What If you could change One (little?) thing.

[bakahump]

Pritchard is one of those guys that you wish you could see if he were 6'8". If you made him 6'8" with everything else being the same I think you basically have Gordon Hayward.

His rebounding instincts are incredible.

SO this got me thinking.

Give me some of your thoughts SOSH.

Like
What if.....
Wilt Shot FTs at 80%?
Embiid wasnt always playoff hurt?
Bird was slightly more athletic (quicker and higher jumper)?
McHale had more muscle mass?
Antoine had a better Shot?
Rondo was a better shooter? (Fixed ...I dont think any of would care if "Ronda" was a better shooter. )
Jaylen had a better handle (Its not too late!)?
Jordan didnt go play Baseball?

So what do you have Sosh? Feel free to theorize about the above or provide your own what if.

(DOPEs feel free to ban anyone who mentions Bias).

 

[PC Drunken Friar]

What if Pistol Pete were born in 1997 instead of 1947?

 

[Euclis20]

I won't reach too high - I made this comparison over the summer, but I'd like KP's injury history to evolve the same way that Zydrunas Ilgauskas' injury history evolved, with no decline in performance:

Ilgauskas average games missed through age 26: 53/year
KP average games missed through age 26: 30/year

Ilgauskas average games missed from age 27-31: 3/year

 

[Bozo Texino]

What if Ralph Sampson could've stayed healthy?

 

[Deathofthebambino]

Given the forum this is in, for me it would be what if Len Bias didn't die?

Second would be what if Gordon didn't break his leg 5 minutes into his first game here?

Third would be what if Tatum doesn't sprain his ankle 11 seconds into game 7 last year?

 

[HurstSoGood]

The Celtics won the 1997 NBA draft lottery and proceeded to take Tim Duncan at 1/1 and Tracy McGrady at 1/6.

 

[strek1]

Not marry my first wife. Whoops - I guess this is just a "Celtics" thing. Sorry.

 

[HomeRunBaker]

What if Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish actually walked through that door and into the press conference?

 

[Bergs]

What if Larry Bird just hired some kids to shovel snow.

 

[Ale Xander]

Definitely Bias

also, what if KG didn’t get hurt

 

[bankshot1]

Bias for me.

What if Havlicek avoids the Bradley/DeBusschere brick wall in '73
What if Perk doesn't go down in 2010
What if we could have had a healthy/not burned out Cowens/Maravich/Bird really play together

 

[gammoseditor]

What if Ainge drafted Giannis. I think we have a good shot at Durant in this scenario instead of Golden State and could have had a core of Giannis/Durant/Tatum and some mix of Jaylen/Horford/Kyrie.

 

[DavidTai]

https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/ralph-sampson-reveals-red-auerbach-tried-to-convince-him-to-turn-pro-in-1980

 

[the moops]

What if we traded up for Haliburton and kept Bane in the 2020 draft

 

[bigq]

If Bias and Reggie Lewis had not passed away the 1990s would have been quite a bit different for the franchise. Maybe they would have avoided the Pitino fiasco entirely.

 

[Jimbodandy]

What if Larry Bird just hired some kids to shovel snow.

Bird for me. Man did a better job of avoiding injury, there's a couple of more rings. I get the Bias votes though.

 

[chilidawg]

If Bias and Reggie Lewis had not passed away the 1990s would have been quite a bit different for the franchise. Maybe they would have avoided the Pitino fiasco entirely.

Yeah, Bias and Lewis are my two, both from a basketball standpoint and from a personal tragedy perspective.

 

[Euclis20]

To go into the past, what if the Celtics had won the 2007 draft lottery? It seemed like Ainge liked Durant more so maybe we dodge the Oden trainwreck. Would a Pierce/Durant/Jefferson core have broken through for a title in the post-Pistons era?

 

[cardiacs]

What if Sabonis played his entire pro career in the NBA?

 

[Ale Xander]

Blazers version:

what if they took Jordan over Bowie?
What if they took Durant over Oden?
What if they didn’t mismanage Walton’s health?

 

[snowmanny]

Bias is the answer.

But another of mine is what if the Larry Bird era Celtics had figured out the future of three-point shooting and resultant spacing? Bird, Ainge, etc throwing up 20+ threes a game.

And, of course, what if Utah had traded Dominique to the Celtics? Red claimed his offer was better.

 

[astrozombie]

Since Bird/Bias etc were a bit before my time I would go with:
1. Perk's knee holding up in 2010. Would it have resulted in a Cs win? Maybe. But this is little change, so I am going with this over the entire Lakers team gets food poisoning before game 7.
2. A bit bigger, but the Celtics winning the 2022 Finals. Would have loved to see Smart get a title in Boston, as well as the rest of that team.

 

[Moosey]

What if Sabonis played his entire pro career in the NBA?

Goddamn this is a great one.

Celtics version it's a tossup of Bird or Bias, but I will go with Bias.

Non basketball edition, what if Byner didn't fumble.

 

[Manzivino]

What if the Cs draft Tony Parker instead of Joe Forte? Fascinating to see PP with a HOF point guard for the bulk of his career.

What if Ainge just took the 2018 Lakers pick in the Tatum trade instead of protecting it 4-30? Would have had a shot at SGA/Bridges/Porter, Jr instead of ending up with Romeo Langford the following year.

 

[Was (Not Wasdin)]

Bill Walton stays healthy for a few more years after the 85-86 season.

