Does Anyone See This Team Similar to that of 02?

[Dino Pitino]

You know what other team these Celtics, at their best, remind me of, sort of?

Here's how Team X ranked in the league as a team.

Defensive Ranking: 2nd
Offensive Ranking: 18th
Pace: 24th
eFG%: 20th
TO%: 20th
Defensive eFG%: 2nd
Defensive TO%: 6th

Offensive REB%: 9th
Defensive REB%: 13th

Again, here's how this year's Celts rank.

Defensive Ranking: 2nd
Offensive Ranking: 14th
Pace: 4th
eFG%: 21th
TO%: 7th
Defensive eFG%: 4th
Defensive TO%: 4th.

Offensive REB%: 8th
Defensive REB%: 25th

Difference in defensive rebounds is the biggest one here, too.

Here are the PER, TS%, and WS/48 of Team X's top five.

18.8, 49.5%, .171
18.6, 55.0%, .198
18.3, 53.8%, .179
17.3, 44.1%, .160
16.8, 52.2%, .141

Here are the PER, TS%, and WS/48 of the Celtics' top five.

22.0, 56.3%, .195
16.5, 55.9%, .142
16.3   , 57.9%, .163
16.2   , 60.3%, .165
16.1, 46.5%, .122

And that's not even including Bradley or Smart.

Team X is another example of a team that benefitted from exceptional coaching, a philosophy that suited the players, a sum exceeding the parts, etc. Ah, screw the mystery, it's the '04 Pistons. Naturally, we don't have a Ben Wallace to anchor the defense. Best could be done to approximate Wallace is probably a trade for Dwight Howard, Hassan Whiteside, or Nerlens Noel. I know this year it looks like the East has no shot against the Western Conference champ, but that was the accepted wisdom in '04, too. Get to the Finals and anything is possible, matchup problems, fluke injuries, hot streaks, cold streaks. Anchor this deep collection of above-averageness with an upper-tier defensive center, and I think they'd have a decent chance to unseat the Cavs and make the Finals.