Tag Archives: #NBA

You Won’t Believe What NBA Legend Grant Hill Had to Say About Jayson Tatum

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Spoiler Alert! Jayson Tatum is a good basketball player. The expectations for Tatum’s sophomore season, and his career, are soaring. After polishing off one of the greatest individual playoff runs in NBA history for a Rookie, people are talking about BIG things for the young star.

How Big, You Ask?

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame big. Fellow Duke basketball alumni and NBA legend Grant Hill will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame on Friday, and he believes Jayson Tatum will follow suite one day.

“I think he’s on his way,” Hill told MassLive’s Tom Westerholm. “… He’s in a great situation, which is really good. In some ways you could say it’s a blessing and a curse. Because (the Celtics) are so talented, he doesn’t have to do as much, which is great for a young player, and they have a chance to win a championship, and have a lot of runway for the next five, six, eight years. But also it doesn’t really allow us to see the full package. I think we did see that last year when injuries hit that team, and now it was like they needed him to show and prove, and he did. And he was just a rookie. 19 years old. I think time. Time is what he needs, and I can’t wait to watch and see what he ultimately becomes. It’s scary.”

This comes on the heels of comments made by former NBA All-Star turned ESPN Analyst Stephen Jackson. Jackson was speaking about Boston’s expectations for the upcoming season, and casually mentioned that he believes Jayson Tatum will be a top 10 player in the NBA by season’s end. Wow.

So, there you have it. The bottom line is- Tatum has an immense amount of expectations to live up to. These former NBA legends believe he has what it takes to cement his place among the league’s best. If Jayson Tatum proved anything his Rookie season, it’s that he has all of the talent necessary to get the job done.

Who Would You Want at Your Side for a Bar Fight: Boston Sports Edition

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Patriots: Rob Gronkowski -By @Boston_sports18

If I had to pick a Boston athlete to win a bar fight, it’s got to be Gronk. Rob grew up in a house with four brothers, and each has gone pro. They pushed each other every single day, making Rob an absolute beast.

The Gronkowski’s

Getty Images

Gronk’s father had them all on a training regimen at an early age. This eventually led Gronk to become arguably the best TE the NFL has ever seen. He has incredible blocking skills and unmatched work ethic. While running with the ball after the catch, forget about bringing him down without a cheap shot to the knee. He’s known for swatting linebackers and corners off of him like annoying mosquitoes at a BBQ. Gronkowski finished one block to the point he actually threw the defender off of the field into the media section. “I had to throw him out the club,” Gronkowski said after the game. THIS IS THE GUY I WANT.

Bar fight Champion

Keith Bedford Boston Globe

Besides Gronk’s football toughness, I’m pretty sure he can hold his own at the bar. He’s also good friends with WWE star Mojo Rawley, who Gronk has actually been training with. Last year Gronk even stepped into the ring. He got into a three-point stance and clotheslined another wrestler. Real or fake, Gronk is an animal and would be my top choice of Boston athletes to have in a bar fight. Tough, big and known to party. For me, this is an easy choice. It’s Rob Gronkowski.

Bruins: Zdeno Chara -By @TheBigBlue30

If I am picking any Boston sports athlete to win a bar fight, it is without a doubt Boston Bruins defenseman and Captain Zdeno Chara. At 6’9″ and over 250 pounds, Big Z is a physical powerhouse. If you follow him on Instagram, you would know how much of freak of nature the guy really is. His workouts put superheroes to shame, whether he is climbing up a 30-foot rope and back down in the blink of an eye, riding the Tour de France every summer, or shoulder pressing over 400 pounds. Chara is a physical specimen, unlike any other human being. The scary part, however, is that Chara’s physique and fitness are the least of people’s worries. His father is a former Olympic Roman Greco wrestler, which Big Z has been practicing since a young age.

On top of all that the guy is a genius. He earned a financial planning diploma from Algonquin College in Ottawa in 2015, and took classes at the University of Harvard over this past summer. There is a reason why nobody in the NHL fights Zdeno Chara. Just ask former NHL winger David Koci, who Chara beat so bad in a fight you would have thought he was making a blood donation to the Red Cross. In conclusion, if you don’t pick Zdeno Chara for a bar fight, you are just downright stupid.

