The Spurs show we should run it back

[hpantazo]

The Spurs are significantly better than the Celtics are in virtually every phase of the game and every position.

yeah, I don't see it that way. KG is right there with TD. Pierce is better than Ginobili, and Rondo is capable of playing with TP. The role players are a mixed bag, but none of SAs role players has the upside of Jeff Green.

Danny needs to figure out how to reshape the role players, but I think he is capable of doing that. The #16 pick and the MLE are two key pieces. Add to those trades and I think he can get us a better big man rotation and some size on the perimeter....

If it were true that KG and Pierce are as good as Duncan and Ginobili, then the celtics would be playing Miami right now. Unfortunately the last two playoff seasons have made it painfully clear that KG and Pierce just can't carry a team anymore. They have each lost a few steps. Ainge has said this himself on multiple occasions.

[CelticConcourse]

The Spurs are significantly better than the Celtics are in virtually every phase of the game and every position.

yeah, I don't see it that way. KG is right there with TD. Pierce is better than Ginobili, and Rondo is capable of playing with TP. The role players are a mixed bag, but none of SAs role players has the upside of Jeff Green.

Danny needs to figure out how to reshape the role players, but I think he is capable of doing that. The #16 pick and the MLE are two key pieces. Add to those trades and I think he can get us a better big man rotation and some size on the perimeter....

If it were true that KG and Pierce are as good as Duncan and Ginobili, then the celtics would be playing Miami right now. Unfortunately the last two playoff seasons have made it painfully clear that KG and Pierce just can't carry a team anymore. They have each lost a few steps. Ainge has said this himself on multiple occasions.

Notice how they did carry the team within minutes of a Finals appearance in the last two seasons.

 

[hpantazo]

The Spurs are significantly better than the Celtics are in virtually every phase of the game and every position.

yeah, I don't see it that way. KG is right there with TD. Pierce is better than Ginobili, and Rondo is capable of playing with TP. The role players are a mixed bag, but none of SAs role players has the upside of Jeff Green.

Danny needs to figure out how to reshape the role players, but I think he is capable of doing that. The #16 pick and the MLE are two key pieces. Add to those trades and I think he can get us a better big man rotation and some size on the perimeter....

If it were true that KG and Pierce are as good as Duncan and Ginobili, then the celtics would be playing Miami right now. Unfortunately the last two playoff seasons have made it painfully clear that KG and Pierce just can't carry a team anymore. They have each lost a few steps. Ainge has said this himself on multiple occasions.

Notice how they did carry the team within minutes of a Finals appearance in the last two seasons.

 

Uhm...did you miss losing to the knicks in the first round? Ainge sure didn't. They only made it to the ECF last year because Rose was injured and Rondo carried the team. We also had a guy named Ray Allen last year.

[BballTim]

The Spurs have Pop, we don't.

Pop is not afraid to yell at his stars for making dumb plays or bench them in the final minutes of the game for that matter.

Doc on the other hand tries to always please his star players, he will never yell at KG or Paul ever. Never calls them out in front of the whole team.
Poppovic, does.

This is why their rookies and young guys play so well, because they know that Pop, won't take their "crap".

  The Spurs have had Pop during the entire KG era and it hasn't really made them more successful than the Celts, or even as successful for that matter.

Last time I checked the Spurs with Pop has 4 Championships.
1999, 2003, 2005, 2007. They are 4 out of 4 in all their final appearances.

  I don't think too many (if any) of the Spurs playoff runs were based on the Spurs beating a clearly more talented team, so I wouldn't attribute any of them to his terrific coaching.

[pearljammer10]

The Spurs are significantly better than the Celtics are in virtually every phase of the game and every position.

yeah, I don't see it that way. KG is right there with TD. Pierce is better than Ginobili, and Rondo is capable of playing with TP. The role players are a mixed bag, but none of SAs role players has the upside of Jeff Green.

Danny needs to figure out how to reshape the role players, but I think he is capable of doing that. The #16 pick and the MLE are two key pieces. Add to those trades and I think he can get us a better big man rotation and some size on the perimeter....

I just dont see how you can say KG is right there with Duncan at this point in both their careers.

Duncan averaged 18 and 10 with 3 blocks per game this year in just 30 minutes while shooting 50% from the field.

KG averaged 15 and 8 while shooting just a hiar under 50% and averaged LESS THAN a block per game in the same minutes as Duncan.

As a 37 year old Duncan made first team All NBA and Second team all NBA defense. KG still anchors our teams defense but he has considerably lost a step, especially when compared to Duncan.

[LB3533]

With the injuries the Celtics have sustained this year, the responsibilities and work increases rested upon KG and PP more than any other players on the club.

It is not fair to compare KG and PP with other superstars who did not have to deal with these extra burdens.

[CelticConcourse]

The Spurs have Pop, we don't.

Pop is not afraid to yell at his stars for making dumb plays or bench them in the final minutes of the game for that matter.

Doc on the other hand tries to always please his star players, he will never yell at KG or Paul ever. Never calls them out in front of the whole team.
Poppovic, does.

This is why their rookies and young guys play so well, because they know that Pop, won't take their "crap".

  The Spurs have had Pop during the entire KG era and it hasn't really made them more successful than the Celts, or even as successful for that matter.

Last time I checked the Spurs with Pop has 4 Championships.
1999, 2003, 2005, 2007. They are 4 out of 4 in all their final appearances.

