Where would Durant rank talent wise in C's history?

[rondohondo]

Bird has to be #1 still
Was kg his first year in Boston more talented?

Kd is more talented than pp

How bout McHale

If Durant tied bird with titles would he become the best in franchise history?

Just a fun thing to think about

[Neurotic Guy]

Bird has to be #1 still
Was kg his first year in Boston more talented?

Kd is more talented than pp

How bout McHale

If Durant tied bird with titles would he become the best in franchise history?

Just a fun thing to think about

You forgot Bill Russell.   Havlicek wsy up there.

[Eja117]

I'm thinking 4th or 5th

[Celtic Fan Forever]

Honestly could be third behind only Russ and Bird. In my lifetime, Celtics have never had a player as talented as KD (KG maybe if we got him 3-4 years earlier). To get a guy like Durant who will be 28 at the start of the season, and is without a doubt a top 5 player in the league (probably top 3) would be HUGE

[2short]

Love Durant but c'mon Bird, Hondo, McHale, Cowens, Russ and Cousy...................

[Celtic Fan Forever]

Love Durant but c'mon Bird, Hondo, McHale, Cowens, Russ and Cousy...................

Talent wise though. Durant is an MVP and multiple time scoring champion. He's right behind Russ and Bird and in my opinion TALENT WISE surpasses every other Celtic. We're talking a top 3 NBA player in the heart of his prime. Outside of Russ and Larry, he's the most talented by far.

[rondohondo]

Love Durant but c'mon Bird, Hondo, McHale, Cowens, Russ and Cousy...................

Cousy was like a 35 % shooter for his career playing against guys who had jobs in the off-season. Sorry that is nonsense.

[Kaz]

If you talking just pure talent alone, him and Russ are probably battling for #1 (and it's very hard to gauge pure talent from the early days).  Bird was talented, no doubt, but what made him great was his unmatched work ethic and drive, not natural talent.

[wdleehi]

I would put Russell,  Bird and KG ahead.

The rest can be debated.

[LarBrd33]

Behind Bird. 

Durant is more talented than KG was.  I love KG, but Durant is amazing.  It's a shame he's stuck in OKC with a ballhog like Westbrook.

[Neurotic Guy]

If you talking just pure talent alone, him and Russ are probably battling for #1 (and it's very hard to gauge pure talent from the early days).  Bird was talented, no doubt, but what made him great was his unmatched work ethic and drive, not natural talent.

Not sure how you are measuring talent, but Bird's natural talent was off the charts.  Ridiculous hand-eye, instincts, vision and bbiq.  And did it all while smoking a pack a day.

[hpantazo]

If we are going purely on talent, you still have to put Russell at #1. I'm surprised at how much he gets undervalued around the league and even on here by Celtics fans. He's the all-time greatest NBA player ever. Decades ahead of his time. Unbelievably athletic for a guy that size. He could dunk from the FT line too. He would be just as dominant today.

After Russell, I'd say Bird is up there, and so is McHale. People undervalue McHale's pure talent and skill level, because he sacrificed so much on that team, and was not quite as hungry a player as Bird.

Durant would be about 4th or 5th, just about even with KG, and slightly above Pierce. Pierce is another highly under rated Celtic great. On pure talent, KD slightly beats him, but Pierce has accomplished more with less, and is our all-time leading scorer, one of the greatest scorers and clutch performers in Celtics history.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

If you talking just pure talent alone, him and Russ are probably battling for #1 (and it's very hard to gauge pure talent from the early days).  Bird was talented, no doubt, but what made him great was his unmatched work ethic and drive, not natural talent.

Not sure how you are measuring talent, but Bird's natural talent was off the charts.  Ridiculous hand-eye, instincts, vision and bbiq.  And did it all while smoking a pack a day.

Wow. I didn't know that.

[Neurotic Guy]

If you talking just pure talent alone, him and Russ are probably battling for #1 (and it's very hard to gauge pure talent from the early days).  Bird was talented, no doubt, but what made him great was his unmatched work ethic and drive, not natural talent.

Not sure how you are measuring talent, but Bird's natural talent was off the charts.  Ridiculous hand-eye, instincts, vision and bbiq.  And did it all while smoking a pack a day.

Wow. I didn't know that.

I'm about Bird's age and he used to live near where a few of my friends lived.  Saw him, butt in hand, tinkering on cars at his house in Brookline.  Used to go to one of the clubs he and McHale went to in Boston. He was well known there for the cigarettes -- McHale too btw.   The "pack a day" is my embellishment- - I have no idea how much he smoked.

[Kane3387]

Right up there with Bird. He's a far better athlete than Bird. Bird was more clutch and more of an assassin. But I don't know if those mental aspects count as talent. Overall it's probably Durant by a little bit due to his superior athleticism.