Celtics: Marcus Smart -By @jackbuffett_

If I’m picking one player from the Celtics to have my back in a bar fight, I have to choose Marcus Smart. No matter what situation I’m getting into, if he’s on my side, he’s going to fight. Doesn’t matter how many guys, how big, how menacing, Smart will challenge each and every one of them. Ever seen an altercation during a Celtics game? Every time, without fail, Smart is either the one causing it or the first one to a teammate’s defense. It also helps that Smart is the most all-out hustle player on the team, so I’d assume he’d take the same attitude in a bar fight. Smart is an incredibly passionate player. Some players on the court are always emotionless- that’s never him. No matter what he’s doing, he’s going to get super into whatever that activity is. It also helps that Smart is built like a tank at 6’4″, 225 pounds, and absolutely ripped. If I get one phone call to fight some guys at a bar, it’s to Marcus Smart.

Red Sox: Joe Kelly -By @_porchie

BOSTON, MA – APRIL 11: Tyler Austin #26 of the New York Yankees fights Joe Kelly #56 of the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning at Fenway Park on April 11, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

If I were to pick any Boston Red Sox player to be on my side in a bar fight there would only be one option. Joe Kelly would totally have my back! Did you see not only the way he taunted Tyler Austin, but throw him down and was ready to beat him down. If it wasn’t for Aaron Judge that man would probably not be alive right now! He has the fire and intensity that I would want in my corner 100%. That’s why my pick is Joe Kelly.

Claude Dielna Working Out | Photo Credit | Claude Dielna

  Revolution: Claude Dielna -By @Marbies3762

While Claude Dielna is only 6’0″ tall and only weighs 190 pounds, he can pack a punch. Anyone who follows him on Instagram knows when he isn’t at practice he is in the weight room. There are plenty of taller guys on the Revs that could be good picks as well, but none are as good as Claude. He has a much different work mentality than everyone else on the team. When he leaves practice, he trains at home. If he isn’t playing in a game, he is training. When Claude goes to Chipotle, he orders double meat. Every game he plays, he out muscles and throws guys to the ground. In a bar fight, there’s no doubt that Claude would go off. The guy is jacked. Without a doubt, when it comes to bar fights, he’s the guy I want by my side.

Are the Boston Celtics Too Deep?

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I’m sure the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings among others would love to be in the position the Boston Celtics are in. The franchise hasn’t missed the playoffs since the 2013-14 Season, yet lottery picks continue to pour in due to Danny Ainge’s brilliancy in the trade market. They boast three perennial All-Star talents in Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford. Oh, and the ‘other’ two guys in the starting lineup aren’t too bad, either. Boston has the potential to send five guys to the All-Star game this season. In more ways than one, this team stacks up relatively well to the likes of the juggernaut Golden State Warriors. They also happen to be younger.

Boston Boasts Arguably the Deepest Bench in the League

SOURCE: AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Depth on this roster is no issue, either. Terry Rozier blew up last season as a key contributor down the stretch and throughout the playoffs. The 24-year-old point guard out of Louisville has been mentioned in the same sentence as Kemba Walker and Dame Lillard, both All-Star talents. Oh, and he isn’t even this team’s sixth man. That role belongs to $52 million-dollar man Marcus Smart. After signing a $13 million per year deal that retains his services in Boston for the next four years, Smart has now become one of the league’s highest paid bench players.

Worth it? Undoubtedly. The bulldog out of Oklahoma State won’t blow anyone away on the stat sheet, but he is the ultimate competitor and a true winner. He does all of the dirty things needed to be done to win, whether it’s ripping down a big rebound over a seven-footer to secure a big possession, or diving on the floor for a loose ball seconds after returning from a major injury.