  I don't think too many (if any) of the Spurs playoff runs were based on the Spurs beating a clearly more talented team, so I wouldn't attribute any of them to his terrific coaching.

Perhaps because they were the more talented team, and that's because of Pop.

[Celtics4ever]

It is not fair to compare KG and PP with other superstars who did not have to deal with these extra burdens.

Even without these injuries we have had trouble scoring late in the games.

[wdleehi]

The Spurs are better because of the talent fit more then just the talent.



Parker vs. Rondo.  Both are top 5 PGs.  Parker is the better scorer and was able to take more of that role on as Duncan and Manu have slowed down. 


Then bench role players.  The Celtics have talent, but does it compliment the best players? 

The Spurs have guys that have better roles.  The wings defend and hit open shots.  They do not need the ball in their hands.  They have bigs that rebound and defend (with real size) or hit outside shot and defend.



The Spurs have done a much better job of building a team around their aging stars that compliments the team.

The Celtics have some equal talent, but does not compliment as well.

[NocturnalRebel]

What works for tha Spurs won't necessarily work for us.

[Celtics18]

Who thinks the Spurs would be on the verge of reaching the Finals if they didn't have Tony Parker?

[Boris Badenov]

Who thinks the Spurs would be on the verge of reaching the Finals if they didn't have Tony Parker?

I think that team minus Parker could have handled the Knicks pretty easily, and perhaps the Pacers too. The Heat are another story, of course.

So, I think they'd be a heck of a lot closer than the Celtics got, if that's your question. Speculation on my part, but that's what you asked for.

Part of this is a reflection of the Spurs' depth, which is one of the points people have been making in this thread. Neal, de Colo and Patty Mills are serviceable NBA point guards, and Ginobili is a very good playmaker himself. We had zero PGs other than Rondo.

[TripleOT]

The Spurs have done a way better job than Ainge in finding cheapie role players to surround their Big 3. 

Splitter, drafted 27th in 2007.  If the Spurs take Alindo Tucker instead, as Ainge did with Giddens instead of DeAndre Jordan, they don't have a competent big to play next to Duncan. Or if Ainge took Marc Gasol instead of Pruitt at 32 in 2007. 

Danny Green, $800k FA, starting for what will be a Finals team.  Ainge hasn't had a solid hit on a cheapie FA since PJ Brown's four months as a Celtic. Green averages 10.5 ppg shooting 45/43/85% and plays solid defense. 

Gary Neal, same as Green.  40% 3 point shooter who plays gritty defense.

Matt Bonner. $3m salary.  Three point specialist the past 6 seasons who stretches the floor to create room for Duncan and driving lanes for Manu and Parker. Ainge's $3m signing, Chris Wilcox, can't stay on the floor due to injury (and his unforseen heart condition)

Kawhi Leonard 16th pick of the 2011 draft.  Spurs spin George Hill, who they picked 28th in 2008, for their only pick above 20 since Duncan in 1997, and they hit a home run with Leonard.  Ainge's bounty in 2008, the aforementioned Giddens two picks after Hill, was nothing but salary filler when dumped two years later.  BTW, Pekovic, Jordan, and Asik were all picked after Giddens (as was Chalmers, Dragic and Mbah a Moute).  Any one of those bigs instead of Giddens and the Cs probably have at least one more title. Unlike head case Avery Bradley, Leonard is right sized for his position and doesn't wilt in the playoffs. 

Blair, picked 37th in 2009. Ainge hasn't drafted a player besides AB who has contributed around his Big 3 since  BBD in 2007 (and I know that BBD was picked by Seattle, for Ainge). And AB's contribution was minimal due to his many injuries. 

Boston's FA acquisitions (Shaq, Sheed, JO, Lee, Jet) all didn't work out while SA's cheapie FAs did.  Using hindsight, if Ainge picked a big in 2007, then surrounded his Big 3 with cheapie young role player show could shoot threes and defend, like Green and Neal, the Cs could be where the Spurs are, if the Cs stayed healthy of course.     
 

[Celtics4ever]

Ainge hasn't drafted a player besides AB who has contributed around his Big 3 since  BBD in 2007 (and I know that BBD was picked by Seattle, for Ainge). And AB's contribution was minimal due to his many injuries.

I call you on this one, Sullinger was helping until his injury. 

[Celtics18]

Here's an interesting fact:

Since the '07-'08 season, the Boston Celtics have won more total playoff game than any other team in the league:

Celtics: 

56 playoff wins.  1 Championship.  2 Conference Championships.

Lakers:

55 playoff wins.  2 Championships.  3 Conference Championships.

Heat:

44 playoff wins.  1 Championship.  2 Conference Championships.

Spurs:

37 playoff wins.  0 Championships.  O Conference Championships (likely to be 1 before too long).

Magic:

32 playoff wins.  0 Championships.  1 Conference Championship.

Mavericks:

24 playoff wins.  1 Championship.  1 Conference Championship.

Cavaliers:

23 playoff wins.  0 Championships.  1 Conference Championship.

The Lakers two titles and three conference titles, with just one less total playoff win trumps us, but I think it's fair to say that we've been the second most successful franchise in the NBA since Kevin Garnett joined our team. 

Even if the Spurs go on to win it all this year, they'll still lag behind us in playoff accomplishments over that time span.