BradyManny

Boston.com had this poll.

They had as options Detroit, NJ, SA, Phoenix and us.

I say you immediately cross the Nets off the list as I think all three of their trio (Jefferson, Kidd, Carter) fall somewhere between mildly and highly overrated.

Detroit's Billups, Hamilton, Wallace is a solid group, but by no means deserves to be mentioned with the other three.

That leaves us with...

Phoenix:
Stoudemire, Marion, Nash

San Antonio:
Duncan, Ginobili, Parker

Boston:
Garnett, Pierce, Allen


I rule out San Antonio, because without Duncan, I'm not sure Ginobili or Parker really amount to all that much.

That basically leaves us with us versus Phoenix, I give us the edge. It's close, but KG is the best player between the two teams, and I always think Nash is MILDLY overrated due to the fact that while he does make everyone else around him that much better, he has also been the beneficiary of being the point guard for some explosive offensive teams (and no surprise, his career didn't really take off until he came to Phoenix).


So, what does this tell us? I think it tells us a lot. Look at the company of the other "3 man teams". They are, year in and year out, the teams considered to be favorites in their respective conferences.

With that in mind, no matter who you vote for in this poll, I think one can be pretty confident the C's are in a great position to compete for the title over the next few seasons.

scout

I would say we rank either one or two. I think you overlook Nash, who was very impressive in Dallas. He isn't considered the MVP candidate everyear just because he has great supporting cast. The one thing I want to see happen with the Celtics is the stepping up or acquiring of a sixth man. I like the starting five, but need that guy off the bench to create havoc.

BradyManny

Don't get me wrong, Steve Nash is a GREAT player/an amazing passer/offensivive leader. But if you look at his stats through his career, you 3 stages: mediocre (first run with Pho, first two years with Mavs), very good (ensuing 4 seasons with Mavs), great (ensuing 3 seasons with Pho). Minutes played have actually stayed pretty consistent throughout those latter two stages (and even to some extent, the first), the real variable is who was on the team around him. In a sense, that makes him the definition of a good point guard, he makes his teammates better and vice versa, but I don't think you could ever say Nash is as good a player as KG.

scout

I see what your saying, but you also can't compare KG and Nash as they play different positions. What point guard would you rather have then Nash would be a better question. Then again, is there a better player then KG at his position?

Stokes

I'd put the Celts at #3 behind the Spurs and Suns. THe difference in my opinion is that those other 2 three man combos include a terrific point guard, which in my opinion is way more important than a wing player. Granted, I think Tony Parker is somewhat overrated because he gets to play with Duncan, but he's still good to very good, and Nash is a special player, the reason he's better on the Suns is that the system fits him to a T. I'm still pretty excited to see what our 3 guys can do in the Eastern Conference!

BradyManny

I hear you. I guess ultimately it comes down to what position you value strength at more. I certainly value PGs...but give me KG, Paul and Ray Allen and I'll find an adequate court leader to fit the bill.

In this case, I think we have an adequate court leader in the making - Rajon Rondo displayed a basketball IQ higher than most veterans in the league right now. I'd still love to add Brevin Knight for insurance...

BradyManny

Point guard is as much a mindset as it is a position. The Chicago Bulls didn't have a true point guard, but they didn't need it, both Jordan and Pippen were court generals, regardless of what position they were playing.

Like I say above, I think Rondo should more than suffice at point for us. You watch him play and you can just tell he understands the geometry of the game. This is one of the few instances where it isn't just Tommy Heinsohn being a homer, when he says Rondo is smart, he's right. Rondo gets who should be where, where he should be, who is going to be open and when. On top of that, he has the physical ability to execute all that is going on in his mind.

patriotspride

put me down for san antonio.you need good guards to win rings .I'm happy with the garnet trade but i really have concerns about the Celtics back court .

jcdavey

weird poll

only one of those trios has hardware and only 2 have actually already gelled together and won at least a division

BradyManny

It's still the list of the best 3 trios in the league, is it not?