Is this team as deep as the 'Bill Walton' team?

[LooseCannon]

Do people not understand that the deeper team is not necessarily the better team? 

For example, the Nuggets this season will be a much deeper team than better teams that are actual contenders.

[ThaPreacher]

Than the 1986 Celtics?

Not even close, that's the best basketball team ever assembled. We don't even have a legit backup center.

Well the 64-65 Celtics, and the 73-74 Celtics might take issue with that.


64-65       Record 62-18
G Sam Jones
G KC Jones
F John Havlicek
F Tom Heinson
C Bill Russell

Bench
Willie Nauls
Satch Sanders
Larry Sigfried
Mel Counts

73-74
Don Chaney
Jo Jo White
John Havlicek
Paul Silas
Dave Cowens

Don Nelson
Paul Westphaul
Jim Ard
Steve Kuberski
Hank Finkel

Oh yeah and the (68-14) 72-73 Celtics might have been even better, barring the post-season injury of Hondo.


Bird,McHale, Parrish would have hated to see Russell, Heinson and Hondo, or Cowens,Silas, Havlicek.

Great Battles,

86 Celtics Best Ever?  Interesting discussion.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

Do people not understand that the deeper team is not necessarily the better team? 

For example, the Nuggets this season will be a much deeper team than better teams that are actual contenders.

Unlike Denver we have proven superstars year in and year out... KG, PP, and RR are all still in the top 10 at their positions. JET always a sixth man candidate (iron man, missed few games in his career). Jeff Green, while not amazing by any standard is a good starter for most teams is coming off the bench. Bass with the dagger jumpers all day everyday. CLee will light you up from 3 and provide defense. AB the shut u down monster, enough said! With a bevy of youngsters with bright futures! We are deep with the stars who have "been there done that"!

[xmuscularghandix]

I think they're as deep but the top 3 players on that team are way better than the top 3 on this one.

[TheFlex]

Uh, the Celtics starting five back then was kinda awesome....

Danny Ainge -------- Rajon Rondo
DJ ----------------- Courtney Lee
Bird --------------- Pierce
McHale ------------- Bass
Parish ------------- KG
Walton ------------- Sully
Wedman ------------- Green
Schihting - -------- Jason Terry
          ---------- Avery Bradley
I don't know ....... I guess I will have to watch this upcoming season

Dude, Averys our starting shooting guard. He doesn't fit as a bench player. Lee's played the bench role before and has thrived in it.

Thank you. Avery WILL regain his starting job once he gets healthy people. Lee fits much better with the second unit as does Avery with the first. We were CRUSHING teams last year when we were healthy and Avery was in the starting lineup. Don't fix it if it ain't broke. The addition of Lee is to bolster our bench, not to alter our starting lineup.

[Surferdad]

I think they're as deep but the top 3 players on that team are way better than the top 3 on this one.

That team had what I call the 1-3-8 formula.

1 superstar
3 all stars
8 players who could start on any team

8 is key because that's all you need in a shorter rotation of the playoffs.  Overall depth is important for the regular season but less so for the playoffs.

[GreenFaith1819]

I love our team right now, but even KG and Paul in their primes couldn't sniff that 86 team.

One thing that basketball-reference taught me is that Larry Bird was a 3-time 2nd team Defense back in the 80's.

He was The Total Package.

[33_Larry Legend_33]

I'm 40, so I've seen the 80's Celtics a LOT.  I do think DJ would struggle with Rondo...BUT, the C's had a suffocating defense that would funnel everything to the middle.  Rondo wouldn't get those passes off so easily...

With that said, lost in the shuffle is that NO ONE would be able to guard Parish.  He was automatic in the low post and could sprint down the floor and he's the one guy this current team could not match up with.  And then bringing a healthy Walton off the bench, arguable the best passing center quite possibly in league history, and this team would struggle.  Bass couldn't guard McHale and Ainge would get wide open looks as they'd have to double-down the post a lot.  Would be fun to watch, but I'd say this current team would get swept or lose 4-1 in a 7 game series.

