The Boston Celtics between 2007 and 2012 are considered one of the most dominant teams in NBA history.
The Celtics massively upgraded their roster when they traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007, adding much-needed superstar talent to their impressive core of Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Kendrick Perkins. Within their first year together, they were able to win the NBA championship in 2008.
But the team did reach another NBA Finals in 2010, as they were set for a rematch against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that they defeated in the 2008 NBA Finals. After the 2007-08 season, the Celtics continuously suffered injuries to at least one of their starters during this time.
Going into the 2010 NBA Finals, Kendrick Perkins was injured and ruled out for the series. But Big Perk believes had he not gotten hurt, the Celtics would have won it all once again.
During a Twitter Q/A, Kendrick Perkins was asked whether he thinks he and the Boston Celtics could have defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals had he not gotten injured earlier in the playoffs.
Perkins responded by saying he does believe that and added that no team in the NBA beat the Celtics when all 5 of their starters were completely healthy throughout a series.
We NEVER lost a playoff series when our starting 5 was healthy https://t.co/gmazSddQy2
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 31, 2022
We NEVER lost a playoff series when our starting 5 was healthy
Kendrick Perkins would reach the NBA Finals again in 2012 while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. But they were no match for the Miami Heat of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
While he was part of two Cleveland Cavaliers teams that made the NBA Finals, he played no part in either of those series, as he was well past his prime, and was not a player who could be relied upon to play big minutes.
Perkins was not wrong, as no team was able to get the best of the Celtics when they were healthy. But their injury concerns were quite significant, and they often had at least one player on their squad injured.
