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Kyrie Irving Avoids Minutes Restriction to Begin the Season

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Injuries Plagued Boston All Season

The major story line from the Celtics’ 2017-18 season was injuries. Recently acquired Gordon Hayward suffered a gruesome ankle injury to begin the season. Kyrie Irving would miss the final 15 games of the regular season and all of the playoffs after undergoing another knee surgery in mid-March.

Irving Minute Restriction

BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 2: Gordon Hayward #20 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics talk before the game against the Charlotte Hornets during a preseason game on October 2, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Irving’s procedure involved the removal of two screws which were implanted in his left patella after his knee fracture in the 2015 NBA Finals. The time-table for his return was originally set at four-five months. Luckily, he was cleared for basketball activities in late July.

Rising stars Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier all shined during their absences. They performed admirably but were not enough to dethrone LeBron James in the Eastern Conference. Now with LeBron out West and a healthy Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, the Celtics have a great chance to reach the NBA Finals.

Irving Avoids Minutes Restriction

According to David Aldridge of NBA.com, Irving will be under no minutes restriction to begin the year, which is a great sign. It is interesting when you consider Irving’s injury history, as well as the Celtics’ depth, which includes Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving (11) of the Boston Celtics dribbles up the floor. (Photo from CelticsLife.com)

In 60-games last season, Irving reached career highs in field goal percentage (.491), 2-point field goal percentage (.541), and true shooting percentage (.610). His per-36-minute average of 27.3 points per game was also the highest of his career. This figure ranked fifth among qualified players behind only James Harden, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant. Also, Irving’s win shares per-48-minutes (.221) ranked equal to that of former teammate LeBron James (.221). This shows how significant of an impact the 26-year-old can have.

Boston is Better With Kyrie

With Irving in the lineup, the Celtics record was 41-19. Without, the Celtics would go 9-6 in their remaining 15 regular season games and 11-8 in the playoffs. It is clear the Celtics are a superior team with him in the lineup. Avoiding a minutes restriction to begin the season is enormous. Irving’s health remains key for the team’s success moving forward. He will be a major player on their journey to banner number eighteen.

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Kyrie Irving- Greatest Ball Handler of All-Time

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For those of you that may not know- the NBA season is 10 weeks away. Free Agency has died down and basketball fans are left without much to get excited about. That being said- this week happens to be ‘NBA Handles Week’. There isn’t many things more exciting than watching the NBA’s best break some ankles on the court.

Kyrie Irving is a Wizard with the Ball

To celebrate why not talk about Kyrie Irving and his otherworldly handles?

In my opinion Kyrie Irving is the greatest ball handler in the history of the league. There’s a reason why they call him “The Unguardable Guard”. Armed with a crossover that leaves defenders reeling, a nasty hesitation, and the leagues scariest spin move Irving is as unstoppable as it gets. Once he makes his move its game over for his defender.

Sure there are others with formidable handles. Steph Curry, James Harden, and Chris Paul come to mind when debating great handles. But when the discussion about the greatest comes up Kyrie Irving’s name seems to pop up the most. 

But don’t just take my word for it!

“Hands down, Kyrie has the best ball-handling skills that we have in our league,” Atlanta Hawks All-Star forward Paul Millsap said. “The way he reads defenses, the way he reads your feet, it’s unbelievable … His biggest asset is his creativity. He is one of the most creative point guards we have.”

“Kyrie has the best handle of all time,” said Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon. “Very creative and uses different motions, as well.”

Limitless Creativity Leads to Innovative Moves

Kyrie is always trying something new with the ball. Whether it’s a step back three or a hesitation crossover into a floater in the lane he is always looking to set up his shot with a crafty move. He speaks often about keeping his defender on their toes and being as unpredictable as possible.

“There is creativity that goes into it, meaning to change on the fly with multiple combinations, multiple moves, being able to turn my practice into my work and really just have some fun out there,” Irving said. “Being able to keep your defender in an unpredictable state is always a fun thing because you can dribble, shoot, pass … You’re able to not only make plays for yourself, but for everyone on the court.”

