It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again
By Shirley Coshatt
Is it fair to compare to compare this current Celtics team to the one that last won a championship in 1986? Certainly there are similarities between the two teams, most obviously in their win-loss records and the presence of a core “Big Three”. But is the comparison legitimate? We’ll examine both the similarities and differences between these two teams in an attempt to find the answer.
The clearest difference between the two teams comes down to the history of success (or lackthereof, in the case of the present Celtics squad) achieved together. The 1985-86 team entered their season with their starting five intact from the 1984 championship and the 1985 Finals appearance. In addition, the original Big Three had been together since the 1980-81 season when Auerbach traded for Robert Parish and drafted Kevin McHale. Danny Ainge also joined the team in 1981 and a trade brought Dennis Johnson to Boston in 1983. The current version of the Celtics, on the other hand, are all new to each other, with only James Posey possessing a ring among them. Unlike the successful Celtics teams of the 1980’s, the franchise is now starved for success after a 21 year drought from the finals. While the current team seems to have come together quickly and the chemistry has been good, the fact remains that this is their first season together and nothing can match the experience of fighting for a championship together.
The level of compensation, both in terms of sheer dollars and relative to the league salary cap, is another comparison factor to consider. A first glance at the salaries of the players reveals an enormous difference. Larry Bird, who was the highest paid player on the ‘86 team, made a paltry $1,800,000 that season. Kevin Garnett, who is the highest paid player on the current team, is set to make $23,750,000. The total payroll for the 1986 team was $6,560,000 (roughly the same as the combined salaries of Posey and Brian Scalabrine this season) whereas the total salaries for the current team is $74,626,104. While this appears to be a huge difference, a closer look shows that they aren’t all that far apart in relation to the salary cap of the day. The cap for the 1985-’86 season was $4.233 million and the Celtics’ team salary that year was at 1.5 times the cap. This year, salary cap is set at $55.630 million, with the Celtics’ salary at 1.3 times the cap. Therefore, relatively speaking, the 1986 team had a higher payroll in relation to the cap. However, it should be noted that they didn’t have to worry about Luxury Tax back then because that rule wasn’t instituted until 1999 and didn’t go into effect until the ‘02-’03 season.
In terms of home record, it has already been established that the ‘08 Celtics won’t be able to match their ‘86 counterparts in that area. The ‘86 Celtics lost only one game on their home court all season. They suffered their only home loss on December 1st to the Portland Trailblazers who finished the season 40-42. This year’s team has already lost four games in the Garden. Even if they don’t lose another home game all season, they cannot match the home domination of the last championship team.
Looking back one thing that stands out in particular about the 1986 team is that they remained relatively healthy throughout the season. McHale was the only player to miss a significant number of games, missing 14 in total that season. Bird played in every game while Parish missed only one, Ainge two and Dennis Johnson four. This year’s starting five are all well known to play through injuries, yet have nonetheless missed nine games combined. As with Garnett’s abdominal injury, many of the games missed are more precautionary than serious and have been mandated by the coaching staff. Like their ‘86 counterparts, the current team will need to stay healthy in order to win it all.
In terms of age, the averages are similar but the spread of years is disparate. For example, the average age of the starting five 1986 was 29.2 versus 27.6 on the current team, which is skewed downward by the youth of Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins. However, the three stars are older than their 1986 counterparts, with the average age of the 1986 Big Three at 29.7 versus today’s average of 31 years. In short, while slightly older overall, the ages of the 1986 team were more balanced while the current team has the extremes of Ray Allen at 32 and Rondo at 22.
The make up of the two teams is also somewhat similar. Larry Bird and Paul Pierce at the small forward position are the all-around players who can adjust to do whatever their teams need on any given night and who want the ball in the clutch. Garnett and McHale are the premier power forwards who play inside, rebound and block shots, although McHale played more with his back to the basket while Garnett prefers to face the basket more. At center, Parish was more of a scorer than Perkins, averaging 16.1 ppg that season. However, both are enforcers that play mostly in the paint. Ainge and Ray Allen are both scorers and three point threats who can spread the floor and knock down the outside shot. The biggest difference between the teams is at floor general. Dennis Johnson was a veteran point guard who excelled in the half court game while Rondo remains in his second year and plays best in the running game. However, both point guards are/were adept at finding the open man and running the offense.
The biggest similarity between the two teams is found in their records, as both had a 34-8 record after 42 games. Of note, the current Celtics are struggling in January, losing five games in the month so far. The ‘86 Celtics suffered their biggest stumbles in December, losing five games in that month. They went on to finish with a 67-15 record for the year, shooting 51% from the field while allowing 46%. The current Celtics are shooting 47% and allowing 42%, with both teams enjoying a 5% positive differential.
Assuming the current team continues along with its winning ways this season, it seems clear that the comparisons to the 1986 team will persist. In the end, however, the only similarity that matters is the one that involves handing out gaudy rings and raising crisp white banners to the rafters. Only time will tell but, based on the similarities examined above, the signs certainly look good so far.
