited minutes reserve wing offering brief scoring and energy contributions. | — |
| Earl Tatum | Short‑Term Backcourt Contributor | 12.7 | Very Low | 6.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 4.3 | Appeared briefly; provided scoring in limited opportunities before likely moving on midseason or out of rotation. | — |
| Tom Barker | Deep Reserve Frontcourt | 10.9 | Very Low | 4.4 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 3.7 | Deep bench center with marginal minutes; provided occasional boards and size. | — |
| Kevin Stacom | Role Guard Depth | 10.8 | Very Low | 4.9 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 4.0 | Limited reserve guard offering depth and short bursts off bench. | — |
| Dennis Awtrey | Backup Center / Low Usage Frontcourt | 10.7 | Very Low | 2.2 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.8 | Deep rotation big who backed up primary frontcourt, contributing defense and boards in limited action. | — |