Tag Archives: Kyrie

Kyrie Irving Drama Comes To End – Or Not

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These past couple of weeks have been swamped by possible trade talks surrounding star Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler and our very own Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving. This has been a topic almost overtaken by “Hot Take Heaven”, as everyone seems to have their own opinion about what team Butler and Irving will join up with. While it’s an intriguing topic to cover, we need to “About Face!” and come back to reality.

Kyrie Irving won’t be traded this season.

Kyrie Irving has been dropping us hints through his interviews and media day appearances, all but revealing to us his plan for the future. Let’s break these things down and put together the clues he has left us.

The Jackie MacMullan Interview

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Kyrie recently did an interview with ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, who asked him about the rumors surrounding him and Jimmy Butler possibly joining with a team to play together. He informed her that they have had no such discussions since 2016 – When they were playing together on the USA Team and discussing the future in a practice session.

That’s believable. Players are going to shoot around basketballs and spitball about playing together in the NBA. Generations have done it on the playground and there is no reason to disbelieve that star NBA players do it on the USA Team competing overseas.

“Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this?” Kyrie asked, motioning to the great history of the Celtics franchise. It is a franchise rich with championship history and full of great players. Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Paul Pierce and Kevin McHale headline several of the players that have come through the ranks for Boston. 17 Finals championships and 22 retired numbers hang in the rafters. He’s absolutely right, who wouldn’t want to be a part of this?

That begs the question for the rumors. Why won’t he commit to Boston?

Financial Restrictions

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Kyrie Irving is arguably the best point guard in the league at this current time. His scoring ability is out of this world, especially when he is healthy and attacking the basket. He hit .408 from beyond the three point line last season, and averaged 24.4 points per game and 5.1 assists. He is undoubtedly a top tier point guard in the league.

Kyrie Irving deserves to be paid as one, and he knows it.

Boston is in a world of pain when it comes to future contracts that they need to have figured out. Jayson Tatum will be getting a huge paycheck come his time to sign an extension. They want Jaylen Brown around. Marcus Smart is tied up for four more years. Gordon Hayward is under a huge contract for another three years. Al Horford is under his huge contract for three more years, as well. While Kyrie is under a player option next season, it’s very easy to assume that he won’t accept it as it’s about half of the going rate for a payer of his caliber.

To re-sign Kyrie, someone is going to have to go, or some agreement will have to be made. The question becomes, what will it be?

Media Days

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The Celtics media day on Monday filled Celtics fans with optimism and hope. There were a lot of great and encouraging statements made by several of the players. However, Kyrie made some comments when he took the podium.

“I believe Boston is the place for me,” he said, before throwing a little shade. “Obviously it’s everybody else’s job to look forward to my future before I can, so I just really thought it was important to make sure it’s known that this franchise is really built for the next few years of being at the top-tier of teams in the league.”

So that ends it, right? He’s going to stay in Boston, right?

No, I don’t believe this solves everything.

What do you expect the man to do?

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Kyrie Irving can do two things as a Boston Celtic. He can either be happy to be where he is as the focal point of the offense, or he can demand a trade to a team that will pay him. He hurt his image when he asked to be traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James. So what do you expect the man to do?

Kyrie wants to play basketball. It’s a long off-season and it’s been longer for him because he missed all of March and the playoffs. He doesn’t want the typical Boston Press drama surrounding him all season about playing on another team.

Of course, Kyrie is going to say that he wants to stay in Boston. I genuinely believe him, too. I think he does. However, he understands that with the cap issues, there is a chance the two sides might not come to an agreement. He doesn’t want the media talking about that all season long. Kyrie wants the media focusing on his play, his team, how well they mesh together and how legendary this team could end up being.

So stop talking about Kyrie trade rumors and Jimmy Butler reunions. Start talking about this year and trust the Celtics’ ability to keep stars around forever.

We should all take on Kyrie’s approach to the topic and tackle this when it comes. First, Boston’s got a championship to win.

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 46 Days

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Welcome back to the Celtics season tipoff countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (August 31st). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (46 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

The NBA 2K19 Ratings for the entire starting lineup have been revealed for the Celtics. Kyrie Irving leads the unit with a 93 overall, followed by Gordon Hayward with an 88. Jayson Tatum is close behind with an 87, Al Horford has an 86, and Jaylen Brown rounds out the starting five with an 84. Hayward’s rating is the same as it was last year, while Tatum’s took a leap. The 20th installment of the iconic video game franchise is set to be released on September 11th.

