RealGM

if you could select an All-Time Celtics starting 5, (don't focus only on numbers but on "team-chemistry" as well), how would it look like?

Russell
Garnett
Bird
Havlicek
Cooz

Cowens
Mchale
Jones
Jones
Jo Jo
Sanders
Pierce

Red coach

Russell
McHale
Bird
Hondo
Cousy

Perk
KG
Pierce
Ray
Rondo

..... seriously though with so many greats its hard to pick 5,but ill take a stab

Russell
Cowens
Bird
Hondo
Cousy
6th man Mchale

Russell
McHale
Bird
Hondo
Cousy

After that it gets fuzzy, Pierce would definitely be in the mix though.

Russell/Macauley/The Chief
KG/McHale/Cowens
Bird/Pierce/Lewis
Havlicek/Ainge
Cousy/DJ

More than a starting 5, but with such a rich history its hard to ignore some great players.

Get Scal in there

Bill Russell (11 Championships, 5 MVP's)

Dave Cowens - 8 straight years of 19 ppg, 15 rpg, 4 apg

Larry Bird

John Havlicek - PG on offense, defends SG on defense
(Best season 28.9 ppg, 9 rpg, 7.5 apg, 8 Championships)

Sam Jones - SG on offense, defends PG on D, dribbles ball over half court
(10 Championships, Takes the Last Shot - can get it at will)

Russell
Cowens
Bird
Havlicek
Cousy

Bench
McHale
S. Jones
K. Jones
Pierce
Garnett
White
Chief

Almost started KC Jones at the point due to defense.

Tricky Ricky wrote:Russell
Garnett
Bird
Havlicek
Cooz

Cowens
Mchale
Jones
Jones
Jo Jo
Sanders
Pierce

Red coach

Damn TrickyRicky! Got it in one! That starting five--five defensive-minded guys who can all score 30 if you let them, but don't care about stats--would crush and destroy all comers. My only difference is that I'd try to squeak Parish into there somewhere.

Russell
McHale
Bird
Pierce
DJ

That's a lineup that just cannot be beaten even today.

Bird and Russell are absolute givens, for obvious reasons.

That's the start of a team that "get's it" about fast-breaking, which is my decider for putting Cousy at the point over DJ.

It's also my decider for putting Havlicek at SG over Pierce.

And given that, might as well put KG at PF over McHale, for his athleticism running the floor.

Russell
KG
Bird
Havlicek
Cousy

isn't perfect in halfcourt scoring; no team with Russell and Cousy can be. But it's insanely great at defense and rebounding, and very potent offensively as well.

DJ and Pierce would be first off the bench at the guard positions. I'd want to give McHale enough minutes that KG would wind up playing some 3. Similarly, I'm not sure that 48 minutes are enough to divide up between Russell, Cowens, and Parish.

That's 11 guys already, with only 4 guards (1 or 2 of whom are natural SFs anyway). So the 12th would be a guard for sure -- tough call between Ray Allen, Sam Jones, and maybe even Tiny Archibald.

Fencer reregistered wrote:Bird and Russell are absolute givens, for obvious reasons.

That's the start of a team that "get's it" about fast-breaking, which is my decider for putting Cousy at the point over DJ.

It's also my decider for putting Havlicek at SG over Pierce.

And given that, might as well put KG at PF over McHale, for his athleticism running the floor.

Russell
KG
Bird
Havlicek
Cousy

isn't perfect in halfcourt scoring; no team with Russell and Cousy can be. But it's insanely great at defense and rebounding, and very potent offensively as well.

DJ and Pierce would be first off the bench at the guard positions. I'd want to give McHale enough minutes that KG would wind up playing some 3. Similarly, I'm not sure that 48 minutes are enough to divide up between Russell, Cowens, and Parish.

That's 11 guys already, with only 4 guards (1 or 2 of whom are natural SFs anyway). So the 12th would be a guard for sure -- tough call between Ray Allen, Sam Jones, and maybe even Tiny Archibald.

My lineup is a very defensive lineup and as you know, defense wins championship.
I have McHale at the 4 spot because he's a way better post player than KG is and an excellent defender, just as good if not better than KG. And I believe McHale was tougher both mentally and physically than KG.
Pierce at the 2 was a biased call because I'm not old enough to have seen anyone better play his position for the C's.
Russell was a no-brainer though because of his 11 rings and Larry obviously is one of the five greatest players to ever play the game.

Russell
Cowens
Bird
Hondo
Jo Jo**

**Maybe not as good as Cousy overall, but I'll take his shooting and steady play to compliment the other guys in this line-up. I'm also leaving Tiny out because, though he was amazing, his best years were with KC rather than the Celts.

This is somewhat off topic, but you guys know what I found to be pretty interesting?

A while ago, I think Boston Herald ran a poll on their website to vote for the greatest Celtic of all time in a tournament format. Predictably, the final was between Russell and Bird with Russell beating Bird in a landslide (something like 71-29). Which no true Celtic fan can argue with.

However, ESPN ran a similar poll around the time we won the title and Bird was the clear winner.

Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker

tombattor wrote:This is somewhat off topic, but you guys know what I found to be pretty interesting?

A while ago, I think Boston Herald ran a poll on their website to vote for the greatest Celtic of all time in a tournament format. Predictably, the final was between Russell and Bird with Russell beating Bird in a landslide (something like 71-29). Which no true Celtic fan can argue with.

However, ESPN ran a similar poll around the time we won the title and Bird was the clear winner.

That's because the finals brought back the nostalgia of the Bird and Magic rivalry.

Big Baby wrote:I have McHale at the 4 spot because he's a way better post player than KG is and an excellent defender, just as good if not better than KG. And I believe McHale was tougher both mentally and physically than KG.

I'm usually the leader of the "McHale was woefully underrated" chorus. But while he was a better post defender than KG, I think KG is a better player of modern defense otherwise.

TheSheriff wrote:Russell
McHale
Bird
Hondo
Cousy

Co-signed.

The Russell/KG/Bird frontline is unfair. Not only would you be pairing two of the best defensive big men that even played the game (and they'd play outstanding off of each other on defense as well), but you'd also be pairing two of the best passing forwards that ever played the game in Bird and KG. Two 20/10/5 players on one frontline, two of the best rebounders ever on one frontline, an interior defense that simply could not be scored upon, and three of the fiercest competitors ever on the same team...are you serious? It doesn't even matter who the guards would be, that's just insane.