Cowen's Celtics in Today's NBA

[Michael Anthony]

Was thinking last night, as I watched Lee torch us, if he could be the starting center on a championship team. The best championship center comparison I could make was to our own Big Red, which got me thinking - could this be the starting lineup of a championship team:

M. Ellis
B. Roy
M. Williams
P. Milsap
D. Lee

[Who]

David Lee could be the starting center on a title team but I don't think that lineup is a Championship caliber squad.

[liam]

Was thinking last night, as I watched Lee torch us, if he could be the starting center on a championship team. The best championship center comparison I could make was to our own Big Red, which got me thinking - could this be the starting lineup of a championship team:

M. Ellis
B. Roy
M. Williams
P. Milsap
D. Lee

Cowens played harder on both sides of the ball than anyone. Lee is a one way player. Cowens play against Kareem and Wilt and Reed.  Cowens is a hall of fame player. D. Lee is a nice player on a bunch of crappy losing teams that have done nothing. The way Cowens played then he would be suspended by the league for the year on the 1st day of the season. That was a man's game back then. All fouls were flagrant.

[Donoghus]

I don't think any team with Monta Ellis at the helm is going to be championship caliber.

[Michael Anthony]

I built that team because of the similarity in sizes, styles and stats to the '73-'74 team - are the closer comparisons out there?

[2short]

I don't think too many of the "younger" crew remembers how great Dave Cowens was.  He would torch Chief, Perk and everyone in between that played for C's.  David Lee as much as I like him is NOWHERE near the player.  Only guy that comes to mind that played anywhere near as hard is bird.
If memory serves me correctly Cowens made the top 50 all nba group.  A funny thing Cowens said a few years ago when C's won.  Someone asked how they'd fair against his championship celtic team and without a hesitation Cowens said they'd run them into the ground.

[Kuberski33]

Cowens played in an era where there lots of Centers who could score in the low post and did just fine.  He'd be even better in today's game - since there are very few centers who can consistently score in the low post.  You would need to have the right 4 with him -- preferably one who can block or change shots.

[Kuberski33]

But as far as help defending and stopping the high pick and roll....he would be the best in the game right now.

[housecall]

I don't think too many of the "younger" crew remembers how great Dave Cowens was.  He would torch Chief, Perk and everyone in between that played for C's.  David Lee as much as I like him is NOWHERE near the player.  Only guy that comes to mind that played anywhere near as hard is bird.
If memory serves me correctly Cowens made the top 50 all nba group.  A funny thing Cowens said a few years ago when C's won.  Someone asked how they'd fair against his championship celtic team and without a hesitation Cowens said they'd run them into the ground.

You are correct ...I wouldn't even mention Cowens and Lee in the same sentence from what i remember.tp

[2short]

I don't think too many of the "younger" crew remembers how great Dave Cowens was.  He would torch Chief, Perk and everyone in between that played for C's.  David Lee as much as I like him is NOWHERE near the player.  Only guy that comes to mind that played anywhere near as hard is bird.
If memory serves me correctly Cowens made the top 50 all nba group.  A funny thing Cowens said a few years ago when C's won.  Someone asked how they'd fair against his championship celtic team and without a hesitation Cowens said they'd run them into the ground.

You are correct ...I wouldn't even mention Cowens and Lee in the same sentence from what i remember.tp

Here's one for you, I think Tim Duncan is great.  Imagine that matchup, Cowens vs Duncan 

[housecall]

I don't think too many of the "younger" crew remembers how great Dave Cowens was.  He would torch Chief, Perk and everyone in between that played for C's.  David Lee as much as I like him is NOWHERE near the player.  Only guy that comes to mind that played anywhere near as hard is bird.
If memory serves me correctly Cowens made the top 50 all nba group.  A funny thing Cowens said a few years ago when C's won.  Someone asked how they'd fair against his championship celtic team and without a hesitation Cowens said they'd run them into the ground.

You are correct ...I wouldn't even mention Cowens and Lee in the same sentence from what i remember.tp

Here's one for you, I think Tim Duncan is great.  Imagine that matchup, Cowens vs Duncan 

Key word here "great" both player are/were great.Lee is good offensively,thats it.

[PLamb]

There is not a player in the current NBA that can be fairly compared to Dave Cowens

Not one

Not one player in the current NBA mixes the toughness, rebounding ability, tenacity, low post offensive moves, defensive ability and ability to run the break that Cowens had

And he's right about running current teams out of the building

For all the weight lifting and diet science and possible PEDs and size and strength of today's NBA players, the players of the 70's, especially those in fast break systems like the Celtics had, had such superior cardio-vascular training and ability it's comical

The walk it up pacing and half court offenses of today would be blitzed by those teams ability to run, run, run, run every moment of the game

Today's teams would be sucking oxygen by mid way through the third quarter

[Kuberski33]

PLamb to be fair, defense wasn't emphasized back then the way it is today.  If a team focused on getting back on D and cutting off the outlet passes from Cowens and Paul Silas to the guards, I'd be real curious as to how that system would have played in today's NBA.

Phoenix comes the closest and they're known for playing no D.

Plus they would have been forced to defend the spreading out that teams do nowadays to take advantage of the 3.  That may have impacted their ability to fast break all the time as opposed to picking their spots.

Would love to see it attempted though.  Basketball is a much more entertaining game played that way vs walking it up and clearing out for Pierce in crunch time.....

[liam]

There is not a player in the current NBA that can be fairly compared to Dave Cowens

Not one

Not one player in the current NBA mixes the toughness, rebounding ability, tenacity, low post offensive moves, defensive ability and ability to run the break that Cowens had

And he's right about running current teams out of the building

For all the weight lifting and diet science and possible PEDs and size and strength of today's NBA players, the players of the 70's, especially those in fast break systems like the Celtics had, had such superior cardio-vascular training and ability it's comical

The walk it up pacing and half court offenses of today would be blitzed by those teams ability to run, run, run, run every moment of the game

Today's teams would be sucking oxygen by mid way through the third quarter

Plus the quick long passes. Those Celtics teams could move the ball better than any team today. The rules are now made for soft players. Those 70s and 80s guys were hard as nails. I'd love to see Cowens working Howard. Cowens was a great player in a time of great players. There's like 20 great players playing now and some of them are pass there prime.

[LarBrd33]

I joked years ago (well before Lee's numbers got inflated by Coach D) that if David Lee played in Boston, everyone would be calling him the "next Dave Cowens".  It was more a joke about how every young player playing in Boston becomes the next *insert former superstar here*.   

Seeing this thread today... makes me feel like a proud papa.