The 2007-08 Boston Celtics Reincarnated
BOSTON (CBS) - It's been seven years since the Boston Celtics hoisted their last championship banner.
The 2008 title, which gave the C's the most NBA championships of any franchise at 17, was the product of a remarkable team formed in the offseason yet had the chemistry of a group of senior citizens playing at a YMCA for decades.
And while none of the starting five of the 2008 squad remains in Boston, the skill sets of those players do -- living vicariously through other rising NBA players. That's right, we're slipping into the hot tub time machine, turning on Back To The Future, and watching Danny Ainge's head explode as we recreate the 2008 Celtics in terms of 2015 players.
1. Point Guard: Rajon Rondo -- Ricky Rubio
Rajon Rondo has been and always will be a pass-first point guard. And he's really good at it. Not only did Rondo make his 2008 teammates around him better, he was a pesky defender who came up with timely steals. Insert Ricky Rubio. The Spanish point guard has flown under the radar in his three years in the NBA, mostly due to playing for an abysmal Minnesota Timberwolves team. Rubio's game is no fluke, however, as he's averaging 11 points and over eight assists per game -- a step up from Rondo's statline for Boston in 2008. Rubio also wreaks havoc on defense to generate 1.9 steals per game and unfortunately mirrors Rondo's less-than-stellar jump shot.
2. Shooting Guard: Ray Allen -- Kyle Korver
Ray Allen is arguably the best shooter of all time, so filling those shoes is arguably impossible. Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver appears to be the only viable heir to the Allen thrown, as he and Allen have made a career out of being constantly in heat-check mode. Make no mistake -- Korver is an unstoppable one trick pony. This season, he has taken just 122 2-point field goals compared to 350 threes and making a staggering 50 percent of them. Korver, like Allen, is an economical shooter that averages a league-best 1.54 points per shot.
3. Small Forward: Paul Pierce -- Jabari Parker
Paul Pierce: 6'7" 235 lbs.
Jabari Parker: 6'8" 240 lbs.
Parker certainly passes the eye test as the next Paul Pierce, and while his rookie season was cut short in December to a season-ending knee injury, his monster year at Duke and all-around skill set offer reasons to believe he is going to have a fantastic NBA career. In his one season under Coach K, Parker led the team in scoring and rebounding -- something never done before at Duke. He can blow by power forwards and overpower smaller guards. And he has a nice mid-range and three-point game like Pierce. Throw on a headband and let the comparisons start flying in, Jabari.
4. Power Forward: Kevin Garnett -- LaMarcus Aldridge
No one is going to bang their head against the pole pad before games and talk trash like KG, but Portland's All-Star big man certainly plays at a "Big Ticket" level. In 2008, Garnett averaged 18.8 points and nine rebounds a game; Aldridge's career numbers are 18.9 points and eight rebounds per game. Their style of play also matches up well, as both players in their prime were dominant with their back to the basket but could also step out and consistently hit mid-range jumpers. A big three of Aldridge, Parker, and Korver would be sweet.
5. Center: Kendrick Perkins -- Tristan Thompson
The new-age Kendrick Perkins is now his current teammate in Cleveland. Thompson is an undersized, big body in the middle that can control the paint like Perk did in Boston. While he has more scoring ability than Perkins ever did, his main job is to grab rebounds and play solid interior defense, something he does exceptionally well.
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