Who would win if the 1986 Celtics could play the 2022 Celtics in the NBA Finals?

Who would win if the 1986 Celtics could play the 2022 Celtics in the NBA Finals?

  • 1986 Celtics in 4 games

    Votes: 9 42.9%

  • 1986 Celtics in 5 games

    Votes: 6 28.6%

  • 1986 Celtics in 6 games

    Votes: 3 14.3%

  • 1986 Celtics in 7 games

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 2022 Celtics in 4 games

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 2022 Celtics in 5 games

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 2022 Celtics in 6 games

    Votes: 2 9.5%

  • 2022 Celtics in 7 games

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Zombies

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • thomas144 wouldn't let them use his time machine

    Votes: 1 4.8%
  • Total voters
    21

Share this page

jayShomp said:
So Marcus Smart can handle Curry to Giannis, but can't handle Ainge or Johnson? Come on now lol
Click to expand...
ainge was an all star. DJ is in the hall of fame. you have no idea. your to young.
 
jayShomp said:
but I don't believe for a second that team could keep up with today's athletes, and with how the game is played today.
Click to expand...
:ROFLMAO: the 86 team could play in any era under any rules and dominate. that's not myth. times goes by and people forget and people diminish the greatness of the past.
 
Last edited:
jayShomp said:
I think the longer you're removed from the 86 team(or any great player/team), the more myth-like they become, it's just how our brains work. My remembrance of Bird is that is was rare he ever missed a shot even though in reality he missed over half of them, or that he never had a bad shooting game in the playoffs like Tatum did on Thurs night but he had several of them. But like Tatum he still helped in other big ways on those days. I guess it's fun to debate who could beat who but really the only measurement is against their peers of that era. They are the best team ever because how much better they were than teams of the 80s, but I don't believe for a second that team could keep up with today's athletes, and with how the game is played today. Bird excluded of course, guys that special could play in any era.
Click to expand...

As someone pointed out above, they only way 22 beats 86 is if they play under the school yard rules allowed today. People forget what palming the ball is because they all do it today. Traveling? Pfft. No such thing today. Zone? Force 22 to play only man and see who has legs in the 4th quarter never mind how many 22's would be on the bench, towel over their heads with 6 fouls.

I get it, time distorts things and makes the more recent seem bigger and better.
 
aloyouis said:
As someone pointed out above, they only way 22 beats 86 is if they play under the school yard rules allowed today. People forget what palming the ball is because they all do it today. Traveling? Pfft. No such thing today. Zone? Force 22 to play only man and see who has legs in the 4th quarter never mind how many 22's would be on the bench, towel over their heads with 6 fouls.

I get it, time distorts things and makes the more recent seem bigger and better.
Click to expand...
The Celtics play predominantly a man-to-man defense, not a zone, so not sure of your point there. Teams that play zone are the ones that have defensive liabilities like the Warriors with Curry, the C's are not one of those teams. They have the best man-on-man defense I have ever seen in the 40 years I've been watching, each one of their starting 5 can guard any position, and GWilliams and White off the bench can do the same. Yes they let RW3 roam around the paint, which would probably get you an illegal defense back then, but Centers on offense back in those days hung around the paint anyway, not at the 3 point line to try and stretch the D like they do now. They were a historically good defense this year, including in the playoffs.
 
Last edited:
jayShomp said:
The Celtics play predominantly a man-to-man defense, not a zone, so not sure of your point there. Teams that play zone are the ones that have defensive liabilities like the Warriors with Curry, the C's are not one of those teams. They have the best man-on-man defense I have ever seen in the 40 years I've been watching, each one of their starting 5 can guard any position, and GWilliams and White off the bench can do the same. Yes they let RW3 roam around the paint, which would probably get you an illegal defense back then, but Centers on offense back in those days hung around the paint anyway, not at the 3 point line to try and stretch the D like they do now. They were a historically good defense this year, including in the playoffs.
Click to expand...
Man defense is great if you can. man up effectively. 22 can't man up to Bird/McHale/Parrish/Walton.

As to "athleticism", it is easy to look athletic when the rules aren't applied. 3-4 steps no dribble? Wow. athletic. No real pivot foot? Athletic. a 5 sitting at the top of the circle on offense waiting.... for what?

I am telling you that the passing alone by the 86 team would wear 22 out. Now you see it, now you don't. Who has the ball?
 
aloyouis said:
Man defense is great if you can. man up effectively. 22 can't man up to Bird/McHale/Parrish/Walton.

