The Boston Celtics were six minutes away from a title in 2010.
They were one LeBron James supernova away from playing for another title in 2012.
And yet the biggest “What If?” of the most recent Big Three era is undoubtedly the 2008-09 season.
Download the MyTeams app for the latest Celtics news and analysis
Coming off their lone title victory the season before, the Celtics were an absolute juggernaut with players more comfortable in their roles and the team as a whole clicking on all cylinders. Boston started the season 27-2, ripping off 19 consecutive wins before a Christmas Day loss on the road to the Lakers. Another double-digit win streak followed soon after, this time a 12-game streak stretching into February.
But on February 19, during a game in Utah, Kvein Garnett came up hobbling with a knee injury after a dunk attempt. He sat out the next 13 games before trying to make a comeback. Garnett played sparingly in four straight games before aggravating the injury on a contact-less play in Orlando, and would not suit up again that season.
The Celtics were 44-11 when Garnett hobbled off in Utah. His absence alone did not derail the team. Boston went 18-9 the rest of the way, including winning eight of their last nine after he aggravated the injury in Orlando. Boston finished with 62 wins and was still in prime position for a playoff run.
Boston Celtics
Alas, an injury to backup big man Leon Powe in the second game of the playoffs further thinned Boston’s depth. The team needed seven games — and a total of seven overtimes — to dispatch the pesky Chicago Bulls in Round 1, then seemed to run out of gas in a seven-game series against Dwight Howard and the Magic.
For this week’s Playoff Rewind, we found ourselves gravitating back to Game 6 of the Orlando series. The Celtics were up 3-2 in the second-round series and had a chance to close out on the road. Boston had a double-digit lead in the second half but couldn’t hold on, mustering only 29 second-half points.
Asked about getting ready for Game 7, Celtics coach Doc Rivers joked in the aftermath, “I would take a week off and do it like the Super Bowl.”
Listen and subscribe to the Celtics Talk Podcast — or watch Mike & Tommy on YouTube:
Even as Rajon Rondo asserted himself as an All-Star player — averaging nearly a triple-double in those playoffs at 16.9 points, 9.8 assists, 9.7 rebounds per contest — and even as Eddie House sizzled off the bench (shooting 48.6 percent beyond the arc and 51.9 percent from the field), the Celtics simply didn’t have the depth to survive their injuries. Brian Scalabrine logged the most minutes of any reserve at 20.5 minutes per game, this after not appearing in a single game in the playoffs during the 2008 title run.
Rivers had to lean on veterans like Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore in spurts despite underwhelming returns.
With a healthy Garnett, it feels almost certain the Celtics would have made the NBA Finals and set up yet another showdown with the Lakers. Orlando dispatched Cleveland (and a still young LeBron James) in six games before getting throttled by Los Angeles in the championship round. Boston had a team-best net rating of plus-13.6 when Garnett was on the floor that season, and it dropped to a team-worst plus-2.8 when he wasn’t. A Powe/Davis platoon was able to help fill Garnett’s void early, but the loss of Powe really put a strain on a team thin on players that Rivers could confidently lean on in playoff situations.
The Big Three were a marvel for how quickly it all came together and their ability to win a title in their first season together.
But part of their legacy is wondering what could have been. If Garnett stays healthy, do they raise a second banner? Do we recall Boston’s Big Three era even more fondly if they make three straight NBA Finals from 2008-2010?
Maybe if the Celtics hadn’t drawn such a spunky Bulls team in Round 1, they would have gone further in 2009. Maybe if Powe doesn’t get injured, they would have had enough horses to survive against Howard and the Magic.
Ultimately, it was just another instance where health deprived us of seeing just how good this group could have been.