Are we in this position with Reggie Miller and not James Posey?

[mahonedog88]

I'm trying really hard not to assume that we're going to win the title tonight.  I'm a full believer in jynxs and I know that if I say "We're winning it tonight and even if we don't we'll win game 6" that we're gonna choke it all away and lose the next 3 games haha.

But anyway...just thinking since we're 1 win away from becoming the champs, are we in this position with Reggie Miller?  Cause as we all know, Miller declining to make a return opened the gateway for James Posey to sign here cause if we had Reggie, Posey wouldn't be here right now.

If I had to make a prediction, I'd say that theres a good chance we'd still be the number 1 seed, definately the number 2.  But let's say we still ended up the number 1 seed, I think we still get by Atlanta but I'm not so sure we get by Lebron and the Cavs.  I definately don't think we get by Detroit.

What do you guys think?

[Donoghus]

I have my doubts.

Posey brings so much in terms of defense and overall versatility on the court.  Now, we all know Reggie could shoot back in the day but we also assumed that he would still be the Reggie that he was when he retired a few years back when he came back.  No easy guarantee.  NOt too mention that he wouldn't be anywhere near Posey defensively.
 
Posey hit the ground running from the start (well, after that one game suspension), I'm not sure Reggie would've integrated that well, that fast.

Also, against the likes of Cleveland and Detroit, I'm not positive the Celtics would've been able to get over the hump with Reggie instead of Posey.

So I'm inclined to say "No".  We would not be sitting here on the brink of a championship.

[iowa plowboy]

absolutely no chance

[cdif911]

Its a tough call, does Reggie really play meaningful minutes, or does he fill the House role of designated shooter off the bench, that'd mean House would probably play even more at point (which generally hasn't been a bad thing) - you obviously lose Posey's defense, but maybe Tony Allen fills that role, you do lose the ability to go small, though Pierce may be able to play the 4 in the small lineup. I don't know, I think if we assume Reggie takes Posey's minutes, minute for minute, clearly we're not as good of a team, but I don't think that would happen.  Also without Posey, are we still in the finals?  I think yes.  Do we win the finals, I'm not sure - someone else could have stepped up (I know Bass thinks its scal!) - but anyways, tough question

[fan33]

I believe at the time of tryouts(yes tryouts not just open door as if it was all up to Miller), Reggie was asked if he could "D' up, as Ray has proved he could, and do so for big minutes. This I believe is why Reggie declined as he knew he wouldn't be what was being asked of him. Sure Reggie would have spred the floor and as a team we would have had more scoring punch, but I don't think he would have been satisfied with many fewer shots and being asked to play our style of Defence.

As a team I think the right decision was made and i give Reggie credit for also doing so in both our interest. Poze while not a consistantly good defender, is no cupcake and does a great many more savy defensive plays on the court while being a much tougher match up against other teams than Reggie would bring.

No, I don't think we are in this position as in being a better team, if Reggie was swaped for Big Game James! IMO

[Eja117]

I think they still would have signed Posey, but I also think the answer is almost certainly not. Maybe it would have given guys like PJ and Powe and Davis and Allen more time or something, but in general I think Posey is huuuuuggggeee on this team. He pulls more than his weight.

[BudweiserCeltic]

How much were they going to pay Reggie though? Vet min?

[johnnyrondo]

Personally at this point, I'd rather have Eddie House playing shooting guard minutes than Reggie Miller. Both would be defensive liabilities, but I think Eddie could "get at it" better. And I have more confidence when Eddie shoots than maybe anyone else in the league. Imagine if Eddie's minutes weren't so sporadic? He'd be even a deadlier shooter. I'm surprised Eddie doesn't get any minutes at the 2.

[cdif911]

I think they still would have signed Posey, but I also think the answer is almost certainly not. Maybe it would have given guys like PJ and Powe and Davis and Allen more time or something, but in general I think Posey is huuuuuggggeee on this team. He pulls more than his weight.

I agree that Posey pulls more than his weight, but remember, he is a bench player, obviously the big 3 + Rondo are the keys to this team, is Posey a big enough contributor that he puts the team "over the top" and thus are 1 win away from history, or is he replaceable...I think realisitically other guys can bring mybe 75% of what he brings, which puts us where we are anyways imo

[Finkelskyhook]

Personally at this point, I'd rather have Eddie House playing shooting guard minutes than Reggie Miller. Both would be defensive liabilities, but I think Eddie could "get at it" better. And I have more confidence when Eddie shoots than maybe anyone else in the league. Imagine if Eddie's minutes weren't so sporadic? He'd be even a deadlier shooter. I'm surprised Eddie doesn't get any minutes at the 2.

Eddie has been anything but a defensive liability this season.  His defense directly won 2 games this season and for the most part has been solid at worst.
Miller, on the other hand, would have fit in with the previous Rivers teams to this season who played no defense at all.  He'd be the antithesis of what this team has been about defensively.

[MaineBleedsGreen]

I didn't realize it was either or, but if that was the case Posey was/is the more valuable option for our team, especially with what our needs were going into the season. Tho I do think his defense is a little overrated, he just seems to have a way of getting it done on the court. I like Posey alot.

[Roy Hobbs]

It's hard to say.  I think Posey contributes more than Reggie Miller would have, on both ends of the court. 

I don't think it would have mattered much against Atlanta which of the two we had in there.  In Cleveland, Posey helped for the first four games, but then started slumping on both ends.  It's possible that Miller could have stepped up and helped fill some of the void left by a struggling Ray Allen and a slumping Posey, to help us win that series.

Posey was 9-for-26 against Detroit, so again, Miller's offense may have helped us as much as Posey's defense did.  Posey did make a huge defensive steal to close out that series, though.  Again, it's just too hard to say if Posey's contribution was the difference maker.

I can't say that Posey's presence over Reggie was 100% the difference between making the Finals and losing in an earlier round.  However, I'm definitely happy with the way Reggie's decision to stay retired has worked out.

[celticmaestro]

difficult to say, i think we would have had the best record in the nba with either one, but i'm not sure reggie could have contributed much on the defensive end.

we'll never know, but if i had a gun to my head i'd say yes we are but with posey it's a sure thing with reggie maybe not as convincing?