Could the C’s be a version of the 03/04’ Pistons?

[liam]

I think that if we had Billups from 03/04 this team would be a championship team. He was that good that year.

Regular season: 16.9pts, 5.7ast, 3.5 reb, FG:39.4% 3PT:38.8%

Postseason: 16.4pts, 5.9ast, 3reb, FG:38.5%, 3PT: 34.6%

He was good, but that wasn’t his best year as a pro. I really liked that Pistons team, but I’d take JT and JB over any of the players they had on their roster.

Never  really looked at the ages of their starters on that championship team until now. Chauncey:27, Hamilton:25, Ben:29, Sheed: 29, Prince:23.

I'd add 2003-04 Builips to this team.

[Hoopvortex]

So you're sayin' there's a chance!!!!!!

That is funny.

[Surferdad]

I was going to start a thread like this before the deadline.  Acquiring Rasheed put them over the top.  C's didn't make a move like that.

They are one of the 3 teams in the entire history of the sport to win a championship without a top 5 player (or arguably a top 5 player).  Trying to replicate that is just not a formula that is going to lead to championships.

Good news is Tatum is arguably a top-5 player, so we can be the Pistons with an arguably top-5 player.

Not really.  Giannis, Curry, LeBron, Embiid, Jokic, Doncic is six right there....

[Celtics2021]

I was going to start a thread like this before the deadline.  Acquiring Rasheed put them over the top.  C's didn't make a move like that.

They are one of the 3 teams in the entire history of the sport to win a championship without a top 5 player (or arguably a top 5 player).  Trying to replicate that is just not a formula that is going to lead to championships.

Good news is Tatum is arguably a top-5 player, so we can be the Pistons with an arguably top-5 player.

Not really.  Giannis, Curry, LeBron, Embiid, Jokic, Doncic is six right there....

I love Doncic, but Tatum has been better than him this year.  You need to play at both ends of the court these days.

Here’s a fun article that puts Tatum 6th.

https://hoopshype.com/lists/analytics-mvp-3-0-who-are-the-best-players-based-on-advanced-analytics-and-impact-metrics/

[Who]

I was going to start a thread like this before the deadline.  Acquiring Rasheed put them over the top.  C's didn't make a move like that.

Yeah, I see that. I see Boston as a very good but not great team that could become a juggernaut with one more big piece (star). I am hoping Horford + picks can land that piece in the next 12 months. 

[kraidstar]

We are more like a very young version of the '08 Celtics.

KG/Timelord
Perkins/Horford
Pierce/Tatum
Ray/Brown
Rondo/Smart

House-Posey-Powe-PJ/White-Theis-Grant-?

[Goldstar88]

We are more like a very young version of the '08 Celtics.

KG/Timelord
Perkins/Horford
Pierce/Tatum
Ray/Brown
Rondo/Smart

House-Posey-Powe-PJ/White-Theis-Grant-?

I can see that to some extent. What about...

Smart as Billups, just not as good offensively, slightly better defensively. Rebs, ast, stl’s are comparable for Marcus this year vs the year Chauncey won in Detroit.

Horford as Rasheed Wallace. Skill sets are very similar as are the stats this year for Al vs Sheeds the year he won in Detroit.

Timelord as Ben Wallace. I see a lot of similarities in their game. Both 6’9”, elite shot blockers and defenders. Ben was a superior rebounder, Rob is better offensively and from the line.

JT and JB are a lot more talented than Hamilton and Prince, though.  With that said, I’m starting to believe that if the C’s continue to play elite defense, they could be a legitimate threat in the playoffs.

[mqtcelticsfan]

Well, given that when I saw the words “Could the Cs be a version of” without the team and independently came to the Pistons as where you must be going, yes. I think it’s possible that this Celtics team could win a title in a similar manner. Being the best in the league at defending ups our possible ceiling quite a lot.

That said, it certainly isn’t likely. There is a reason that most teams win with a ultra-mega-superstar, and it’s because there’s a constant backup plan for when the game doesn’t go the way you want it to. If the Bucks game plan sputters out, there always exists the option to give it to Giannis and hope for the best. That doesn’t work when you don’t have that guy, and so execution of what got you to the playoffs becomes hypercritical, and is happening during the time that the opponent knows what you’ve done to succeed and throws a counter at you. Until Tatum or Brown can consistently be that person that can take over the game on a whim, I don’t see it as overly likely that we win a title.

[Big333223]

I think that if we had Billups from 03/04 this team would be a championship team. He was that good that year.

Regular season: 16.9pts, 5.7ast, 3.5 reb, FG:39.4% 3PT:38.8%

Postseason: 16.4pts, 5.9ast, 3reb, FG:38.5%, 3PT: 34.6%

He was good, but that wasn’t his best year as a pro. I really liked that Pistons team, but I’d take JT and JB over any of the players they had on their roster.

