Kyrie’s Leadership

Kyrie’s arrival to the Boston Celtics was met with questions from skeptics who were unconvinced about seemingly every aspect of his game except offense. They didn’t think his style of play would hold up under Brad Stevens’ system. The Boston Celtics are a defensive minded team that like to move the ball around on offense. Kyrie Irving was none of those things with the Cavaliers. However, in his short time with the Celtics, Irving has rushed to answer these questions. He has been able to facilitate the offense while still scoring at will. His defense has been stellar, a far cry from his reputation with the Cavaliers.

But the main concern coming from skeptics around the league was if he could win without LeBron James. It is still early, but so far it seems Kyrie Irving does not need LeBron James to win games. The Kyrie-led Celtics are 16-3; the league’s best record. Their three signature wins came against the Spurs, the Thunder, and the Warriors. The LeBron-led Cavaliers are just 11-7. Despite all of the skeptics, it is clear Kyrie is able to be the face of a franchise.

Soon, Kyrie Irving will dethrone LeBron James and become the new king of the eastern conference.

Celtics’ Youth

Waltham-06/30/2017- The Boston Celtics held a summer league at their practice facility. Jayson Tatum(left) and Jaylen Brown chat during a drill. John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe(sports)

This year, the best team in the league is also one of the youngest. The average age of the Boston Celtics is an intriguingly low 24 years old. Only four teams in the league have teams that are younger than the Celtics. Typically, young teams tend to struggle in the NBA. However, the Celtics have been able to win games with one of the youngest rosters in the league. Their conference rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers, are polar opposites.

Their average age is 30, and they are not getting any younger. As teams get older, they become fragile. Their star point guard, Isaiah Thomas, will be out until January with a hip injury. Dwayne Wade and Derrick Rose have also had injuries this season. The age of the Cavaliers means they are running out of time. Most of their star players are on the backsides of career. The Boston Celtics, however, are outfitted with a roster that is filled with potential. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are already showing signs that they will be stars in this league. Kyrie Irving is already an NBA champion and is only 25 years old. These players are going to be the core of this team for years to come.

In less than three years, the Celtics will begin their run of dominance in the east that could last for up to a decade.

Butler Bulldogs

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“We’re building a culture of accountability, trust, and togetherness. Entitlement will not be tolerated.”

Brad Stevens’ wisdom has been on display since he took a volunteer coaching job at Butler University in 2000. He abandoned a comfortable job as a marketing associate, and took a risk doing what he loved. That love would push him to work 14 hour days, while making very little money. Seven years later, this work ethic earned him a job as the head coach of the Butler Bulldogs. Since then, Stevens has become an expert at turning underdogs into contenders. In his third year as head coach, he led Butler to one of the most improbable tournament runs in NCAA History. The eighth seeded Bulldogs were counted out by everybody. They were a team comprised of underdogs, but with Brad Stevens’ coaching they still made an impressive run to the national championship.

Celtics Rebuild

Brad Stevens’ ability to turn underdogs into winners was pivotal to the success of the Celtics’ rebuild. Isaiah Thomas was the backbone of the team. Standing at only 5’9, he was drafted dead last, and bounced around from team to team, until the Celtics gave him a shot. The draft positions of the rest of the team prove their underdog status. Jae Crowder was drafted in the late second round, but his heart and physicality made him a force to be reckoned with on the roster. Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko were other players drafted late, but made steady contributions to the team. Brad Stevens was able to turn the Celtics into a team driven by heart and togetherness. However, this year things have changed.

Celtics New Roster

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After all the moves Danny Ainge made this off season, the Celtics gained a lot of talent. However, they lost their underdog status. Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Amir Johnson and Avery Bradley are all gone. With their departure, came the arrival of a multitude of high caliber players. The addition of these new players signals a new era for Brad Stevens. He is no longer coaching underdogs. Kyrie Irving is a former number one pick, an international superstar, a four time all star, and an NBA champion. The former ninth pick, Gordon Hayward, is in the prime of his career, and was just selected to his first all star game. Jayson Tatum was selected by Boston with the third pick. Just like that, the team has gone from a group of underdogs, to a team whose players have always been expected to play at a high level.

Nothing Has Changed for Brad Stevens

The size of the chip on the Celtics’ shoulder got a lot smaller after this off season. This year, the Celtics are a team of established high draft picks, contrary to what Brad Stevens has been used to. They lost many of the players that helped this team rebuild. This has left fans questioning if the Celtics still possess the same heart they did the year prior. However, after Gordon Hayward went down, it became clear that everyone on this team bleeds green. The Celtics flashy new roster means that Brad may have to adjust his coaching style. Even though the Celtics are no longer underdogs, Brad Stevens will still have the ability to mold these players the way he always has: with accountability, trust and togetherness.

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The Celtics’ Reign is About to Begin