The 1965-66 Celtics big-minutes quintet screamed DEFENSE. The 2021-22 crew has a few vibes of that 5-some.
Boston fans can expect to see Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Rob Williams close out a lot of games from here on in. That unit checks all of the boxes for interior-and-perimeter defense. The offense remains a bit of a question.
The Championship 1965-66 Celtics team included K C Jones, Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Satch Sanders and Bill Russell. Russ, KC and Satch were primarily defensive specialists who only combined for 34.1 points per game during the regular season. Havlicak, who was also a defensive nightmare for opponents, and Sam were the main scorers, combining for 42.3 PPG.
This clearly defines what Celtics opponents face. Just a few vibes of the 60's - The Jones Boys & Siegfried in the back-court - Hondo and Satch in the front-court - & Russ waiting for anyone seriously considering heading to the hoop. https://t.co/XOjK8Ieyog
— Tom Lane (@CelticsSentinel) February 14, 2022
With the addition of White, the current Celtics closers bear a slight resemblance to the 65-Five. Thus far, The Jay Team averages 49.2 PPG and are taking the roles of "Jarrin' John" and "Sad Sam", an underrated defender. Smart, White and RWill have replaced K C, Sanders and "Big Bill" as top-notch protectors of the paint and perimeter, while not being expected to be volume scorers.
This is not meant to compare talent levels of both eras, but to show that defense wins Championships. The brain trust of Brad Stevens and Ime udoka may have come up with some solutions to the lackluster early 2021-22 season.
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