[GreenFaith1819]

I'm 40, so I've seen the 80's Celtics a LOT.  I do think DJ would struggle with Rondo...BUT, the C's had a suffocating defense that would funnel everything to the middle.  Rondo wouldn't get those passes off so easily...

With that said, lost in the shuffle is that NO ONE would be able to guard Parish.  He was automatic in the low post and could sprint down the floor and he's the one guy this current team could not match up with.  And then bringing a healthy Walton off the bench, arguable the best passing center quite possibly in league history, and this team would struggle.  Bass couldn't guard McHale and Ainge would get wide open looks as they'd have to double-down the post a lot.  Would be fun to watch, but I'd say this current team would get swept or lose 4-1 in a 7 game series.

Another feather in that 86 team's cap is that Larry-Chief-McHale-Walton kept the twin towers from HOU in check. I was a bit concerned seeing Sampson and Akeem take apart Kareem and LA, but our team held those two bigs in check.

A testament to McHale is that I remember him guarding Akeem the most during the series. He did a decent job on him, too.

If Dwight Howard really wanted to become a great Big Man, he'd be beating down the doors to get to HOU. McHale would make him great.

After all, he has his skills written ALL OVER our own KG:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_dtm2rlV_E

[Eja117]

Than the 1986 Celtics?

Not even close, that's the best basketball team ever assembled. We don't even have a legit backup center.

I was gonna say "God no", but then I saw this and got distracted.

[ThaPreacher]

I love our team right now, but even KG and Paul in their primes couldn't sniff that 86 team.

One thing that basketball-reference taught me is that Larry Bird was a 3-time 2nd team Defense back in the 80's.

He was The Total Package.

McHale could not guard KG
Bird could not guard Pierce
DJ nor Ainge could guard Rondo

Prime or Not, this would be a great match-up.

[GreenFaith1819]

I love our team right now, but even KG and Paul in their primes couldn't sniff that 86 team.

One thing that basketball-reference taught me is that Larry Bird was a 3-time 2nd team Defense back in the 80's.

He was The Total Package.

McHale could not guard KG
Bird could not guard Pierce
DJ nor Ainge could guard Rondo

Prime or Not, this would be a great match-up.

Woah, Woah, Woah, lol....if KM in his prime (mid-80's) could guard Akeem Olajuwon then I'm sure he could guard KG in his prime.

Akeem had been the league for 3 years...he destroyed pretty much everyone - except KM in that 86 Finals series.

Bird could not guard Pierce? Prime Larry? Prime Larry made prime James Worthy look lost in 84 and 86. James Worthy was perhaps the quickest SF I've ever seen.

I'm sure Prime Larry could guard Prime Paul.

[Boris Badenov]

I think they're as deep but the top 3 players on that team are way better than the top 3 on this one.

That team had what I call the 1-3-8 formula.

1 superstar
3 all stars
8 players who could start on any team

8 is key because that's all you need in a shorter rotation of the playoffs.  Overall depth is important for the regular season but less so for the playoffs.

You understate the case for that team.

That team had:
a. 3 top 50 all-time players playing at their peaks;
b. One other oft-injured HOF player having his last good year;
c. One other HOF player a couple years away from his prime;
d. One very good player who became an all-star once he was out of the shadow of the other guys
e. One two-time all-star in the twilight of his career;
f. And one solid role player.

That team had seven guys who were or would be all-stars, and five hall of fame players, 3-4 of whom were playing at their peak level.

[GreenFaith1819]

Look, there's this "misconception" that players today, (or the game today) is/are too fast for the 80's or 90's players.

After all, Kobe decided to run his mouth about the 92 Dream team.

The only major difference today from the 80s is perhaps nutrition and Sports Science. Apply those same advantages to Larry, Magic, Dr. J, etc - and those guys would obliterate today's players, plain and simple.

[syfy9]

Look, there's this "misconception" that players today, (or the game today) is/are too fast for the 80's or 90's players.

After all, Kobe decided to run his mouth about the 92 Dream team.

The only major difference today from the 80s is perhaps nutrition and Sports Science. Apply those same advantages to Larry, Magic, Dr. J, etc - and those guys would obliterate today's players, plain and simple.

They'd be obliterated either way, though.