Via NBA 2K/Twitter

Chris Forsberg of ESPN recently released an article detailed what occurred when Kyrie Irving was shipped up to Boston. There were a few interesting quotes from various Celtics. Brad Stevens said, “First of all, I didn’t think [the trade] was happening, and then, in about a 20-hour period, it went from, ‘I didn’t think it was happening’ to ‘Holy smokes, this might happen.” Stevens also told Forsberg, “The range of emotions were really wild because you would have no thought that Isaiah Thomas would ever be a part of a trade.” Danny Ainge added, when talking about the discussions within Boston’s top brass, “Everybody, unanimously, wanted to do it.”

Read the full article here.

On This Date

August 31, 1956: The Celtics claimed Andy Phillip off of the waivers. Phillip played for two seasons with Boston, averaging 19.3 minutes per game.

August 31, 2016: The Celtics waived John Holland. Holland did not appear in a game for the team.

Stats (2017-18)

  • Jaylen Brown averaged 46% shooting from the field.

On This Date

  • Aron Baynes is the first and only Celtics player to ever don the number 46.

 

That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Make sure to check back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 53 Days

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Welcome back to the Celtics season tipoff countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (August 24th). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (53 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

On Tuesday, the tribe that Kyrie Irving’s mom is a member of invited the Celtics point guard. The tribe celebrated the heritage of Kyrie and his sister, Asia, as they welcomed the siblings as members of the Standing Rock Sioux. The tribe gave Kyrie a traditional Lakota name of “Little Mountain”. He has been a vocal opponent of the Dakota Access Pipeline in the past, and the tribe based in North Dakota wanted to honor him for being outspoken about his heritage.

In other news, Jayson Tatum turned some heads when he said he would be okay with the idea of coming of the bench. “I understand how deep our team is,” he said. “I just care about winning and doing what I can while I’m on the floor.” On a team loaded with talent, fans had to have been wondering about who would see their role reduced. It’s great to hear Tatum taking on the team-first mindset.

Tatum

: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

On This Date

Apparently nothing happened on August 24 in previous years.

Stats (2017-18)

  • Daniel Theis averaged 5.3 points for the team. He did so while shooting 54% from the field before a season ending injury.
  • Jaylen Brown averaged 5.3 made shots per game. He took 11.5 each game, shooting 49 percent from the field.

Fun Facts

  • Four players have worn the number 53 for the Celtics. The most notable is Rick Robey, who wore it in his time with the team from 1979-1983.
  • The 1953 Celtics went 46-25 and finished third in the East.

That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Make sure to check back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 55 Days

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Welcome back to the Celtics season tipoff countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (August 22nd). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (55 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

The Celtics officially signed guard P.J. Dozier to a two-way contract. Dozier, a guard from the University of South Carolina, spent last season with the Thunder on a two-way deal. He played in 43 games in the G-League, averaging 13 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest. He appeared in two games for the Thunder, totaling just three minutes of action. Per the terms of a two-way contract, Dozier can spend no longer than 45 days with the Celtics. This means he will be spending a lot of time with the team’s G-League affiliate Maine Red Claws.

Via NBC Sports

On This Date

August 22, 2017: Fireworks. The Celtics make the biggest deal of the summer. The team trades Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and Brooklyn’s 2018 first rounder to the Cavs for Kyrie Irving. A 2020 second round pick later completed the transaction. The blockbuster swap saw fan favorite IT shipped out of Boston on a bum hip just months after the death of his sister. The return was Kyrie, who took over the team and was an MVP candidate before going down with an injury. Many pundits saw this trade as a victory for the Cavs initially. It’s safe to say that the Celtics won this one.

August 22, 2008: Boston signed forward Darius Miles to a deal. He would never play for the team due to an injury.

August 22, 2005: The team signed point guard Tyus Edney. He appeared in 52 games that season for the Celtics, averaging 5.3 points per contest.

August 22, 1969: The Rockets traded Hank Finkel to Boston for cash considerations. The center played six seasons in Beantown, averaging 4.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

Stats (2017-18)

  • Aron Baynes averaged 5.5 shots per game, netting the big man 6.0 points per contest.

Fun Facts

  • The Celtics won 55 games this season to finish second in the Eastern Conference.
  • Greg Monroe wore number 55 last season for the Celtics, becoming the 11th player in franchise history to don that number.

Via Hardwood Houdini

That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Make sure to check back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 59 Days

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Welcome back to the Celtics season tipoff countdown!

Irving

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 61 Days

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Welcome back to the Celtics season tipoff countdown!

Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (August 15th). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (61 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

The Celtics continue to get healthier as the start of training camp nears. Daniel Theis is nearing the end of his rehab. He told reporters Tuesday that he is almost ready to go full-throttle again. He said, “Now it’s just day by day, and I progress every day and get new stuff to do.” It’s encouraging for fans to hear this type of news. Everyone on the roster who was injured seems to be rehabbing well and getting ready to return to basketball.

In other news, Jaylen Brown appeared on Bloomberg TV on Tuesday. Not only did he talk hoops, but he spoke about technology, investing, and money. It’s clear that Jaylen is well beyond his years in wisdom, and he’s already thinking about his future. It will be intriguing to track what he continues to do outside the lines of the court.

