todays celts vs Bird's / Gorman's opinion (merged)

[TerreHaute]

Bingo on the DJ comments. He was better than Rondo. As I stated earlier in this post, I think the '86 gaurds as a whole are underrated. They played some great gaurd combinations in the 80's to a standstill.

[bopna]

The problem with this comparison is obviously the era and the fact that the game has changed dramatically through the yrs....just tonight, Mike Gorman was asked who's better and he did objectively state that today's team is perhaps better than the 86 squad.  Now if that ain't a testament to what this current crop has done I don't know what is.... 19 straight wins and counting, BEST ever START in NBA HISTORY that i feel would be very difficult to beat. Our point differential against opposing teams are just sick only the Cavs are better.

Im going out on a limb here to say that I feel this current Celtic is slightly better than the 86 squad and I love that squad by the way, but this current team is just better in terms of FOCUS, Determination and WILL that if this current group does break the 72-10 mark by the Bulls, then it would certainly make a good case that this team might just be as constructed the most Dominant team in NBA History...it may not be the best, but would certainly be counted as a top 5 in history.

[Andy Jick]

gorman put his money on this year's group over the '86 team...

i love mike, but i think it's funny how we tend to forget those great teams of the past.  tommy wasn't so quick to agree and was even willing to stake his teams (with russell) chances, pointing out the number of HOFers he played with.

i guess this debate will never end, nor come to a conclusion in our hypothetical setting...

[QuinielaBox]

Yeah Andy, I noticed that Mike put this team over the 1986 team. I think it is too premature to make a fair comparison. I just have to see more productive stints out of our 2nd unit before drawing any conclusions.

[guava_wrench]

I tend to doubt a person's judgments when they call the league 'watered down'. True, it is harder to collect the top players on a single team or two, but the talent pool of skilled basketball players is so much deeper.

[Celtics17]

I hate to say it but Bill Walton would destroy todays team. I love this team but how in the world would this team deal with Bill Walton off the 86 bench? I read one time where Bill beat McHale in a one on one game in practice! Undoubtedly he was the best passing center in league history as well as being one of its best players. If not for injury the all time center discussion would have his name in it every time. Who on todays team could guard Bird? Not Paul, and I think Paul is still underrated but he couldnt guard Bird as well as he guards Lebron. I would bet that if everyone on the 86 second team were healthy for a whole season that they would have better then a 500 record in todays league. I love todays team and as I stated a few pages ago, if it were the starting 5's playing each other then I would say it would be a great, great series but the 86 squad had too good of a second unit. Too much Big Red for todays squad.

[Celtics17]

I will say one thing about todays team that probably needs mentioning. I think that people here are way underestimating what Rondo is going to be doing this year. I saw DJ play too and I know how great he was but he would have his hands full trying to contain Rondo.  I will also say,  and my memory may be a little fuzzy here, that after MJ scored 63 in the garden ( still a playoff game high) it was either the next game or the one after that when he scored 12 points in the first quarter and was held to only 5 more points the rest of the game. Like I say, my memory is a little fuzzy on that but I believe it to be accurate. It's hard to question any team that can hold MJ to only 5 points in 3 quarters of a playoff game.

[KG Living Legend]

Did anyone catch this? He said at the end of the game.

Not sure if I agree with him, but he's a solid B ball opinion.

He said we have a much better defense. Tommy said his Bill Russel teams were the best Celtic teams. Shocked. LOL.

Tommy said this current team has three maybe four Hall of famers,
The 86 team had five, and his had Eight.  Thoughts...

[TradeProposalDude]

LOL, Tommy Heinsohn was silenced by that comment. He didn't agree.

But I think it would be a competitive game (or series). The '08-'09 Celtics are probably better defensively, while the C's of 23 years past contained even more potent offensive weapons. McHale was a better scorer than KG and Bird was a better scorer than Pierce. Suggesting otherwise on those counts is revisionist history.

[kenmaine]

I trust Tommy's opinion.
I go back to the tail end of the Russell era, but believe it or not folks, very few of the games were televised back then, so we're  not as familiar with those teams.
But, as far as the 86 team versus the current team? I honestly don't have an opinion because the rules and the officiating are much different. I suppose the 86 team had more overall talent, but IMO this team is more fun to watch. The style was more one-on-one and post-up back then, the NBA was pretty boring(just think of Charles Barkley with the ball backing his man down with his big fat behind, and four teammates standing around, to remember how boring basketball can be).
But the topic is fun, just to remember how many great teams and players we've been privileged to watch here.
PS- the Cowens era teams were no slouches either.

[makaveli]

I guess it's not enough to have Lakers as our primary rivals,they really can't touch us so we made rivals out of our own team from the past hehe

[CelticsWhat35]

There's really no reason to compare the 60's Celtics to those of today, or even the 80's.  It was a totally different game back then.  The players today are much bigger, stronger and quicker.

But in terms of the 80's Celtics vs. todays, I think the '86 Celtics are the best team in NBA history, so I don't take it as a knock when someone says they'd beat this team.  I don't think it would be a sweep, but I still think they'd win.  But it's nice to see a guy like Mike Gorman, someone who's followed both teams very closely, give that respect to the current team.

[crownsy]

I trust Tommy's opinion.
I go back to the tail end of the Russell era, but believe it or not folks, very few of the games were televised back then, so we're  not as familiar with those teams.
But, as far as the 86 team versus the current team? I honestly don't have an opinion because the rules and the officiating are much different. I suppose the 86 team had more overall talent, but IMO this team is more fun to watch. The style was more one-on-one and post-up back then, the NBA was pretty boring(just think of Charles Barkley with the ball backing his man down with his big fat behind, and four teammates standing around, to remember how boring basketball can be).
But the topic is fun, just to remember how many great teams and players we've been privileged to watch here.
PS- the Cowens era teams were no slouches either.

You do sir charles a grave disservice good sir! 

going to have to bust out the charles vid from youtube when i get home that we used in that davis is the next barkley thread.

[CelticsWhat35]

I trust Tommy's opinion.
I go back to the tail end of the Russell era, but believe it or not folks, very few of the games were televised back then, so we're  not as familiar with those teams.
But, as far as the 86 team versus the current team? I honestly don't have an opinion because the rules and the officiating are much different. I suppose the 86 team had more overall talent, but IMO this team is more fun to watch. The style was more one-on-one and post-up back then, the NBA was pretty boring(just think of Charles Barkley with the ball backing his man down with his big fat behind, and four teammates standing around, to remember how boring basketball can be).
But the topic is fun, just to remember how many great teams and players we've been privileged to watch here.
PS- the Cowens era teams were no slouches either.

You do sir charles a grave disservice good sir! 

going to have to bust out the charles vid from youtube when i get home that we used in that davis is the next barkley thread.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v9XE7BijJA

Not sure if this is the one you're talking about, but it gets the job done.

[Bankshot]

I agree with Gorman.  This defense would be too much for that '86 team, imo, especially with the bigger, stronger, faster athletes of today.