Got to thinking about Doc saying last years team had so much more talent that "it isn't close" vs this years. I loved last years team too at the beginning with Shaq. Had he been healthy or an 08 Shaq we would have steamrolled everyone. But he wasn't and we fell apart with the Perk trade. By the Mia series last year, here is what we were using then vs this year. In my humble opinion one can easily see why we are better this year, despite the fact that what Doc says is essentially correct. Im doing the compare in as straight forward a way as possible
Starters
KG now vs KG then.
40 min vs 34-38...very significant advantage now. he is flat better than he was and he is playing more minutes, ones that Baby would have had.
Rondo now vs Rondo then.
same minutes, say 40-42. Even last years playoff Rondo wasn't as good as this years, he was moping at times because of Perk being gone and to top it off, he gets injured last year. Significant advantage now.
PP now vs then. Same minutes, slight advantage then only because of the current injury though he looks much better lately.
Jo vs Bass. in my opinion, significant advantage now, plus more minutes that Baby would have gotten, but some of you might say slight advantage. Jo wasn't great in the playoffs and Bass has been good in only a couple games. But he has been a decent defender and he makes the offense work better
Ray now vs then. Huge advantage Ray then. This is where with Bradley we look to have a clear and large advantage over a Mia team without Bosh. But no way around the issue that ray is much worse right now
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Bench...last year minutes left was around 64, this year its around 50. So the thing is that this years starters, who are imho much better, are playing more and leaving less time for a mediocre bench.
Krystc vs Steam/Hollins...8-12 minutes. Well Nenad was hurt and didn't play much d. I'll call it a draw but we are bigger with this years guys.
DWEST 16 vs Dooling 8. Delonte is flat better but he was also coming off an injury and Dooling can play d and hit threes. Advantage last year mitigated by fewer minutes which go to Peaches
J Green vs Peaches. Im torn here. Jeff just didn't give us much and Peaches can spread the floor and is an aggressive guy. I'll give the advantage to Jeff but we all watched those games and you know that was more like a potential advantage. About the same minutes.
Baby vs no one. Obviously I appear to be rationalizing but Baby was awful last year and those minutes are going to KG, Bass, PP, and Pietrus. Neutral to advantage this year.
I may not be doing this well but its interesting to me to see why we are hanging in this year when you break the minutes down. We have solid aggressive defenders on the floor at all positions all the time with the small exception of minutes to Steams/Hollins, and Steams can defend around the glass, and the fact that Ray is hobbled. And we have more good jump shooters on the floor almost all of the time(ones who aren't making their shots lately)
we can do this if we are conditioned well enough, Ray can get a little healthier and we can hit open looks at a better rate
Topic: Celtics (0-0) at Heat (0-0) ECF 5/28 (Read 135047 times)