Boston Celtics: Wishin’ on a Star

In the most star driven sports league in the world, the 2015-2016 Boston Celtics are bucking the trend of relying on a few in favor of many and doing it as well as any team has in recent memory. Confounding fans and pundits alike, these nonconforming Celtics sport the sixth best point differential in the NBA, a top 10 defense, and a rock solid 14-12 record in a wide open Eastern Conference. The team being so successful with a talented but unspectacular roster of players begs the question: do the Celtics even need a star?

It’s impossible to know what the Celtics will do on a given night to beat their opponent — and not just for us fans. Opposing teams don’t have the slightest clue of what to expect from the Celtics, either. Just ask the best basketball player in the world, Stephen Curry, whose recent comments on the Celtics highlight the unique challenge they present. After Steph’s Golden State Warriors beat the Celtics in double over time, extending the Dubs’ record setting win streak to begin an NBA season to 24-0, Curry had this to say about your Celtics, “You know they have the punch, that firepower. You don’t really know where it’s coming from on a nightly basis, which is tough.” Neither do we, Steph. Neither do we.

Against the Warriors in a nationally televised game, for which much of the sports world tuned in to see if Golden State could continue rewriting the history books, the punches and firepower came from Kelly Olynyk, who had one of his best performances in a Celtics’ uniform, erupting for 28 points off the bench on an efficient 11-21 shooting. Dude, did you see Kelly give that guy “the Dirk” on the baseline? Ya, dude, he Dirked him good.

Yes, Celtics fans, he most certainly did.

Then, on December 12th, in a match up with one of the Eastern Conference’s best, the Charlotte Hornets, Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics’ charge to victory, playing phenomenally off one another, both finishing the game having scored over 20 points. Other nights, it will be Jared Sullinger gobbling up 20 something odd rebounds, forcing the pendulum of possession to swing in the Celtics’ favor over and over, and over again.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

As fans, we hear so much from coaches about how a team’s defensive game plan on a given night will focus on attempting to stymie, or at least make things difficult for, an opponent’s best player or players. We tried to stop Lebron tonight with our team defense; it takes a collective effort. Or… When Russel gets into the paint, our bigs need to help out our guards and challenge his shots at the basket. Sound familiar? Good. But what can be done when a team’s best player from night to night could be anyone 1-9 in the rotation? To the chagrin of an increasing number of coaches around the league, the answer is not a whole heck of a lot.

Are there limits to how far this style of play can take these Celtics, though? Unfortunately, Celtics fans, the answer is a resounding yes. I researched whether or not there is any precedent of a starless team winning a championship, and what I found is startling….

Ahem… every single NBA championship team over the past 30 years, yup 30, has had at least two current or perennial all-stars on its roster. And for those of you who are especially optimistic, don’t get too excited, because I stopped counting after the 30 years, not thinking continuing on would have been worthwhile.

I defined a perennial all-star as a player who was selected to four or more all-star games over his career. I excluded perennial all-stars from consideration if they weren’t approaching an all-star caliber level of play or maintaining some semblance of one. You know, 15-20 points a game, a high assist mark, double digit rebounds, and preferably some combination of these — that sort of thing. For instance, Robert Parish warming the bench for the 96’-97’ Chicago Bulls doesn’t count because he was only along for the ride at this point. It was a nice a ride, though; I’ll give him that. Love you, Chief, but you know it’s true.

The Celtics’ most recent championship teams weren’t exceptions. The 81’-82’ Celtics had Larry Bird, Parish, and Tiny Archibald, who was an all-star the very same year. The 83’-84’ Celtics had Bird and Parish again, to go along with Kevin McHale. The same was the case for the 85’-86’ team. Then, in 2008, we had our new big three of Garnett, Pierce, and Allen spearheading our rags to riches run. The Celtics have a long history of winning with and because of some of the best to ever bounce a basketball.

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In the NBA the need for star players is inescapable. Teams must have at least a couple of all-star level talents to have a shot at winning a title. And championships are all that matters for the Celtics, the team boasting the most championship hardware in league history.

Right now, though, we’re just wishin’ on a star… or two.