Would Tatum Make The All-Time Celtics Starting Five?

[LilRip]

I love the Truth but Tatum is already a better player than Pierce and already has a better career than Pierce. I do not think Tatum needs to win MVP to edge out the Truth, who only got All-NBA 2nd team once in his career.

[Csfan1984]

I love the Truth but Tatum is already a better player than Pierce and already has a better career than Pierce. I do not think Tatum needs to win MVP to edge out the Truth, who only got All-NBA 2nd team once in his career.

There were a lot better SG/SFs during Pierce's run than Tatum. We can understand Pierce not making 1st or 2nd All NBA a bunch of years vs who he was up against for the rewards. That's also not factoring the popularity of some players and some guys were making it on defense alone during his run. So quality of players was up, defense alone could get you on all NBA and there were guys getting popularity votes. Tatum ain't dealing with that to the level of Pierce.

[LilRip]

I love the Truth but Tatum is already a better player than Pierce and already has a better career than Pierce. I do not think Tatum needs to win MVP to edge out the Truth, who only got All-NBA 2nd team once in his career.

There were a lot better SG/SFs during Pierce's run than Tatum. We can understand Pierce not making 1st or 2nd All NBA a bunch of years vs who he was up against for the rewards. That's also not factoring the popularity of some players and some guys were making it on defense alone during his run. So quality of players was up, defense alone could get you on all NBA and there were guys getting popularity votes. Tatum ain't dealing with that to the level of Pierce.

Hard disagree. The politics, popularity, reputation, and all that is still alive and well. Probably even worse because of the rise of social media. The reason Tatum is not dealing with that the way Pierce was is because Tatum is better than his peers. Tatum is the one pushing the other players out of 1st team.

And I will repeat: requiring Tatum to win MVP just so he can surpass Pierce is crazy and not a reasonable benchmark.

[wiley]

I know career wise he's not in the discussion, but I think Rondo over a two year period had some of the best post season numbers in
Celtic playoff history.  Am I wrong that he set some records?

In other words, if we could have that Rondo over a longer period I'd put him at point guard. 

[Who]

I know career wise he's not in the discussion, but I think Rondo over a two year period had some of the best post season numbers in
Celtic playoff history.  Am I wrong that he set some records?

In other words, if we could have that Rondo over a longer period I'd put him at point guard.

Rondo had a 4 year postseason run from 2008-09 to 2011-12. 66 playoffs games. 16pts 10 dimes 7 boards 2 steals a night over 4yr period.

* 2009 - great series against CHI in first round and then very good against ORL
* 2010 - outplayed LeBron in ECSF, made a joke of ORL's PGs in ECF, BOS loses in 7 in the Finals. Rondo plays well all 4 series.
* 2011 - tears apart NYK in first round. MIA in the 2nd round. That was the series where Wade takes out Rondo. Plays with one arm. Valiant effort but he was largely ineffective albeit due to injury.
* 2012 - dominant against ATL, PHI and then superb against MIA in the ECF. 21ppg 11apg 7rpg vs MIA.

41mpg

16.6ppg on 45.6% FG 49.6% TS 92 TS+
10.2apg vs 3.3 turnovers per game
6.8rpg
2.1spg

Phenomenal possession creation for a PG.

[Who]

Cousy should be locked in as first team PG.

Rondo has a legit argument for the 2nd team though. Jo Jo White, Rondo or Dennis Johnson. I see all 3 of those guys as legit candidates.

Rondo's TS+ of 92 is a very bad number. DJ's isn't much better at TS+ of 94. Cousy himself was only a TS+ of 93. None of them were efficient scorers. Jo Jo White was the only efficient scorer of the bunch of them. Actually, he was only a TS+ 97.

I expected Jo Jo White to be average (around 100). A bit below average at 97. Primarily a jump-shooter and prior to the 3pt line. Not enough paints points or trips to the FT line. I suppose it makes sense.