Never  really looked at the ages of their starters on that championship team until now. Chauncey:27, Hamilton:25, Ben:29, Sheed: 29, Prince:23.

This is how I feel. I don't think this Celtics team is built like that Pistons team was. They feel very different.

[gouki88]

I was going to start a thread like this before the deadline.  Acquiring Rasheed put them over the top.  C's didn't make a move like that.

They are one of the 3 teams in the entire history of the sport to win a championship without a top 5 player (or arguably a top 5 player).  Trying to replicate that is just not a formula that is going to lead to championships.

Good news is Tatum is arguably a top-5 player, so we can be the Pistons with an arguably top-5 player.

Not really.  Giannis, Curry, LeBron, Embiid, Jokic, Doncic is six right there....

I love Doncic, but Tatum has been better than him this year.  You need to play at both ends of the court these days.

Here’s a fun article that puts Tatum 6th.

https://hoopshype.com/lists/analytics-mvp-3-0-who-are-the-best-players-based-on-advanced-analytics-and-impact-metrics/

I really want Doncic to get himself out of Dallas. The teams they’ve built around him have been hilariously bad. That being said, I don’t think I could definitively say Tatum has been better than Doncic this season. He is just such an absolute engine on offence

[Surferdad]

We are more like a very young version of the '08 Celtics.

KG/Timelord
Perkins/Horford
Pierce/Tatum
Ray/Brown
Rondo/Smart

House-Posey-Powe-PJ/White-Theis-Grant-?

I can see that to some extent. What about...

Smart as Billups, just not as good offensively, slightly better defensively. Rebs, ast, stl’s are comparable for Marcus this year vs the year Chauncey won in Detroit.

Horford as Rasheed Wallace. Skill sets are very similar as are the stats this year for Al vs Sheeds the year he won in Detroit.

Timelord as Ben Wallace. I see a lot of similarities in their game. Both 6’9”, elite shot blockers and defenders. Ben was a superior rebounder, Rob is better offensively and from the line.

JT and JB are a lot more talented than Hamilton and Prince, though.  With that said, I’m starting to believe that if the C’s continue to play elite defense, they could be a legitimate threat in the playoffs.

I agree with all those starter player parallels, though have to admit I’m surprised that Al has similar stats to Rasheed that year, who was only 29 y.o vs 35 for Al.

[BASS_THUMPER]

*sippin*

[tenn_smoothie]

Some of the comparison's on this thread are so far out of whack, I gotta wonder if the responsible poster ever saw some of these guys play. I mean c'mon, Rob Williams is a young Kevin Garnett ??  And Jayson Tatum isn't even a top-10 player in my book - dumb player who is too inconsistent and lacks a strong competitive drive. In fact, the lack of basketball IQ might be the biggest difference between these Celtics and the '04 Pistons. Just look at the PG's - Smart and Billups.

[LilRip]

I was going to start a thread like this before the deadline.  Acquiring Rasheed put them over the top.  C's didn't make a move like that.

They are one of the 3 teams in the entire history of the sport to win a championship without a top 5 player (or arguably a top 5 player).  Trying to replicate that is just not a formula that is going to lead to championships.

Good news is Tatum is arguably a top-5 player, so we can be the Pistons with an arguably top-5 player.

Not really.  Giannis, Curry, LeBron, Embiid, Jokic, Doncic is six right there....

I love Doncic, but Tatum has been better than him this year.  You need to play at both ends of the court these days.

Here’s a fun article that puts Tatum 6th.

https://hoopshype.com/lists/analytics-mvp-3-0-who-are-the-best-players-based-on-advanced-analytics-and-impact-metrics/

FVV over Derozan is an interesting take. I appreciate seeing Tatum 6th too, over Lebron. If Joker wins it all, the only problem I have with that is that the Nuggets are only 6th in the west.

I come from the school of thought that the MVP should come from one of the best teams. So while Joker, Embiid and Giannis are all viable MVP cases, I would like to reward winning (on top of stellar play), which is why I can see why a guy like CP3 or Steph getting it.

[Rosco917]

Lol, not a chance. Those Pistons played the definition of team basketball. We don't know from quarter to quarter when this Celtics team will revert back to iso ball. Don't let the latest win streak fool you.

I tried to give two TP's but couldn't. This^

I just listened to Tatums reasoning as to why the 2019 Celtics didn't gel better that year and realized, after really struggling to follow his disjointed answer, but in a nut shell he was trying not to say, He, Terry, and Brown had ego's so inflated that they cared more about pecking order than a ring. This factor based on the year before taking the Cavs to seven games, in a terribly weakened eastern conference.   

This is just about what everyone figured happened in 2019, but still I'm glad to see him finally admit it.

It's a little early to compare this team to any past champion. I need to see how Tatum reacts to playing with the league's stars in an Allstar game. But I will say, his overall play has been better of late.