The bench depth continues to roll on from there. Marcus Morris adds a lethal one-on-one option. ‘All of Australia’ Aron Baynes is a big body that started in 67 games for the C’s last season. Baynes is a starting caliber center that also happens to statistically be one of the best defensive players in the league. German forward Daniel Theis will assuredly compete for some quality minutes this season, perhaps against Rookie first round pick Robert Williams. Semi Ojeleye played some big minutes last season, often times tasked with locking down the opposition’s best player. Anyone remember when Semi bodied up Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Playoffs?

Believe in Brad Stevens

BOSTON, MA – MARCH 22: Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics goes over the next play with Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Indiana Pacers on March 22, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

No matter how you slice it, this team is DEEP and talented. Regardless of the position on the floor, there is a guy on this team that can step in and more than hold their own. That is just how Brad Stevens has designed this team to be. He likes interchangeability and trusts each player on his roster to perform when called upon. He gets the most out of the players he coaches because he believes in allowing them to play within themselves and refuses to limit a guy because of a weakness they may have. The trust he offers each player is returned, and that trust builds confidence. That confidence translates into production.

Now, Brad Stevens has yet another major task ahead of him. How will he find a way to manage arguably the deepest roster the NBA has to offer? Quite honestly, it’s a curious problem to have. Every team out there across any sport or level of play would love to have this ‘problem’.

Good Problem or No Problem?

Stevens, known as a bit of a playful guy with the media, had a humorous but logical response when asked about this ‘good problem’.

“I don’t think it’s any secret to anybody that there’s only 240 minutes in a game,” Stevens said. “If we all struggle with that more than just the human nature of being disappointed if you get taken out — that’s OK, that’s part of it — but if we struggle with that, then we won’t be very good. And if we don’t, we’ll have a chance to be pretty good.”

Of course, this would be an easy problem to solve if there were 240 minutes in a game. But to Stevens, it sounds like there isn’t an issue at all here. He even has the rotations written up ahead of training camp, and at this point is more concerned with ‘how’ they will play versus ‘who’ will play.

“I’m more focused on how we want to play than how we’re going to rotate,” Stevens said. “I mean, if last year’s not the best example, I don’t know what would be. Things can change. Your rotation can change in a heartbeat. So, you can work all summer on it, and you’ve got to adjust in one day. I think the bottom line is we have an idea of who will play together and who best fits together and what lineups we think we’ll try to use, but we’ll see how it all shakes itself out.”

It All Comes Down to Coach Stevens

(11/12/2017- Boston, MA) With 12 wins in a row, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has a lot to smile about during a victory over the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Staff Photo by Matt West

The bottom line here is that as long as the team buys into the Brad Stevens philosophy and trusts that he will steer them in the right direction, this team will be successful. If this group of individuals can find a way to set aside their egos and personal desires for the betterment of the team there is no limit to what they can accomplish. Depth is a good problem to have, so long as the players have faith in their leader. Lucky for Boston, Brad Stevens may just be the finest leader out there.

Boston Celtics’ Rookie Robert Williams Still Not Cleared for 5-On-5 Action

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Robert Williams has been battling knee tendonitis since the end of his college tenure with Texas A&M. The big man managed to play in only six minutes of Summer League before colliding with a 76er, and missed the rest of the action after reaggravating the injury.

With Training Camp Around the Corner, Williams Looks to Get Back on Track Quick

Training camp is just a few weeks away, but Williams has been working hard to make a comeback as efficiently as possible.

“Still taking it day by day,” Williams said. “There’s people that have a lot of time, a lot of money invested in you now, they don’t want to mess up what they got going. But I’m thankful for the trainers and the coaches, just taking it day by day.”

He understands the situation he is in and just wants to get back to healthy playing shape as soon as possible. Williams has spoken highly of the Celtics organization and their patience in dealing with his injury. He also see’s this down time as an opportunity to learn the X’s and O’s of the offense and all of the other technical aspects of being an NBA player.

“Just strengthening places I need to strengthen,” Williams said. “Obviously my knee, obviously knowing what’s going on out there on the court, knowing the calls before (Brad Stevens) throws in me a 5-on-5 game. He’s been teaching me actually the past couple days, just hammering in the calls, all the play names, all the big names for things, so it’s just been a great perspective, a great opportunity.”

