1988 All Over Again?

[ZoSo]

For 82 games the hip thing to do was compare the 2008 Boston Celtics to the 1986 Boston Celtics. Both teams started fast (29-3 v. 17-3) and finished strong (66-16 vs. 67-15).  The 2008 Boston Celtics were one of the best defensive teams in the NBA and so were the 1986 Celtics (I know, all that offensive firepower and yet defensive stalwarts, too). Both teams possessed deep (regular season) benches, and the 1986 squad was led by the last African-American coach to win an NBA title.

One popular theory had the 2008 Celtics steam-rolling their way through the playoffs. After all, the 1986 team finished with a 15-3 record in the playoffs, 10-0 at home.

But ever since the Celtics lost game 4 in Atlanta, I haven’t been able to shake the feeling that the better comparison is with the 1988 Boston Celtics. The regular season, of course, doesn’t compare at all. The 2008 Celtics were better, much better.

But once the playoffs started, the number of similarities grows.

Neither team has a bench and/or is disinclined to use their bench (Bob Ryan concluded the 1988 season lamenting the fact that KC failed to use the regular season to develop his bench, but instead ran the starters into the ground by playing them 40 plus minutes every night). The coach’s reluctance to use that bench decreases in tight games. The 1988 bench was so bad that locals took out billboard advertisements suggesting that the team should “rent a bench.” Last night the 2008 Celtics bench scored 3 points, and, if you exclude James Posey from the equation, the bench scored zip, as in zero, nada.

Neither team could win on the road. For both teams, that statement is an exaggeration. But it got so bad for the 1988 Celtics that starting players (Robert Parish for one) wouldn’t travel with the team for a road playoff game if he was nicked up with a minor injury. The real reason, of course, was that the Cs stood no chance of winning on the road, and it was better to rest the starter in hopes of getting more out of him in a home game. One of today’s daily links is basically telling the 2008 Celtic starters to stay home for game 6 and rest for game 7.

(Come to think of it, I wonder if one reason the Cs lose on the road in the 2008 playoffs is because they are saving themselves for home games, where they stand a better chance of winning? But I digress)

The Celtics could still win this thing (meaning the whole enchilada), but does anyone doubt it’s gonna be ugly, butt ugly, the rest of the way?

The 1974, 76, 81, and 84 playoffs were no cakewalk. But they certainly  didn’t’ embody the mental, physical, and psychological drudgery that the 2008 playoffs have become.

I mean, come on.

Would it really surprise anyone if the Cs head into the locker room of game 6 down by 27 points?

[crownsy]

 

Last night the 2008 Celtics bench scored 3 points, and, if you exclude James Posey from the equation, the bench scored zip, as in zero, nada

will read and respond to more of this anyalsis once i can get home and read it, at work now but this to me stood out as a weak supporting argument.

while its true, outside of james, who got 14 minutes, no celtic bench player saw more than 6 minutes i belive, and i think only sam saw that.

really not a fair anaylsis of that game, most of the starters played 44+ minutes, not much time for bench production.

[TitleMaster]

The KC Jones era, for the most part, was a benchless period sans the much heralded '86 series.

Really, if Max and Wedman were healthy in '85, it would have been a nice mid-80s three-peat with Bird not having the chuck so many bricks on a sprained wrist.

In '73 and '75, Hondo and Cowens, the two elite starters were respectively injured for at least one of those years. The 70s Silas years was a plausible quattro-peat, the difference was that Heinsohn wasn't afraid to use the bench and ran at every opportunity. In contrast, the 80s  was the big 3 plus DJ for most of the minutes.

[SShoreFan 2.0]

Mike Dukakis in a tank?

1. George Michael - Faith
2. Soundtrack - Dirty Dancing
3. Def Leppard - Hysteria
4. INXS - Kick
5. Michael Jackson - Bad


Rain Man
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Big
Die Hard
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

Jim Baker
First night game at Wrigley
Kirk Gibson's Hr

[ZoSo]

Mike Dukakis in a tank?

1. George Michael - Faith
2. Soundtrack - Dirty Dancing
3. Def Leppard - Hysteria
4. INXS - Kick
5. Michael Jackson - Bad


Rain Man
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Big
Die Hard
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

Jim Baker
First night game at Wrigley
Kirk Gibson's Hr

You post good stuff, SShoreFan 2.0.

I was in schools living a few miles away from my brother, a die hard lakers fan.

87-88 were fun years in that regard...

[SShoreFan 2.0]

Mike Dukakis in a tank?

