SB Nation Celtics Blog on former Celtics to add to the current team

ggreene

New Member
Jul 23, 2019
215
Interesting article on the SB Nation Celtics Blog about which former Celtic you would want to add to the current roster. Given their needs it seemed a no-brainer to me to choose Russell. A tenacious rebounder and shot blocker (intelligent blocker as well) capable of elite defense. Bird was my favorite player of all time but I just couldn't pick him with the makeup of the roster. My one fear with Russell would be could the current players deal with his compete level. I have a feeling he would suffer no fools.

Anyways, just waiting for camp to open and was desperate for anything Celtics related.
 

Lose Remerswaal

Experiencing Furry Panic
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Those 2 are obvious. But Bird has a bad back and Russell is 85 years old

Picking a former Celtic who could still help the team is, IMHO, a much more interesting game to play.

Avery Bradley? Al Horford? Kyrie????
 

Sam Ray Not

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
8,847
NYC
Bird was a pretty tenacious rebounder; I think he'd make a fairly ideal playmaking stretch four (à la current LeBron) in today's NBA. Peak KG would be pretty spectacular, too. Say:

1. Russell
2. Bird
3. Garnett
4. McHale
5. Parish
?
 

Plantiers Wart

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 16, 2002
4,092
west hartford
I'd toss Cowens into the mix. I think he'd thrive in today's NBA. Athletic, averaged 14 rebounds per game, was 1-14 in his career from three, but a 78% FT shooter. Nearly 4 assists per for his career.
 

Big John

New Member
Dec 9, 2016
2,086
Those 2 are obvious. But Bird has a bad back and Russell is 85 years old

Picking a former Celtic who could still help the team is, IMHO, a much more interesting game to play.

Avery Bradley? Al Horford? Kyrie????
Horford for sure. Also Baynes
 

snowmanny

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2005
15,667
Bird was a pretty tenacious rebounder; I think he'd make a fairly ideal playmaking stretch four (à la current LeBron) in today's NBA. Peak KG would be pretty spectacular, too. Say:

1. Russell
2. Bird
3. Garnett
4. McHale
5. Parish
?
I think McHale would have been a really good three-point shooter if he’d been around today where anyone encouraged him to shoot them. He was an 80% free-throw shooter and did pretty well with 3’s for the tiny period of time he took them.
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
21,753
Pittsburgh, PA
Picking a former Celtic who could still help the team is, IMHO, a much more interesting game to play.
Kelly Olynyk would be nice for our wing rotation, but I think we most need a 5. 2019 Shaq isn't going to help much but there's gotta be some all-star center who had a cup of coffee here.
 

Big John

New Member
Dec 9, 2016
2,086
I think there would be room on this team for one or more of these guys -

Aron Baynes, Al Horford, Kelly Olynyk, E'twuan Moore, Jeff Green, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Evan Turner, Terry Rozier, Tyler Zeller
So if you put together a roster of the best 15 ex-Celtics currently playing for other teams, would that roster make the playoffs in the EC? Would it beat the current Celtics roster in a playoff series? You would have Irving and Horford for starters.
 

the moops

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 19, 2016
4,700
Saint Paul, MN
So if you put together a roster of the best 15 ex-Celtics currently playing for other teams, would that roster make the playoffs in the EC? Would it beat the current Celtics roster in a playoff series? You would have Irving and Horford for starters.
Interesting question. They woukd make playoffs I think. Kyrie and Horford and some decent role players should be enough.

Starting 5 of Kyrie, Turner, Crowder, Olynyk, Horford.

Bench - Rozier, Bradley, Green x2, Morris, Zeller, Baynes, Monroe, Rondo, Jerebko

Actually - that team stinks