Would Larry Bird be a starter for these Celtics

Basketball should not be confused with track and field, in that it is not about who can run the fastest or jump the highest. It is a team game involving complex skills and teamwork. Bird was one of the best basketball players ever, among a handful for whom a legitimate case could be made for being the very best. But that title must go to Wilt Chamberlain.

You're Larry Bird.

Just watched the video..like I said before, I wasn't a fan...blinded me to an extent...haters, watch this video and tell us all again why he wouldn't be the best player on almost every team in the league...and this is just his passing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhnRtgBGMl4&feature=fvw

0:07 Passes ball through legs of very disappointed defender.

0:12 misdirection pass in traffic

0:19 blind over the head pass to McHale

0:27 out-of-bounds save, with two blind passes

0:39 famous cross dribble in lane and over-head backwards dish the Parrish

0:43 Harlem Globetrotters style dribble lob to Ainge

0:53 steal and overhead tap to Parish while running out of bounds

1:03 steal/finger tip tap to Parrish

1:08 diving steal, sitting dish to McHale

1:12 layup, behind head dish to Parish

1:20 falling rebound, dish to Walton

1:32 another blind overhead, behind the back long bounce pass to Ainge

1:52 falling steal/tap to McHale

2:16 incredible on the floor scramble on left-handed fastbreak dish while flat on his back.

2:35 steal, with offbalance fullcourt pass to DJ

2:44 gets blocked then pickpocket steal, finishes with famous one-handed wrist pass to Cornbread

2:55 steal and diving/sliding scoop pass to ML Carr (two views)

3:12 pickpocket steal, then falling/back-sliding pass to McCale

4:00 fake behind the back pass then quick cross court bounce pass with defenders jock-strap in the rafters

4:15 outrebounds Sikma then famous blind back flip to Parrish under the basket

4:49 Bird feigning not paying attention, then steals outlet pass

5:57 another diving, over the shoulder pass in the blink of an eye.

5:10 deflection rebound and halfcourt pass all without touching the ground.

5:35 blind dish to McHale under the basket

5:05 another over the shoulder dish to Parrish

6:20 Bird faking a wide open 3-pointer then pass to Parrish under the basket.

6:25 Bird stealing inbound pass then dishing it to DJ for playoff win against Detroit.

6.32 behind the back halfcourt downcourt fastbreak pass.

6:42 pass between Sikmas legs to Parrish.

7:00 to the finish, a flurry of passes including an incredible running/spinning switching hands blind over the should flip

at 7:17

Being a left-handed player who shot and dribbled righty gave Bird those added weapons. Switching and shooting with his left hand was always within his comfort zone.[/quote]

Bird would have to start...too good not to, BUT the Celtics starting 5 when healthy is very strong, which means it would be very interesting to see who would be benched. Who do you take out? Pierce or Allen? I'd say Pierce because he plays better with the ball while you'd like Larry to be the faciliator and get two knock-down shooters, Garnett + Allen, open jump shots. Rondo and Bird pick and roll woul be deadly as well. Pierce off the bench to spell Bird and keep the team scoring sans a few starters would be nice. Now that team would never lose. This Celtics teams against top competition has had two games in the '08 and '10 playoffs when all the top guys were playing well for four quarters. They nearly beat the Lakers by 40 to close out the finals in '08, and they won by 32(?) against the Cavs this year when they all clicked.

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LOL. There are few black players who can actually do much at all if made to play by the rules as written. Why do you think Commissioner Stern had the NBA donate millions and millions to FIBA and the Oly Games in China? They needed the officials to look the other way so the NBA players would stop getting their asses kicked by so many "foreign" teams. When not allowed to travel, double-dribble, palm the ball, ups and downs, most NBA players, meaning almost all black players, are lost. LOL.

Who is the best forward combo in NBA history(past,present or future)? Thats right,Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.That isn't white hype.Thats just the way it is.A lot of Basketball insiders consider McHale to be the best power-forward of all-time.Not the best white power-forward,the best power-forward.Cedric Maxwell was relegated to back up status(behind Bird& McHale).He would be an all-star in today's game,probably an all NBA selection.Those teams were really good and Larry was really good.

I don't know. Maybe that would be the best lineup on this particular squad, but if I'm putting together a Celtics all-time squad, Pierce is the only guy from now who has a chance to start (and he starts at the 2, if at all). With Bird, Cousy, and Russell, there's zero discussion at 1, 3, and 5 (even two deep, you still have Havlicek, DJ, and Parrish). At the 4, McHale and maybe even Heinson are ahead of Garnett. You could play Pierce at shooting guard, mainly because that's the historically weakest position for the Celtics. You have to go back to a Bill Sharman to get a really good one, and then it gets hard to compare across eras.