If every team in the East was without their best player, would we win the East?

[letsgoblue86]

Ok, so let's say because we don't have Rondo, Stern makes a rule saying that every other team in the East has to go into the playoffs without their best player.

So, no LeBron for Miami, no Carmelo for NY, etc.

Would we win the East if this was the case?

[ACF]

 I don't know if I'm contradicting myself when I say Rondo is our best player but KG is the most important one. So, it could be us. If not, I'm going with the Bulls.

[Fan from VT]

Chicago's proven they can be quite good without Rose.

Milwaukee doesn't have a best player, so they'd probably have minimal dropoff from where they are.

Wade-Bosh would still be very formidable.

Atlanta likely drops a bit without Horford.

Philly stays where they are.

Brooklyn likely drops with Deron out, but they possibly keep the ship afloat since johnson can handle a lot of point duties and watson/brooks can shoot/score.

New York probably falls off without Carmelo, unless they have Amare to handle the offense and they can use a defensive sf in combination with tyson to cover for amare on defense.

Big question is Indiana. They aren't very star dominant, so they may not fall off that much if they lose...who, George or Hibbert?

[xmuscularghandix]

If you take away Lebron from the Heat they'd still have Wade and Bosh to isolate with 5 GREAT three point shooters spacing the floor. They would be in the ECF regardless.

[cletus1985]

3 of the top 4 contending teams are already without 1 of their best 2 players so I doubt it. Chicago doesn't have Rose, Indiana is without Granger, and New York is missing Stoudemire.

Considering any one of those teams could beat us in a 7 game series I still don't think we'd be favorites. I use the analogy with first or second best player because Rondo could be argued either way, he's obviously the most gifted player we have at the moment but KG is probably more vital to our success with the current team.

[PhoSita]

No.  The Heat would still win with Wade + Bosh.

[badshar]

We don't know who our best player is.

Rajon Rondo - too inconsistent
Paul Pierce - known to be too old and barely good for anything despite putting the team on his back for much of the season.
Kevin Garnett - gives his all every game and often puts the team on his back like Pierce but many think he is too old to do anything.
Jeff Green - up and coming but far too inconsistent.

The point is, I can say something good and something bad about every player on this team. We don't have a true 'best' player on this team.

[KGs Knee]

Hmm...I'd say these are the best players per respective team:

Miami- LeBron
NYK- Carmelo
Indiana- George
Brooklyn- Williams
Chicago- Rose
Atlanta- Horford
Boston- Rondo
Milwaukee- Jennings???

Chicago and Boston are already without their best players.  Chicago has handled it better in the regular season, but I think we could beat them in a playoff match-up.

Take away LeBron from Miami, and they are still a good team. Take Carmelo off the Knicks, and they'd stink.  Indiana would be ok, but I think the C's can beat them as is, so without George, I think we're better.  Brooklyn wouldn't be terrible, but without DWill they'd be about on par with Bos/Chi.

To me, I'd think Miami, Bos, Chi and BKN would all have about equal chances.


But that isn't how sports work.  Injuries are as much a part of the game as anything.  Seems like a debate in futility.

[Celtics4ever]

Heat would still win with Wade + Bosh.

Really, I think not.  Bosh is very soft.   KG could nuetralize him and Bradley gives Wade fits.  This assumes our guy is PP.   But I think we could beat the Heat.

[CelticConcourse]

Where are all the people who said Pierce or KG was our best player?

[bopna]

PP and KG are vital and if I may emphasize very important to our teams success but it has been evident  that in the last 2 yrs i n the playoffs Rondo is just a  different animal so in essence we are already playing without our best player and if we take Lebron away from thecHeat there is no way we lose to them in a 7 game series..we have already proven that neither lebron nor wade could advance hence they created their super team but IMO they have been lucky because we still have not faced them full strength hence we will never know and even if we face them next yr  at  full strength..PP and specially KG's game have fallen off signigicantly even if we get 100 % rondo  there  would be so many variables it really is difficult now since lefreak is at his prime.

But i would really think the cHeat without James is gonna be vulnerable infact the Bulls would be the most formidable  in thos scenario considering they are the ones that stopped the winning streak even without Rose.

[GreenEnvy]

Celtics without KG? No.

Celtics without Pierce? No.

Celtics without Rondo? Yes.


People thinking the Heat are good enough with just Wade and Bosh are naive. Bulls and Celtics would crush the Heat without LeBron.

[zimbo]

A team with good coaching would win. So either the Bulls or the Pacers.

[TheTruthFot18]

A team with good coaching would win. So either the Bulls or the Pacers.

I agree 100%. Bradley, Lee, Pierce, Green, Kg (bass, jet, crawford, Wilcox) would be a good matchup against either of those teams especially since they all lack a dominant (scoring or passing) point guard.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

If you take away Lebron from the Heat they'd still have Wade and Bosh to isolate with 5 GREAT three point shooters spacing the floor. They would be in the ECF regardless.

We would beat every team! I mean, if Broid goes down, Mia would be a top team regular season and probably make it out of each round until they meet us or the bulls... BUT they would NOT/could NOT beat us! I'd say Bulls would (other than us) have the best shot at winning the East.