 

[Seels]

so many. But healthy KG leads to at least one more title, if not a few.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

also, what if KG didn’t get hurt

TBH I’m not sure this is even a what-if. That team imo was guaranteed at least one or two more titles in that two years. Especially in the season KG got hurt.

Edit: Another player-focused one I have a la Pritchard is what if Jared Sullinger could stay in shape? Still only 31 years old! Should have been Grant Williams but much better.

 

[Gene Conleys Plane Ticket]

Bill Walton stays healthy for a few more years after the 85-86 season.

Yes. This was going to be my "what if" too. ONE more year of a healthy Walton and they win back-to-back titles. Full stop. 100 percent.

TWO more years of a healthy Walton and it's a three-peat. Nothing will change my mind about this.

 

[BigSoxFan]

1) What if the Magic had successfully poached Tim Duncan in 2000, which they were reportedly very close to doing? Spurs were so concerned that they got David Robinson to fly home early from his European vacation to convince Duncan to stay. A young TMac with Duncan would have been dynamic and the whole Spurs dynasty would have never happened. Do Kobe and Shaq have more rings as a result?

2) 2009 NBA Draft. David Kahn has #5 and #6 picks. Takes Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn. Pick #7? Steph Curry. Whole Dubs dynasty never gets off the ground. Does Steph become STEPH stuck in Minny? Unlikely. OKC probably has a ring or two and Durant may still be there.

 

[bosockboy]

Lots of great answers but Bias is not only my Celtics one thing but one of the greatest in sports history.

Adding a Jordan-esque talent to the ‘86 Celtics is simply unfathomable. It likely flips at least one Lakers title our way and keeps the Bad Boys from ever breaking through.

And the 90s becomes a Bulls/Celtics rivalry (with Reggie included).

It simply alters NBA history on a staggering level.

 

[PRabbit]

I always have in my mind how bad the 01 draft was botched. I remember being on the old ESPN boards as a kid and losing my mind.

Kedrick Brown and Joe Forte over...Richard Jefferson and Tony Parker? Da fuq?

Or maybe try to trade 10 and 11 with future assets to 3, where the Grizz took Gasol.

Gasol/Pierce/Parker would've won a ring or two in the mid 00's.

 

[BigSoxFan]

I always have in my mind how bad the 01 draft was botched. I remember being on the old ESPN boards as a kid and losing my mind.

Kedrick Brown and Joe Forte over...Richard Jefferson and Tony Parker? Da fuq?

Or maybe try to trade 10 and 11 with future assets to 3, where the Grizz took Gasol.

Gasol/Pierce/Parker would've won a ring or two in the mid 00's.

Even Pitino thought we were going Parker. I was so convinced they were going Johnson/Jefferson or Troy Murphy but we started hearing rumors of Wallace’s Kedrick promise.

I will say that Kedrick’s athleticism was ridiculous. He was actually a pretty good defender but he couldn’t shoot for shit and had no handle. Was always disappointed about him spraining his ankle before the dunk contest because I think he was going to be in.

 

[lars10]

My first two were Lewis and Bias.

Other than that.. what happens if Perkins didn't get hurt in game 6 and the Lakers weren't given so many FTs in the fourth quarter of game 7
What happens if Wade doesn't break Rondo's elbow in 2011?

 

[lars10]

I always have in my mind how bad the 01 draft was botched. I remember being on the old ESPN boards as a kid and losing my mind.

Kedrick Brown and Joe Forte over...Richard Jefferson and Tony Parker? Da fuq?

Or maybe try to trade 10 and 11 with future assets to 3, where the Grizz took Gasol.

Gasol/Pierce/Parker would've won a ring or two in the mid 00's.

As a UNC fan Forte was ACC player of the year as I recall. He should've stayed at least another year or two in school though.. and was probably always going to be undersized for the NBA.. but he was pretty great in college.

 

[nighthob]

What if Pistol Pete were born in 1997 instead of 1947?

I’d go a different route and say What if the NBA adopted the three point line a decade earlier because the Pistol would have been a cheat code if he’d gone to the ABA. Or even if he’d been born in ‘57 and entered the NBA with the three point line, he’d’ve wrecked the league.

 

[Humphrey]

Lots of great answers but Bias is not only my Celtics one thing but one of the greatest in sports history.

Adding a Jordan-esque talent to the ‘86 Celtics is simply unfathomable. It likely flips at least one Lakers title our way and keeps the Bad Boys from ever breaking through.

And the 90s becomes a Bulls/Celtics rivalry (with Reggie included).

It simply alters NBA history on a staggering level.

If Bias was that good that fast AND Walton had something left in the tank, no doubt McHale sits out at some point in the '87 playoffs rather than continuing to play and really damaging the rest of his career.

 

[nighthob]

If Bias was that good that fast AND Walton had something left in the tank, no doubt McHale sits out at some point in the '87 playoffs rather than continuing to play and really damaging the rest of his career.

Mre importantly McHale would have been rested during the regular season to give the stress fracture time to heal (that was one of the most painful injuries I ever had).

 

[Double Jeopardy]

What if the Memphis Grizzlies won the 2003 Lottery? They traded their first round pick to Detroit but it was #1 protected. Lebron would be joining a team with Pau Gasol, Jason Williams, Mike Miller, and Shane Battier. If that’s too much youth Jerry West is the team executive charged with crafting the roster.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MEM/2003.html