What will be the Celtics Best 5-man Unit

[Vermont Green]

This isn't asking who will be the starting 5 or even who are the 5 best players.  I am trying to get everyone to predict who will be the best 5-man unit overall.  Of course match-ups will matter but I am trying to get you to look at it from the perspective of who can Doc put out there that will be the hardest for the other coach to adjust to, not the other way around.

Here is my 5:

Rondo
Pierce
Green
KG
Milicic

If someone wants to replace Milicic in this 5, who could argue but my main point is how would anyone match up with the size and skill at the other 4 positions?  This is the line up I am most looking forward to seeing on the floor.

[rondohondo]

Pg: Rondo
SG: Terry
SF: PP
PF: Green
 C: KG


With Bosh Moving more to center for Miami, there really is no starting PF on a team with a legit shot of contending in the East, so I think this would be the best lineup against the East .


Now if you are talking about playing the Lakers in the Finals I think you go with....


PG: Rondo
SG: PP
SF: Green
PF: KG
 C: Darko


I think you need to move KG to PF against the Lakers to shut down Pau and don't want KG picking up a bunch of fouls down low guarding D12.

You move PP to SG to guard Kobe, he actually guards kobe as good if not better than Ray could ( and Ray actually was good at it). Moving PP to SG also makes Kobe have actually guard somone( no way they put Kobe on Rondo and move Nash onto PP like the way they used to do by putting Fisher on Ray)



Sprinkle in some Bass,Bradley,Terry,Lee and Sully

[Vermont Green]

Pg: Rondo
SG: Terry
SF: PP
PF: Green
 C: KG


With Bosh Moving more to center for Miami, there really is no starting PF on a team with a legit shot of contending in the East, so I think this would be the best lineup against the East .


Now if you are talking about playing the Lakers in the Finals I think you go with....


PG: Rondo
SG: PP
SF: Green
PF: KG
 C: Darko


I think you need to move KG to PF against the Lakers to shut down Pau and don't want KG picking up a bunch of fouls down low guarding D12.

You move PP to SG to guard Kobe, he actually guards kobe as good if not better than Ray could ( and Ray actually was good at it). Moving PP to SG also makes Kobe have actually guard somone( no way they put Kobe on Rondo and move Nash onto PP like the way they used to do by putting Fisher on Ray)



Sprinkle in some Bradley,Terry,Lee and Sully

You have a "small" unit in mind for Miami but why not put our big unit out there and make them adjust to us?  Also, what about all the other teams?  Which of your two choices would be harder for all of the other teams to match up against?

[Jon]

Pg: Rondo
SG: Terry
SF: PP
PF: Green
 C: KG


With Bosh Moving more to center for Miami, there really is no starting PF on a team with a legit shot of contending in the East, so I think this would be the best lineup against the East .


Now if you are talking about playing the Lakers in the Finals I think you go with....


PG: Rondo
SG: PP
SF: Green
PF: KG
 C: Darko


I think you need to move KG to PF against the Lakers to shut down Pau and don't want KG picking up a bunch of fouls down low guarding D12.

You move PP to SG to guard Kobe, he actually guards kobe as good if not better than Ray could ( and Ray actually was good at it). Moving PP to SG also makes Kobe have actually guard somone( no way they put Kobe on Rondo and move Nash onto PP like the way they used to do by putting Fisher on Ray)



Sprinkle in some Bradley,Terry,Lee and Sully

You have a "small" unit in mind for Miami but why not put our big unit out there and make them adjust to us?  Also, what about all the other teams?  Which of your two choices would be harder for all of the other teams to match up against?

I tend to agree with rondohondo. 

The reason you don't put a big lineup out there and make them adjust to us is because our "big" lineup would likely include someone like Darko or Collins who aren't even in the top 10 in terms of talent on our team. 

In short, no team would adjust to that.  Miami would put Bosh on KG and then either let Battier guard Darko or let LeBron do it and give him all the freedom in the world to roam. 

With the small ball lineup, we get our 5 best players on the court.  And if teams stay big, they're going to have a really touch time keeping up with Green and KG at the 4/5. 

[Fred Roberts]

I guess this all depends on how good Green, Sullinger, rehabbed Avery and older KG, Pierce, Terry turn out to be. I'm curious to see who steps up the most and to see if PP, KG and Terry can continue playing at the same level. The only givens for the best 5 man unit are Rondo and KG.

[More Banners]

Rondo
Pierce
Green
Wilcox
KG

Run with size.

[Celtics18]

Rondo
Terry
Pierce
Garnett
Wilcox

or:

Rondo
Terry
Pierce
Green
Garnett

or:

Rondo
Pierce
Green
Garnett
Wilcox

or:

Rondo
Pierce
Green
Bass
Garnett

or:

Rondo
Bradley
Pierce
Green
Garnett

or:

Well, you get the point.  I'm excited about all the options that Doc is going to have this year.  I didn't even get to any lineups with Lee or Milicic yet.

Rondo
Bradley
Lee
Pierce
Garnett

or:

Rondo
Terry
Pierce
Garnett
Milicic

O.K., I'll stop now. 

[arambone]

rondo
bradley
pierce
kg
sully/melo

if green shows to be a better defender than pierce, it could be green and sully as point center.

Sully can play and excel in a royce white face up role, especially against centers. Let him play the pierce ball dominating foul drawing playmaking for teammates role.

If pierce is still better than green, melo might get the call. That 5 would be the best defensive unit in the nba. Cant bring it upcourt, cant take it inside. Only contested jumpers.

[SHAQATTACK]

KG  Center
Bradley  SG
Sully  PF
Rondo  PG
Pierce  Forward


Just a line up I'd like to see at some point during a game.

or the same lineup with Green in for Pierce.

[Neurotic Guy]

Great posts -- thanks for all the food for thought.  Isn't it incredible that there are so many options?  The pre-season is going to be a blast, watching who emerges and what combinations emerge.  I think there will be surprises.  I think Doc and Danny don't know what to expect.

[2short]

End of game unit:
kg center
green pf
pierce sf
terry sg
rondo pg

run, shoot (tommy team) play good defense
this group will be when the other team is tired DEAL WITH THIS

[Roy H.]

I'm going with the lineup that was so superb last season:

KG
Bass
Pierce
Bradley
Rondo

[More Banners]

I'm going with the lineup that was so superb last season:

KG
Bass
Pierce
Bradley
Rondo

Safe bet, but the way Danny's shaped the roster this season suggests fast paced transition hoops and lots of slashing in the half-court.  That ain't Bass.

I'd go with Green if you like shooting or Wilcox if you prefer size, along with Bradley.


Is it possible that the best-5 might not include Pierce (who is a trailer-3 and fallaway jumper guy these days)?

[mgent]

I think a sleeper would be:

Rondo
Green or Bradley
Pierce
KG
Wilcox

as an up-tempo lineup. 

[masteremile123]

I think we will see a lot of this:
Bradley
Terry
Green
Kg
DM
Similar to the bench unit when we first put ray on the bench. Remember this line-up destroyed opposing benches and got us some pretty good leads (although the sample size was too small)
Finishing line-up will be:
Rondo
Terry
Pierce
Green
KG
Unless bradley really surprises next year these are our 5 best players...(Perfect match up for the heat)