1984 Celtics vs 2013 Heat

[The Explorer]

1984 Boston Celtics vs 2013 Heat
7 game series in a battle of 2 league MVPs
Boston has home court advantage
Series is played in a neutral era, let's say in the year 2000

What happens in this series and who wins?

[Djoker]

Given how much Miami struggled against Hibbert, I think McHale and Parish would have given them a lot of unsolvable problems. Bird vs Lebron is a superstar matchup that favors Lebron because of the big edge in athleticism but not nearly enough to offset the huge frontcourt edge for Boston.

Celtics in 6

[homecourtloss]

1984 Boston Celtics vs 2013 Heat
7 game series in a battle of 2 league MVPs
Boston has home court advantage
Series is played in a neutral era, let's say in the year 2000

What happens in this series and who wins?

Heat in 5 (maybe 4) depending on certain things.

How much time do the 1984 Celtics get to modernize their offense to produce three-point attempts? What the defense? When you look at the 1984, 1985, even 1986, 1987 Celtics and the way they play perimeter defense even with hand checking, there would be zero way for them to contain any type of rim pressure via penetration.

Additionally, the year 2000 is right before they changed the illegal defense rules, so in essence, you could have a peakish LeBron 4-1 overload ISOing in space via a clearout due to illegal defense rules, something he never had the opportunity to do in any season in his career after the rules changes. On that note, if this is a healthy 2013 Wade, then they’d take turns doing this with nobody on the Celtics’ roster able to do anything about it. Aggressive double teams to take the ball out of James’s hands would lead to wide open threes with one ball rotation, the easiest offense the team would ever see. So, you’d have easy drives off of iso in a league that handed out a LOT of FTs (watch any series during this time and see how many FTs are handed out on touch fouls with the one or two hard fouls we’ve all seen in highlights), and easy three point opportunities. On defense, if the Celtics haven’t modernized, the Heat would feel like they’re not even having to play defense with the smaller area they have to cover and extend themselves. Post up fadeaways by Bird, by Parish and post up killing by McHale vs. open threes and easy ISO drives…I don’t like that for the Celtics.

The one advantage I see for the Celtics would be rebounding as they’d get plenty of offensive rebounding opportunities.

[Colbinii]

Part of the reason Bosh at the 5 was so crucial for Miami was for spacing offensively with LeBron/Wade. When you have illegal defensive rules, the team can play more of Birdman and just utilize illegal defenses to produce spacing.

Miami in 5

Its really hard for a team in the 1980s to beat a 2000s team, let alone 2010s team.

[falcolombardi]

13 vs 84 are fairly comparable teams within their leagues context but it wouldnt be as close in an actual matchup

Also 2013 heat reached a higher level before wade injury for whatever is worth

[OhayoKD]

1984 Boston Celtics vs 2013 Heat
7 game series in a battle of 2 league MVPs
Boston has home court advantage
Series is played in a neutral era, let's say in the year 2000

What happens in this series and who wins?

if wade is healthy the heat smoke. If not, it's a pretty even fight assuming perfect era-translation.

[TheGOATRises007]

I'm assuming the Celtics have some time to format themselves into the 2013 landscape of the NBA.

Whenever people pose hypotheticals regarding the 2013 Heat, it always depends on which version. Is it the one that won 26 games in a row or their playoff version where Wade was a net negative?

[SNPA]

Bird.

Mentally the toughest player of both teams. Physical perhaps too. Definitely the most all around skilled.

Best leader.

Most clutch.

[MyUniBroDavis]

Bird.

Mentally the toughest player of both teams. Physical perhaps too. Definitely the most all around skilled.

Best leader.

Most clutch.

Bird.

The second best small forward of all time

[OhayoKD]

Bird.

Mentally the toughest player of both teams. Physical perhaps too. Definitely the most all around skilled.

Best leader.

Most clutch.

Bird.

The second best small forward of all time

Here's the best:

Spoiler:

Highest 4th quarter on court plus/minus from 1997 to 2013:
1. 09 James +265
2. 13 James +242 Pro-rated (Currently at +207)
3. 03 Marbury +220
4. 11 Korver +219
5. 09 Williams +212
6. 02 George +211
7. 04 Garnett +208
8. 11 Bosh +199

The Cavs were +265 (+24.5 per 100 possessions) in the 4th with LeBron on court and -97 (-13.17 per 100) without LeBron in the 4th quarter which gives LeBron a +37.7 plus/minus in the 4th quarter.

Offense:

On court: 115.6 (+7.3 relative to league average)
Off court: 102.6 (-5.7 relative to league average)
Net: +13.0 (2nd highest behind CP3).

The offense went from the equivalent of the 87 Lakers offense to the 2nd worst offense in the league in the minutes LeBron missed. The Cavs had a 39.3 3P% in 2009 which is the 12th best in history with the extended 3 point line.

Clutch:

Clutch stats (per 48): 56-13-13, 4 stl, 2 blk, .693 TS%

In the clutch, LeBron’s on court Offensive rating was 135.1 O rating, 89.5 D rating (+45.5 Net).

In the playoffs LeBron averaged 58-18-8, .696 TS%, 139.6 on court O rating, +30.5 per 48 minutes in the clutch.

Top 10 teams in clutch per 100 possessions since 1997:


2009 Cavaliers: +39.9
2013 Heat: +33.7
2011 Mavericks: +29.5
2007 Mavericks: +29.0
2006 Clippers: +27.1
2010 Cavaliers: +26.4
1998 Lakers: +26.2
1999 Magic: +25.7
2008 Cavaliers: +24.2
2004 Pacers: +23.4

[rk2023]

Bird.

Mentally the toughest player of both teams. Physical perhaps too. Definitely the most all around skilled.

Best leader.

Most clutch.

Bird.

The second best small forward of all time

One of the 15 greatest players to see an NBA career