Williams Expected to Be ‘Full Go’ by Training Camp

After a rough start to his career with the post Draft issues, Williams already looks like he is maturing and beginning to take a more level-headed approach moving forward.

Brad Stevens expects a fully healthy roster by the start of training camp, so chances are Williams will be cleared for 5-on-5 in the near future. Hopefully the big man can stay healthy this season, as he will have his plate full proving that he deserves a spot on this already loaded roster.

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 43 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 (September 3rd). 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 (43 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

Danny Ainge recently opened up about the Kyrie Irving trade from last summer, and had this to say;

“I feel like there’s opportunities that you have to look at and explore, and Kyrie was one of those opportunities that, unanimously, internally it was something that we all felt like we should do,” Ainge said told ESPN. “Everybody, unanimously, wanted to do it.”

There is no doubt that Boston has zero regrets regarding this move. Both Isaiah Thomas and Jay Crowder finished the season on different teams, and the Brooklyn pick landed at No 8.

That being said- watch out for Collin Sexton (Cleveland’s selection with the pick). He averaged 19.6 points in the Summer League and is highly regarded by his fellow Rookies. If he pans out then Cleveland will be in decent shape post fallout of the Irving trade.

On This Date

Not a whole lot going on for this date in Celtics history, but on September 3, 2008 Oklahoma City team officials unveiled their new team name and logo. On this date in history the Seattle Supersonics became the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Stats (2017-18)

Image Courtesy of Sports Illustrated

Jayson Tatum shot 43% from 3 for the season, good for 8th in the NBA. Not bad for a guy with shooting range question marks entering the league!

Boston collectively shot 43% from the field in the 2017-18 postseason. The team played in 19 total games, finishing 1 win shy of reaching the NBA Finals.

Fun Facts

Image Courtesy of Cavs Nation

NBA.com ranked Kendrick Perkins as the 43rd best Celtic of all-time! He had a solid 8 year career in a Celtic uniform, from 2003-2011. Perkins was an integral piece of the 08’ Championship run, holding down the paint as one of the better centers in the league. He averaged 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in his tenure with Boston.

On March 18th, 2013 Jeff Green put up a whopping 43 points in a 105-103 loss to the Miami Heat.

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

Countdown to Celtics Tipoff: 44 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 (September 2nd). 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 (44 today). Let’s get to it!

Recent Team News

Terry Rozier made headlines yesterday when his name was mentioned in Phoenix Suns trade rumors. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports’ 98.7 Radio Show, Rozier was targeted by the Suns to fill their starting point guard role. The Suns struck out and, at least for the time being, Scary Terry remains in Celtic green.

 

2K Sports released their NBA 2k19 player ratings, and boy were they fans of the Celtics this year! Here is a quick rundown of the ratings for the starting 5:
• Kyrie Irving- 93
• Gordon Hayward- 88
• Jayson Tatum- 87
• Al Horford- 86
• Jaylen Brown- 84

The most notable rating on this list has got to be Tatum’s. The 20-year-old just polished off a phenomenal rookie campaign, but many feel that an 87 overall rating is still a tad high for such a young prospect. Then again, Tatum could blow the doors off of these expectations and elevate his game to a whole new level.

On This Date

September 1st, 2017: Kyrie Irving gives his first Celtics jersey to his father after being officially announced a Boston Celtic. Check out the video below!

Stats (2017-18)

Image Courtesy of The Athletic

Marcus Smart finished the 2017-18 regular season with a 44% AFG. Affective Field Goal Percentage basketball accounts for the added point the three-point basket provides. Though teams generally shoot a lower percentage in a traditional sense, this provides a more accurate description of the number of points a team will score by upwardly adjusting the FG% on those baskets to account for the added point, and downwardly adjusting the 3-point basket to two points… more or less. It provides 1 number that describes all baskets.