On This Date

August 15, 2013: The Celtics traded Fab Melo and cash considerations to the Grizzlies for Donte Greene. Greene would never appear in a game for Boston.

Stats (2017-18)

  • Kyrie Irving made an average of 6.1 two-pointers per game. He shot 54% from inside the three-point line.
  • Semi Ojeleye shot 61% from the free throw line. He went 25 for 41 from the stripe.

Via the Boston Globe

  • Kyrie’s True Shooting Percentage was 61%. This is a determination of shooting efficiency based on twos, threes, and free throws.

Fun Facts

  • The 1961 Celtics wrapped up the franchise’s fourth NBA Championship. Red Auerbach led Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, and Co. to a win over the St. Louis Hawks in five games to claim the title.
  • No Celtic has ever worn the number 61.

That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Make sure to check back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!

Examining How The Celtics Rotation Will Shape Up

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This year’s Celtics rotation will be the strongest in years.

With Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving both returning, this is likely the deepest roster we’ve seen since the ’08 team. With 15 guaranteed contracts, the current roster is likely going to be the same as the opening day roster, barring an August trade. Let’s examine which players will get big minutes this upcoming year, as well as which players will see a rise or fall in their roles, and who is likely to ride the pine all year.

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Via CBS Boston

The Starters

PG- Kyrie Irving                                                                                                                                                      SG- Jaylen Brown                                                                                                                                                  SF- Gordon Hayward                                                                                                                                            PF- Jayson Tatum                                                                                                                                                  C- Al Horford

This was going to be the starting lineup last year before Hayward’s injury. This season, were are likely to see it opening night. Kyrie, Hayward, and Horford are locks to be in the starting lineup on a nightly basis. If the Celtics decide to go with a bigger lineup in some games, they’ll slide Aron Baynes in at center. If that happens, either Brown or Tatum will come off the bench (probably Brown). Brad Stevens has shown willingness to adjust the lineup depending on the opponent. With everyone healthy, he has more freedom to do so. The Celtics can go big with Baynes, and if they want, they can go even bigger by taking Kyrie out of the lineup for stretches and running with the remaining starters and Baynes. Brown, Tatum, and Hayward all have shown their ability to be ballhandlers in the past. Even Horford brings the ball up confidently and efficiently. Lineup flexibility is going to be a huge advantage for the Celtics this year.

As far as minutes go, Irving and Horford won’t see much fluctuation in theirs. Kyrie averaged 32.2 MPG last year and Horford averaged 31.6. These numbers won’t change much. The main variable is Hayward returning. He’s going to get around 30 MPG as well and he’ll draw them from a lot of different places. Tatum and Brown could see their minutes drop to accommodate Hayward, though not drastically. They both averaged 30 MPG last year. They could drop to around 28, but it probably won’t dip much farther than that. Things are pretty straightforward in the starting lineup, but the bench is where it gets interesting.

Image result for celtics bench

Via Boston Herald

The Bench

Guards- Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, Brad Wanamaker, Jabari Bird                                                      Forwards- Marcus Morris, Semi Ojeleye, Robert Williams, Guerschon Yabusele                            Centers- Aron Baynes, Daniel Theis

As previously mentioned, this team is crazy-deep. Four of these players could easily be starters on other teams, and you can make the case for more. There are a few interesting situations to watch this year. One is what the team will do with Rozier. Last season, Smart played more minutes (29.9) than Rozier (25.9). However, with Rozier’s breakout at the end of the year, we’ll see if their roles change. I’d guess that their roles are similar this year; they’ll be the first ones off the bench. I don’t see Williams playing too much this year – he’s got Baynes and Theis both ahead of him on the depth chart. He’ll see some garbage time minutes, but probably not much more as the Celtics develop him.

Another story to watch is what happens with Marcus Morris. He’s still of value to the team, but Hayward is going to usurp much of his role. He played 26.8 MPG last year; that could take a big hit with Hayward and the continuing evolution of Ojeleye. Another player who will see their minutes drop is Baynes. His starting role is gone now, and though he’s the first big off the bench, his minutes will be reduced as well. Brad Wanamaker is a wild card, as he’s an overseas signing. It’ll be interesting to see if he plays.

This roster is a beautiful sight after the depleted stretches last year. This team has a lot of players that can contribute, but there are only so many minutes to go around. With lots of talent, Brad Stevens has some tough decisions to make. The starters are set in stone, but after that, the waters get murky. No matter who ends up playing, the Celtics are ready to go for the 2018-19 season. Let’s leave it in the hands of the best head coach in basketball to figure out the optimal rotations.

Who do you think will get big minutes? Let me know on twitter- @jackbuffett_