High Praise from Another Legendary Dribbler

Stephen Curry, who is arguably Irving’s stiffest competition for such an honor, has spoken highly of Kyrie’s handles. Curry recently included Irving’s name in his Mount Rushmore of ball handlers. Steph also had this to say about Irving in a recent interview:

“He is able to use both hands and he’s shifty and crafty,” Curry said. “He changes speeds to keep people off-balance. Perhaps the best way to put it into words, he has an uncanny kind of ability to go one way, stop on a dime, right to left, left to right, whichever, and still be on balance and get by you. It’s unpredictable. You just don’t know which way he is going.”

Speaking of Curry, check out this sweet move Irving put on the 2X MVP last season:

It doesn’t get much better than that!

On that note I shall leave you with a final clip that compiles a few of the Unguardable Guard’s highlight moves from the 2018 season. Feel free to sit back and enjoy ball handling at it’s best.

https://twitter.com/redapples/status/944218647375081472?s=20

Boston Celtics Draft Prospect Profile: Grayson Allen

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With the draft a short week away, the Boston Celtics begin to turn their attention toward the young athletes looking to make the leap into the league.

Headlining the draft are the likes of Duke forward Marvin Bagley, Arizona’s Deandre Ayton, and international guard Luka Doncic. These are the players garnishing most of the buzz as mock drafts begin winding down and top 100 rankings start clearing up.

Boston holds the 27th pick and has reportedly narrowed down their field of prospects to around 10 players. Perhaps the most interesting of the prospects the team has worked out is Duke’s Grayson Allen.

The Prospect

Allen is the most polarizing and perhaps controversial name to look for as the draft creeps towards the end of the first round and into the second. He played four years under legendary Coach Krzyzewski, finishing his tenure with 14 points, three assists, 3.1 rebounds, and two three-pointers made per game on 37.5% three-point field goal shooting. His best season came in his second year at Duke, where he averaged 21.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while eclipsing the 40% mark from three-point range.

Allen became a polarizing figure because of his on court tripping antics, receiving the label as a ‘dirty player’.

What Allen Does Well

These on-court antics should not concern Boston. Jayson Tatum gave Ainge the thumbs up on Grayson. Tatum said that he is not a ‘dirty’ player, he is just highly competitive. He is a well-educated individual that will soon learn that the tripping will not fly in the NBA. As he matures this will be a non-factor.

Grayson is a decent athlete with a pretty good shot (37.5% 3pt) and an ability to get to the rim. He is not a true point guard, but he also lacks the ideal size for a shooting guard in today’s NBA. Allen is much smaller than guys like Klay Thompson, DeRozan, and Harden, all examples of players that fit the shooting guard mold perfectly.

Where He Struggles

Grayson is not as athletic as most of the undersized shooting guards in the NBA, which could hurt his ability to create separation between him and his taller defender. He is not a crafty ball handler and lacks an explosive first step. At times, Allen struggles with reading his defender’s position and tends to be a bit one dimensional with his move set.

There is a level of concern about Allen’s defensive capabilities moving forward. Based on his size and average athleticism, Grayson might struggle to try to guard his bigger and more explosive counterparts. He is not super quick laterally. Without good help defense, he may be prone to blow byes.

Grayson Allen has a high basketball IQ, good shooting ability, and he does come from a winning culture. Duke University does have a solid track record of producing good pro ball players. Some alumni include Grant Hill, Kyrie Irving, JJ Redick, Jayson Tatum, and Brandon Ingram.

Player Comparison

Under the right system, Grayson Allen could develop into a solid role player. Given his physical attributes, he comes as a pretty big gamble with a conservative ceiling and a low floor. He should still be on the board when Boston is on the clock with the 27th overall pick. It is unlikely Boston takes Allen as the team favors long, athletic players with switch ability.

Best case player comparison- Eric Gordon.

Likely player comparison- Austin Rivers.