Fun Facts

Jersey number 44 is a particularly famous one in Celtics history. It has been worn by 11 different players in the history of the franchise. Danny Ainge, Pete Maravich, Rick Fox, and Brian Scalabrine are some of the more notable players on the list. The most recent player to don 44 for the C’s was Tyler Zeller in the 2016-17 season.

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

 

After a Trade Offer from Phoenix, is Terry Rozier on His Way Out?

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Terry Rozier might be the most polarizing Celtic of the summer.

After a monster playoff run from the young point guard in June, rumors flew about a future role with the team. As Kyrie Irving returns to the court, Rozier has to return to the bench and play behind the superstar once again. On Friday, a report from an Arizona radio station got rumor mills churning again.

Arizona Sports 98.7 broke news that the Suns had apparently attempted to trade for a “front-tier point guard”. Among their targets were Damian Lillard, Kemba Walker, and-you guessed it- Boston’s own Terry Rozier. Obviously, their efforts were unsuccessful. However, even after a big trade with the Rockets, Phoenix may not be done yet. Even if the Suns don’t end up with Rozier, is he on his way out of Boston?

A Potential Suns Exchange

After dealing Brandon Knight away to Houston, the Suns are extremely thin at point guard. Devin Booker is an established star at the shooting guard, but Phoenix is in need of a ballhandler. Terry Rozier appears to be a prime candidate for the position. It’s unclear what the Suns would send to Boston in return for Rozier, but it’s unlikely they’d want to deal any of their young core. Players like Dragan Bender and Josh Jackson are probably off the table. That doesn’t leave Phoenix with very many valuable players.

Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

However, there are still intriguing assets on the Suns. TJ Warren, just 25, could be another addition to Boston’s stash of lengthy wings. Troy Daniels, a shooting guard, is another potential target. There’s also the potential that Danny Ainge wants to add to his draft pick cache. The Suns have their own first rounder next year, as well as a protected first from the Bucks. If Danny plays his cards correctly, the Celtics could end up with some valuable assets if a trade materializes.

Aspirations of Stardom

Even if Terry Rozier doesn’t end up going to the Suns, there’s still a lot of support for the idea that he’ll be shipped out soon. As mentioned before, Rozier is going to have to take a backseat to Kyrie. Only time will tell if he’s going to accept that role. He’s said that he’s ready and willing to return to the bench, but will he walk the walk?

There’s also the matter of Rozier’s impending free agency. He’ll be a restricted free agent next summer. Now that he’s showed he has what it takes to lead a team, the offers Rozier will receive will likely far exceed what Boston is able to shell out to retain him. If he wants a starting role in the league, he’ll be eager to sign with another team in free agency. That deal will likely be worth a large sum of money. Now that Marcus Smart has resigned for four years, Rozier might not be willing to fight with him for minutes forever.

If the team knows that’s going to happen, they’ll be quick to deal him to a team that is in need of a point guard. Whether it be for players or draft picks, Danny Ainge won’t run the risk of having Rozier walk in the offseason. He definitely won’t allow the Celtics to be left empty-handed. If there’s an opportunity to get a good haul for the point guard, Boston will seize it.

photo by Christopher Evans

There’s no doubt that Rozier is an extremely valuable player on this Celtics roster. However, he might not be part of the team for much longer. If teams keep pursuing him, an offer might be too good to pass up.

 

 

ESPN Releases Projected Records For The 2019 NBA Season

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ESPN Pegs Golden State as Consensus No.1, Boston Not far Behind

In what may come as a surprise to nobody, the Golden State Warriors are projected to win 53.8 games this season. ESPN had recently dropped their projected win totals for all 30 NBA teams. Rounding out the top 3 for the Western Conference is the Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Eastern Conference shows little surprise as well. The Boston Celtics earned a projected 51.1 wins. With Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving ready to rumble, this team is finally back to full strength. This Celtics team can and will give the Warriors a huge run for their money this season.

The Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors round out the top 3. Both teams are great second tier talents. They just do not have enough to keep up with this dangerous and versatile Celtics roster.

