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Which would you rather have to start a team?

Players like Russell, Bird, Magic and Jordan don't come along often. Hopefully he'd keep the mullet and stache.

You do realize C's fans will vote overwhelming for Bird. Guys like Bird needs to adjusted for the times. Bird was the more dominant player but how would he fair in today's NBA..?

GuyClinch wrote:You do realize C's fans will vote overwhelming for Bird. Guys like Bird needs to adjusted for the times. Bird was the more dominant player but how would he fair in today's NBA..?

The same way he did back then.

If you remember, coming out of college, everyone said that Bird: "Can't run,can't jump and won't be able to get his shot off at the pro level."

What they didn't count on though was his work ethic,will to win and his off the charts basketball IQ.

GuyClinch wrote:You do realize C's fans will vote overwhelming for Bird. Guys like Bird needs to adjusted for the times. Bird was the more dominant player but how would he fair in today's NBA..?

Bird would absolutely destroy guys today just with his brain. Players today just aren't that smart. I also think people underestimate Bird's athleticism.

canman1971 wrote:

GuyClinch wrote:You do realize C's fans will vote overwhelming for Bird. Guys like Bird needs to adjusted for the times. Bird was the more dominant player but how would he fair in today's NBA..?

Bird would absolutely destroy guys today just with his brain. Players today just aren't that smart. I also think people underestimate Bird's athleticism.

How disparate do people think the gap is between Manu's athleticism and Birds?

I don't think there is that big of gap, and I'm with canman, today's player's would have no idea what to do with their skills to try and stop him.

Geeze....Larry Bird= Top 5 player ALL TIME.....neither of those guys were ever Top 5 in any SINGLE Season.

That's like asking prime Michael Jordan or prime Derrick Rose...come on

chakdaddy wrote:That's like asking prime Michael Jordan or prime Derrick Rose...come on

It's like asking Prime Pippen and Rose or MJ. Here it is Prime Pierce and Ray Allen or Bird.

Bird, and I'd take Bird over any one player in today's NBA. (Lebron may eventually prove me wrong, but not yet) A prime Shaq is also a great place to start a team.

a prime Ray/Pierce doesn't win you a title--unless you get KG...and a prime Larry doesn't win you a title-unless you have Parish/McHale....useless argument.

Larry is obviously the better of the three. But you always need a good big man and no one can space the floor better than Jesus. So I'm taking Ray

This has to be a joke right?

Bird turned a 29 win team into 61 win team in his FIRST season in the NBA. The Celtics went on to win a championship during Bird's second season.

For all of the ball washing Jordan and Lebron get, then didn't win jack until well into their careers.

Let's consider Bird + Ainge vs. Pierce + Allen.

Bird, Ainge, Parish, McHale, DJ, Walton (of that era), Sichting, Wedman = greatest team ever, or VERY close to it.

Pierce, Allen, Parish, McHale, DJ, Walton, Sichting, Wedman = easy champions this year or most other years.

Bird + Ainge > Pierce + Allen, but by how much?

And Ainge was more than a JAG himself, soon going on to an All-Star berth or two.

Paul and Ray on a 2 on 1 game vs Larry, would whup his ass...

Obviously Bird was light years ahead of Paul and Ray..but the question I believe was..If you had to choose Paul +Ray on your team, or just Larry...who would you pick?? I'm picking the 2 allstars..over the 1 Superduperuper star..but that's just me.

canman1971 wrote:

GuyClinch wrote:You do realize C's fans will vote overwhelming for Bird. Guys like Bird needs to adjusted for the times. Bird was the more dominant player but how would he fair in today's NBA..?

Bird would absolutely destroy guys today just with his brain. Players today just aren't that smart. I also think people underestimate Bird's athleticism.

These guys must be really young Canman. Bird would use these guys up like they were good colonge!

I'm sure there are a lot of young people on here. I'm only 20 myself and have only seen Bird on ESPN classic. That being said, I don't get how it's far fetched that someone would want 2 hall of famers over one super hall of famer. I think you older heads are underrating both Paul and Allen in their primes if it's absolutely ridiculous that one would want those two over Bird for their team right now. Maybe it isn't the best choice, but to act as if it's ludicrous is pushing it IMO. Just some speculation from a young lurker

No match. Anyone who's ever watched Bird in the 80's knows this is laughable...

...And not for his shooting - I'd say Ray is on the level, just unfortunately shorter. Not for the overall scoring capabilities either - Pierce is on the level as well. The main reasons are a once-in-a-generation type court vision & passing, rebounding, natural leadership and height. When you add on his shooting (50%) and ridiculous clutch abilities there's no match. Good scorers and good shooters come along every couple of years, not a guy like Bird.

The question is flawed how can you ask us to build a team when in one scenario you start with just one player and the other you start off with 2?

Logically, any GM would pick the 2 great players to solidify the 2 and 3 positions of their starting 5.

But hindsight tells us that Larry Bird is a legend and you always start with that player first and throw in other guys to fill out the roster.

GuyClinch wrote:You do realize C's fans will vote overwhelming for Bird. Guys like Bird needs to adjusted for the times. Bird was the more dominant player but how would he fair in today's NBA..?

You do realize that basketball fans in general will vote overwhelmingly for Bird, right?

Bird would fair just fine in today's NBA...he would never be considered athletic in any era, but he'd always be amongst the smartest and most skilled.