1. George Michael - Faith
2. Soundtrack - Dirty Dancing
3. Def Leppard - Hysteria
4. INXS - Kick
5. Michael Jackson - Bad


Rain Man
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Big
Die Hard
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

Jim Baker
First night game at Wrigley
Kirk Gibson's Hr

You post good stuff, SShoreFan 2.0.

I was in schools living a few miles away from my brother, a die hard lakers fan.

87-88 were fun years in that regard...

Much appreciated.  In 1988 my hair was much longer, my ability to drink was much stronger and in my own mind, I was much cooler.  I left out Rattle & Hum which also came out in 88 and which I saw 4 times the first day.........Ok, the cooler thing was strictly in my head.   

[BballTim]

For 82 games the hip thing to do was compare the 2008 Boston Celtics to the 1986 Boston Celtics. Both teams started fast (29-3 v. 17-3) and finished strong (66-16 vs. 67-15).  The 2008 Boston Celtics were one of the best defensive teams in the NBA and so were the 1986 Celtics (I know, all that offensive firepower and yet defensive stalwarts, too). Both teams possessed deep (regular season) benches, and the 1986 squad was led by the last African-American coach to win an NBA title.

One popular theory had the 2008 Celtics steam-rolling their way through the playoffs. After all, the 1986 team finished with a 15-3 record in the playoffs, 10-0 at home.

But ever since the Celtics lost game 4 in Atlanta, I haven’t been able to shake the feeling that the better comparison is with the 1988 Boston Celtics. The regular season, of course, doesn’t compare at all. The 2008 Celtics were better, much better.

But once the playoffs started, the number of similarities grows.

Neither team has a bench and/or is disinclined to use their bench (Bob Ryan concluded the 1988 season lamenting the fact that KC failed to use the regular season to develop his bench, but instead ran the starters into the ground by playing them 40 plus minutes every night). The coach’s reluctance to use that bench decreases in tight games. The 1988 bench was so bad that locals took out billboard advertisements suggesting that the team should “rent a bench.” Last night the 2008 Celtics bench scored 3 points, and, if you exclude James Posey from the equation, the bench scored zip, as in zero, nada.

Neither team could win on the road. For both teams, that statement is an exaggeration. But it got so bad for the 1988 Celtics that starting players (Robert Parish for one) wouldn’t travel with the team for a road playoff game if he was nicked up with a minor injury. The real reason, of course, was that the Cs stood no chance of winning on the road, and it was better to rest the starter in hopes of getting more out of him in a home game.

  Looking at the game logs, the '88 Celts won games in NY, Atl and Det. The Pistons were better than us that year. They would probably have beaten us the year before (if I'm remembering my years right) but (I think) Dantley and Vinnie Johnson banged heads diving for a loose ball in the 4th quarter of game 7 and they both had to come out of the game.

[ZoSo]

Much appreciated.  In 1988 my hair was much longer, my ability to drink was much stronger and in my own mind, I was much cooler.  I left out Rattle & Hum which also came out in 88 and which I saw 4 times the first day.........Ok, the cooler thing was strictly in my head.   

Now that's really funny.

I had big bob dylan hair, and my views were so out in left field I got recruited by the local chapter of "the militants" (I said thanks, but no thanks). It's easy to fashion whacked out beliefs when you are young and trying to appear principled to the opposite sex...

[ZoSo]

  Looking at the game logs, the '88 Celts won games in NY, Atl and Det. The Pistons were better than us that year. They would probably have beaten us the year before (if I'm remembering my years right) but (I think) Dantley and Vinnie Johnson banged heads diving for a loose ball in the 4th quarter of game 7 and they both had to come out of the game.

Yeah, the 1988 team is remembered as a bad road team, but they were still better than 2008 has been.

[Bahku]

The 1988 team was nowhere near as good a team as this one. The 2008 team has very little experience playing together or in the playoffs, and that's the difference. Otherwise, in terms of talent and capability, 2008 is much better.

[Woodstock Libertarian]

  I left out Rattle & Hum which also came out in 88 and which I saw 4 times the first day

Am I buggin' you? I don't mean to bug ya.

Alright, Edge, play the blues...

[Woodstock Libertarian]

The 1988 team was nowhere near as good a team as this one. The 2008 team has very little experience playing together or in the playoffs, and that's the difference. Otherwise, in terms of talent and capability, 2008 is much better.

I could be wrong, but I think the comparison was between 1988 on the road in the playoffs (where the Cs won three games) and 2008 on the road in the playoffs (where the Cs have won 1 game).

[Kwhit10]

I just have to say, the C's are 29-0 when up 3-2...