The 2019 NBA Draft Could be Boom or Bust for Boston

One of the biggest implications towards next year’s draft would be the projected record of the Sacramento Kings. They owe Boston their first round pick( number 1 protected) which means that we own the pick as long as it doesn’t land number 1 overall. Sacramento is going in no apparent direction at the moment and appears in all likelihood to be the worst team in the league this year. ESPN has their projected win total set at a league low 25.4 wins. Under the new lottery rules if Sacramento finishes the season with the worst record the No.1 pick would land in the hands of the 76ers. That would be a disastrous outcome for Boston.

This is a stacked draft class this year, as some pretty good freshman can go one and done. Zion Williamson, Rj Barrett, Nassir Little, Cam Reddish, and Bol Bol are all great talents. There are a lot of guys from Duke this year.   Not to mention the Celtics can also take the Memphis Grizzlies’ first rounder as long as it falls outside the top 8. Boston could have as many as four first rounders this year. If disaster strikes they could be handing over their golden pick to the rival 76ers. We shall see in due time.

While this season can and will be something to watch for Boston fans, we still have teams to keep an eye on throughout the season. Be sure to root for Sacramento to be bad, but not THAT bad. Let’s hope Memphis can land somewhere in the back half of the bottom 10 teams. The future of this team looks bright.

ESPN’s BPI Predicts Celtics-Warriors 2019 NBA Finals Matchup

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News flash everyone! The Boston Celtics are going to be a great team this year. As long as Gordon Hayward doesn’t attempt another alley-oop dunk or Kyrie Irving doesn’t have a zen moment and realize he doesn’t want to play basketball, this team is on a direct flight to the NBA Finals.

Boston Lands in a Favorable Spot in the Finals Odds Prediction

ESPN’s BPI, which is a machine generated predictive metric, gives the Celtics the best odds to win the Eastern Conference and plots them at 2nd to win the whole enchilada. Shockingly (kidding), the Golden State Warriors are once again the overwhelming favorites to win it all.

Here’s ESPN’s rationale behind these odds;

“Two reasons. First, the aforementioned departure of James, which helps free up the East and removes a major obstacle in Boston’s path,” ESPN’s Neil Johnson and Seth Walder wrote. “Second, rising expectations for the Celtics, given how well the team played in the face of major injuries and the breakout of Jayson Tatum. Boston’s defensive BPI rating (3.7) has more than doubled from this time last year (1.5).”

Think Twice About Betting Against this Celtics Squad

Image courtesy of the Boston Globe

At this point, who would realistically bet against this squad? This is a team that was a single win away from an NBA Finals birth a few short months ago despite season ending injuries to arguably their top 2 players. The man who beat them last year just enrolled his son into a school in LA and will be playing ball in the Western Conference. The East leading Toronto Raptors fired the Coach of the Year and shipped out one half of the deadly duo that made them relevant the past few seasons. To replace DeRozan, they got a talented yet disgruntled player who quit on his team last year. Oh, and he doesn’t even want anything to do with Toronto.

The 76ers are good, and will be a threat to the Celtics’ dynasty run moving forward, but not quite yet. Boston dismantled Philly in 5 games last year while Terry Rozier consistently made a mockery of their defense. I know it is tempting to ‘Trust the Process’, but I would be cautious about dropping the confetti too early on the 76ers’ championship aspirations.

Boston boasts the best finisher and ball handler the league has to offer in Kyrie Irving. They employ a duo of some of the best two-way players in the league in Gordon Hayward and Al Horford. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have superstar level ceilings and just finished embarrassing their opposition throughout the playoffs. The Celtics have debatably the top bench in all of basketball, making them the deepest team in the league. Brad Stevens is already one of the NBA’s best coaches and is only getting started.

A New Era

All of the stars are beginning to align on a new era for the Celtics. An era without a King. The Eastern Conference is completely up for grabs now more than it has been in nearly 10 years. It’s time for a new participant in the championship series, and, at least according to ESPN, that team is the Boston Celtics.

