Is This Team Better Than The 07-08 Team?

[snively]

I would say both benches are nearly even----with this year's group only slightly better. Here are some points I can think of.

Sheed VS PJ Brown: Sheed brings a lot more offensively, but in my opinion PJ and Sheed are nearly identical defensively. Sheed wins this, but not by much.

Leon Powe was probably IMO our best low post offensive threat off the bench in 07-08. Most of Sheed's buckets are from the perimeter so far. He CAN score down low, but Doc hasn't exploited this yet. I'm sure he will during course of season.

Posey had more range than Marquis Daniels but I think Marquis is a better defender at this stage.

Sam Cassell came up big in quite a few games off the bench for us in 07-08.

Marquis Daniels may prove to be a better fit here because he will end up playing 3 positions.

Posey played 3 (sometimes 4) positions for the C's in 2007-2008.

Glen Davis had a few good games in 07-08, but he was still rather new.

Eddie House was big in 07-08, as well. And Tony Allen played key roles when he wasn't hurt that season.

And don't forget Scal.

So we were about 11-12 players deep in 07-08 also, with Doc platooning Glen Davis and Leon Powe to exploit different match ups.

I say all of this because I don't think the benches from 07-08 to this year are THAT much different or better. If I had to choose one, I would say this years edition is better, but only slightly.

I think it's more than slightly.  Individual comparisons don't cut it in this case.  Sheed, Daniels, House and even Williams make each other better.  The House/Sheed combo is crushing opposing benches at this point, and that's without utilizing Marquis in the post or off the dribble or, upon his return, Baby.  In 07-08, Posey and House weren't very effective unless they played with the Big 3.

The biggest question facing this team is the health and longevity of the starters.  If they're ready to go come playoff time, we'll be a much more dangerous team than the earlier championship club.

[footey]

This team's bench is way better. They are electric. 

[BudweiserCeltic]

Last year's team was better than our 08 one. This is even better.

[Bahku]

Without a doubt, this team is better than our championship '07 team.  Better chemistry (most of the guys have been playing together now, going on 3 years), younger players have improved (Rajon, Perk, Baby), and a deeper bench.

But the Lakers are much improved as well.

If both teams face off in the Finals again (like I'm sure will happen), it'll truly be a clash of the titans.

The Lakers don't scare me at all ... sorry, but from what I've seen of Los Angeles this year, they just are not the powerhouse team that everyone thinks they are. There are too many egos and too little team-oriented play. There are teams in the West that I think have developed far more than the Lakers and that match-up better against us. That said, if we stay healthy, there's no one that can keep up with this Celtics team. I agree completely with the first part of your post, however ... and I'll TP it!

Team I'm thinking that scares me from out west is Denver. They are long, tough, deep, can get to the line, and have two great leaders in Melo and Chauncey.

Absolutely ... the Nuggets are the team in the West that match up better against us, and I worry more about them than I do the Lakers. Pierce has historically been one of the only players who can shut Kobe down on a regular basis, and with Sheed coming in for KG, I think our bigs will wear out that position. Totally agree, Nick (as usual ) TP

[snively]

Without a doubt, this team is better than our championship '07 team.  Better chemistry (most of the guys have been playing together now, going on 3 years), younger players have improved (Rajon, Perk, Baby), and a deeper bench.

But the Lakers are much improved as well.

If both teams face off in the Finals again (like I'm sure will happen), it'll truly be a clash of the titans.

The Lakers don't scare me at all ... sorry, but from what I've seen of Los Angeles this year, they just are not the powerhouse team that everyone thinks they are. There are too many egos and too little team-oriented play. There are teams in the West that I think have developed far more than the Lakers and that match-up better against us. That said, if we stay healthy, there's no one that can keep up with this Celtics team. I agree completely with the first part of your post, however ... and I'll TP it!

Team I'm thinking that scares me from out west is Denver. They are long, tough, deep, can get to the line, and have two great leaders in Melo and Chauncey.

Absolutely ... the Nuggets are the team in the West that match up better against us, and I worry more about them than I do the Lakers. Pierce has historically been one of the only players who can shut Kobe down on a regular basis, and with Sheed coming in for KG, I think our bigs will wear out that position. Totally agree, Nick (as usual ) TP

The Nuggets have a great 2nd tier team, but their big men just don't stack up to major contenders.  Nene, Kenyon and Birdman provide a lot of muscle and athleticism, but little in the way of versatility.  Their guards and wings are dangerous though.

[LarBrd33]

Sheed is a massive massive addition.  I really underestimated him.  I don't even care about the threes.  Those are nice and Posey-esque, but that's not even what I'm talking about.  The main reason Boston is successful is because of their defense.  The core of our defense is Kevin Garnett.  What he does for us with his length and quickness and savvy is the biggest part of our team.  This is why when you replace Kevin Garnett with some fat 2nd rounder... the team suddenly gives up 20 extra points a game, can barely beat the Bulls and ends up losing to the Orlando Magic.    What Sheed does is basically makes it so that we have Kevin Garnett's defensive impact for the entire length of the game.  We don't lose anything.  We seem to give up nothing when the bench comes in, because we are maintaining our defensive effectiveness for 4 quarters.

Way too early to really know what's going to happen with this team.  Injuries could derail us.  But it appears we are seeing a really special ballclub right now.  They have a chance to be historically good if they can remain healthy.  No way to compare this team to 08 until the dust settles... but I'd say that at this very moment it at least appears are playing on a level that surpasses anything over the last 3 years.  We'll see if they can sustain it.

[Roy Hobbs]

Last year's team was better than our 08 one. This is even better.