As to "athleticism", it is easy to look athletic when the rules aren't applied. 3-4 steps no dribble? Wow. athletic. No real pivot foot? Athletic. a 5 sitting at the top of the circle on offense waiting.... for what?

I am telling you that the passing alone by the 86 team would wear 22 out. Now you see it, now you don't. Who has the ball?
Click to expand...
it's laughable that anybody would argue that 22 could beat 86.
 
aloyouis said:
86 front court would dominate on both ends of the court. Nobody to stop Bird/McHale. Simply nobody. I think people forget how dominant they were. Add in Parrish and Walton.
Click to expand...
You're asking Parish/Walton/McHale to defend 25 feet from the basket. Or leave those guys wide open. No doubt the 86 celtics would dominate in the paint, which is cool unless the other team is splashing 3s on the other end.
 
patriotspride said:
ainge was an all star. DJ is in the hall of fame. you have no idea. your to young.
Click to expand...
Ainge couldn't defend you. Never mind any of the 22 celtics guards.

And no, I'm not too young. If it were the 84 or 81 teams with Conrbread that would add a lot of 2 way flexibility that 86 didn't have, even though it was a better offensive team by a lot.
 
aloyouis said:
Man defense is great if you can. man up effectively. 22 can't man up to Bird/McHale/Parrish/Walton.

As to "athleticism", it is easy to look athletic when the rules aren't applied. 3-4 steps no dribble? Wow. athletic. No real pivot foot? Athletic. a 5 sitting at the top of the circle on offense waiting.... for what?

I am telling you that the passing alone by the 86 team would wear 22 out. Now you see it, now you don't. Who has the ball?
Click to expand...
And while McHale pounds the ball into the floor on the block, Horford and Williams are going to have wide open 3s, or leave gaping driving lanes for Tatum/Brown/Smart. DJ can only defend one of them.
 
TommyD420 said:
And while McHale pounds the ball into the floor on the block, Horford and Williams are going to have wide open 3s, or leave gaping driving lanes for Tatum/Brown/Smart. DJ can only defend one of them.
Click to expand...

86 played defense such that the lanes would close fast.

JAGs like Horford and Williams hiding way away from the basket means ZERO 2nd shots. 86 would own the boards, paint, defense and coaching. Yes, defense in THIS mythical matchup. 22 can't man up to 86. Foul outs would start in the 3rd period. The only hope is that 22 shoots 80% from beyond the arch.

Every game.

And why do you ignore DJ and Ainge? Ainge was a prick but he started on that team at the 2 for a reason. He was good.

1654466841090.png
1654466925897.png
 
The '85-"86 Celts.......my favorite team of all time, and I grew up worshipping the 60's Celts with Bill Russell, Havlicek, Sam, Tommy and company. But the 85-86 Celts were something else, all were healthy for most of the season. I remember McHale did have a foot injury mid way, but a fellow by the name of Scott Wedman filled in rather well during that stretch, yea, that Scott Wedman, people tend to forget about him. And Jerry Sichting was so good off the bench, filling in for DJ and Danny.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4Td5QRfzj4
 
TommyD420 said:
Ainge couldn't defend you. Never mind any of the 22 celtics guards.

And no, I'm not too young. If it were the 84 or 81 teams with Conrbread that would add a lot of 2 way flexibility that 86 didn't have, even though it was a better offensive team by a lot.
Click to expand...
ainge was an excellent player. He gets overlooked because he was surrounded by Hall of Famers. He could have easily averaged more points in his career. If he played on another team. And he was an excellent defender. ill take him over marcus smart in a second. And I would take ainge over brown too. There is nothing 22 does better than 86. Absolutely nothing.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMTu8-3xMYQ&ab_channel=LarryLegend
 
Last edited:
RoadNasty said:
The '85-"86 Celts.......my favorite team of all time, and I grew up worshipping the 60's Celts with Bill Russell, Havlicek, Sam, Tommy and company. But the 85-86 Celts were something else, all were healthy for most of the season. I remember McHale did have a foot injury mid way, but a fellow by the name of Scott Wedman filled in rather well during that stretch, yea, that Scott Wedman, people tend to forget about him. And Jerry Sichting was so good off the bench, filling in for DJ and Danny.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4Td5QRfzj4
Click to expand...

Got me a little teary eyed. Imagine what that team would do to the self confidence of 22?

Need anything else, TD?

Just kidding. I know we aren't changing your mind. At least not publicly. :coffee:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top