Looking Back at the Kyrie Irving Trade

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One year ago today the Celtics and Cavaliers pulled off a blockbuster trade. Kyrie Irving requested a trade from Cleveland, and Danny Ainge pulled off another heist a few weeks later. The Celtics traded Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas, Ante Zizic, a 2018 1st round draft pick (Collin Sexton was later selected) and a 2020 2nd round draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving. (2020 2nd-rd pick from BOS to CLE is MIA’s pick, and was added as compensation for Isaiah Thomas’s injury). Let’s take a look back at each player’s last 365 days.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving did not disappoint in his first year in Boston. He averaged 24.4 points, 5.1 assists, shot 49.1% from the field and showed improvement on the defensive side of the floor. After Gordon Hayward went out on opening night, Irving proved that he can lead a team by himself. He was obviously the second option in Cleveland but shined as the man in control in Boston. He worked very well with Al Horford and did a great job getting Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown involved in the offense. These were simply things IT could not accomplish in Boston. He needed the ball in his hands and is not nearly as good of a facilitator as Irving.

However, everything took a turn for the worst on March 11th against the Pacers. He suffered a knee injury, which led to surgery that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. The Celtics ending up falling in seven games to the Cavs and the consensus opinion is that the Celtics would have won that series if Kyrie were playing. Kyrie will be back for the Celtics next year, but rumors about his upcoming free agency next summer are already swirling. The Celtics need to resign Irving next year to ensure that they win the trade.

Maddy Meyer

Jae Crowder

Crowder averaged 8.6 points and 3.3 total rebounds per game with Cleveland. These numbers were a step down from his final season with the Celtics. The Cavs made the decision to flip Crowder to Utah before the trade deadline when they blew everything up and completely revamped their roster. Crowder ended up shining alongside Donovan Mitchell in Quin Snyder’s system. Crowder improved in points per game, rebounds, and assists while he was with the Jazz. However, the biggest knock on him is that he wasn’t very efficient. He got worse in field goal%, three-point%, two point%, and effective field goal%. In Boston, Crowder took a lot more shots than he should have which led to distaste between him and the fans.

Isaiah Thomas

It has been an interesting 365 days for Isaiah Thomas. He was on the Celtics, then traded to the Cavs, flipped to the Lakers, and signed the veteran minimum with Denver. After being out until January with a hip injury, IT played in just 15 games with the Cavs. It was a disaster. His style of play and personality just did not fit with LeBron’s. They are both egomaniacs and need the ball in their hands at all times. Thomas was hated by Cavs fans during that time, and clubhouse craziness was reported.

LeBron James, the former owner, coach, and general manager of the Cavs traded Thomas to the Lakers as part of the roster overhaul at the trade deadline. Thomas settled in nicely and played well off the bench. He averaged 15.6 points and exactly five assists in 17 games played. The offseason and free agency process were very frustrating for Thomas. After telling the Celtics to back up the Brinks truck, he ended up signing a one year, two million deal with Denver.

Collin Sexton

The biggest unknown in this deal is rookie guard Collin Sexton. He was selected eighth overall in this year’s draft. Sexton was a superstar at Alabama and single-handedly dragged Alabama to the round of 32 before they were stopped by eventual champion Villanova. Sexton is a rookie, so nobody really knows what the Cavs are getting. He could be a franchise-altering player or a bust. He is all the Cavs have left over from the trade, so it is up to him to save the deal. To make the deal a win for the Cavs, Sexton has to be better than Kyrie and win championships in Cleveland. He needs to fill the shoes that Kyrie left in Cleveland

Bottom Line

So far, it is obvious that the Celtics won the trade. Irving was great in his first year. The Cavs got rid of two of the three main pieces of the deal, and now they are counting on Sexton. If Sexton is better than Kyrie, then the Cavs will win the trade. Should Kyrie stay in Boston and wins championships, the Celtics will remain winners of the trade. If Kyrie leaves in free agency and Sexton does not turn into a superstar, then the trade is a wash. It is possible that Ante Zizic or the second round pick turns into something, but that is extremely unlikely. If Crowder and Thomas shine on their new teams, Cleveland may regret shipping them out.