I disagree regarding last year's team.  They were winning games, but they weren't winning them easily.  I think the bench was a massive weakness last year, and I'm not at all confident that the team could have won a championship.

This year's team is the best team in the NBA, much like the title team.

[Rondo_is_better]

Sheed is a massive massive addition.  I really underestimated him.  I don't even care about the threes.  Those are nice and Posey-esque, but that's not even what I'm talking about.  The main reason Boston is successful is because of their defense.  The core of our defense is Kevin Garnett.  What he does for us with his length and quickness and savvy is the biggest part of our team.  This is why when you replace Kevin Garnett with some fat 2nd rounder... the team suddenly gives up 20 extra points a game, can barely beat the Bulls and ends up losing to the Orlando Magic.    What Sheed does is basically makes it so that we have Kevin Garnett's defensive impact for the entire length of the game.  We don't lose anything.  We seem to give up nothing when the bench comes in, because we are maintaining our defensive effectiveness for 4 quarters.

Way too early to really know what's going to happen with this team.  Injuries could derail us.  But it appears we are seeing a really special ballclub right now.  They have a chance to be historically good if they can remain healthy.  No way to compare this team to 08 until the dust settles... but I'd say that at this very moment it at least appears are playing on a level that surpasses anything over the last 3 years.  We'll see if they can sustain it.

Did Glen Davis do something to your family?

[BudweiserCeltic]

Last year's team was better than our 08 one. This is even better.

I disagree regarding last year's team.  They were winning games, but they weren't winning them easily.  I think the bench was a massive weakness last year, and I'm not at all confident that the team could have won a championship.

This year's team is the best team in the NBA, much like the title team.

They were just coasting throughout the season. Rondo was a much better player than his 2nd year. Ray Allen was vastly more comfortable in our system and very much more efficient. Pierce had come in great shape. Powe and Davis proved to be very dependable backup bigs.

On paper we weren't better, but the improvement of all these players made it so that we were a better team. Heck, even Perk was vastly improved and Scalabrine was having a good year. Heck Tony was having a decent season before he got injured. Eddie House was shooting better.

Really, across the board we were set to be a better team if we could've maintained our health.

Too bad we could never see our finished product in action, because when Baby finally pulled out his jumper to drop in a consistent manner, KG went down and everything went down with him.

[get_banners]

the bench is better than the title run bench, and by a bit. we don't lose a lot by having 4 of the 5 on the court from our 2nd unit this year. that's just ridiculous. the big 3 aren't as good (age) as they were, but its not a really big drop-off, plus rondo and perk are at another level. the competition is much tougher, but i think this year's squad would beat the title squad every time.

[Tai]

Sheed is a massive massive addition.  I really underestimated him.  I don't even care about the threes.  Those are nice and Posey-esque, but that's not even what I'm talking about.  The main reason Boston is successful is because of their defense.  The core of our defense is Kevin Garnett.  What he does for us with his length and quickness and savvy is the biggest part of our team.  This is why when you replace Kevin Garnett with some fat 2nd rounder... the team suddenly gives up 20 extra points a game, can barely beat the Bulls and ends up losing to the Orlando Magic.    What Sheed does is basically makes it so that we have Kevin Garnett's defensive impact for the entire length of the game.  We don't lose anything.  We seem to give up nothing when the bench comes in, because we are maintaining our defensive effectiveness for 4 quarters.

Way too early to really know what's going to happen with this team.  Injuries could derail us.  But it appears we are seeing a really special ballclub right now.  They have a chance to be historically good if they can remain healthy.  No way to compare this team to 08 until the dust settles... but I'd say that at this very moment it at least appears are playing on a level that surpasses anything over the last 3 years.  We'll see if they can sustain it.

Did Glen Davis do something to your family?

He broke his thumb on his friend's face apparently.

[celticsclay]

Nene, Martin and Birdman probably will not give KG, Sheed, Big Baby and Wiliiams fits. For that matter, I think Billups is much to slow for Rondo at this point in his career and will be too tired to hit many big shots. I would say that matchup certainly goes our way on paper. Plus, George Karl's best coaching days are almost certainly behind him.

[Tai]

It's only five games, but our team is just looking monstrous compared to 2007-2008. Our starting 5 has more chemistry now than it had back then, Rondo and Perkins have greatly improved, and our bench is just monstrous. Rasheed, Marquis, House, and Shelden have just been great. Not to mention Scal was able to play in the 4th, so he's probably good to play again, although I don't know where he'll fit on the bench...will he really play the 3?

Still, LOVE this team. Looking forward to every game this season.

[LooseCannon]

Too bad we could never see our finished product in action, because when Baby finally pulled out his jumper to drop in a consistent manner, KG went down and everything went down with him.

I feel this is a team which would still have a shot at a championship if KG went down with the playoffs, unlike the past two seasons.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Too bad we could never see our finished product in action, because when Baby finally pulled out his jumper to drop in a consistent manner, KG went down and everything went down with him.

I feel this is a team which would still have a shot at a championship if KG went down with the playoffs, unlike the past two seasons.

It wasn't just that KG went down. KG went down, we had a ton of injuries which forced Pierce and Ray to play heavy minutes in contested games during the final 2 months of the season. Not only did KG went down, but Powe went down, forcing us to depend in a regular manner on our 5th and 6th big men in our depth chart.

So as big as KG's loss was, there were just too many things that went wrong that piled up against us.

Our team without KG would could've still gone out and won us a championship, heck we were on the verge of going to ECF with all these things against us. But KG wasn't the only thing we lost.