So often I hear that certain teams just have no chance to win it all because they are too young. I have heard for a long time that you can't win unless you have older players. But is this true and how does it pertain to the current defending World Champions(I love writing that)?

The Celtics are currently, as of the beginning of the season(as all of the following stats are), ranked as 12th oldest team with the 13th most experience. Hmm? That does't sound too old or even all that experienced. And yet when people speak of this team they say that the team is an older team and has tons of experience. But clearly the numbers don't lie and that is not the case. Do the Big Three have a ton of experience and are they getting up there in age? Sure, but the are still within their later prime and have good years left in all three as all three are in exceptional physical condition.

So let's take a look at the teams' ages and experience:

                                      Avg.       NBA       Avg.    NBA

NBA Team                  Exp.     Rank       Age    Rank      Record

Atlanta                         3.60          8        25.41       6          10-6
Boston                        5.47         19       27.16     18         16-2
Charlotte                    3.29          5         25.13      4           5-11 
Chicago                     3.57          6         25.41       7           8-9 
Cleveland                  5.53         20       27.32      21        14-3
Dallas                        6.71         30       28.29      27          8-8
Denver                       6.43         29       28.34      28         12-6
Detroit                        4.73         14       27.09      17         10-6
Golden State             2.93           1       24.19       1          5-12
Houston                     5.43         18      28.16      26         11-7
Indiana                       4.27         11      27.18     19          6-10
LA Clippers               5.64         25      27.50      22         3-13
LA Lakers                  5.64         24      26.78      12         14-1
Memphis                   3.21           3      24.78       3           4-13
Miami                         3.87           9      26.08      10          8-9
Milwaukee                 5.33         17      28.03      25         7-12
Minnesota                 4.80         15      27.07      16         4-11
New Jersey               4.13         10      25.80      8           9-7
New Orleans            5.80          27     28.78      29         9-6
New York                   5.53         21     26.90      13         8-8
Oklahoma City          3.60         7       25.18       5          2-16
Orlando                      5.60        22      27.88      23        13-4
Philadelphia              5.71       26      27.30      20         7-10
Phoenix                      5.62       23      27.95      24         11-7
Portland                     2.94        2       24.46       2           12-6
Sacramento              4.43        12     26.94     14           5-14
San Antonio              6.00         28    29.96     30           9-7
Toronto                      3.23         4      26.57     11           8-8
Utah                           4.47         9      26.06      13          11-7
Washington              4.87        16     27.05      15         2-12
NBA Average           4.74                  26.81

*NBA Rank 30=Oldest/Most experience, 1=Youngest/Least experience

So what does it tell us?  I think it tells us that the axiom is kinda true but that what truly matters is whether you have great talent and whether that talent has chemistry and a good team concept. Here are a few very glaring exceptions to the rule:

Portland at 12-6 is clearly going to be a very good team and maybe a title contender, next year definitely if not this year. But they are the second youngest and second least experienced team in the league. On the other end the Clippers are the ninth oldest team in the league with the sixth oldest and look to be about as bad as it gets in this league right now. Minnesota which is as middle of the road as a team can get regarding age and experience are not even close to being an average NBA team. They just are not good.

So, take heart all ye Celtics fans that feel that the Celtics bench might not be old enough or experienced enough to bring the Celtics to the repeat title that we all cherish so much because when it comes to age and experience the old axiom isn't as reliable as one might think. Young teams can be very good and older, experienced teams can be fairly bad. What matters, eventually is the quality of your talent, the manner in which that talent is coached and used, and the heart and desire of those players.

This Celtic team is comprised of some great talent, young and old, and they have a championship pedigree. Their heart, desire and will to win coupled with an obvious distaste for walking off the court on the losing end of the score, make them a formidible champion that has as good a chance to repeat as any team since that Shaq-Kobe Laker team.

As a side topic, it's interesting that the teams with a bunch of foreign players or players that started as highschoolers that now have a bunch of experience, really throw a monkey wrench into the numbers. The Lakers for example have Bynum, Kobe, Vujacic, Radmanovic, and Gasol who give then the interesting distinction of being 12th youngest team but the 7th most experienced.