Jackie MacMullen Article on the Celtics Season

[CelticSooner]

The one thing that I never really expected that seems to finally be coming out is how much Kyrie and CBS weren’t exactly on the same page. If your star isn’t completely bought into what you’re trying to do you’re pretty much screwed regardless. He seemed enamored with him when he first got to Boston but that obviously changed quickly.

[PhoSita]

Kyrie didn't fail by himself.

But I'll keep saying this:


Kyrie wanted the mantle.

He wanted the spotlight.

He wanted to have a franchise to call his own.


He got all of that.

He wasted it.


He asked for the responsibility to be the leader and be the guy whose job it was to get all the younger guys -- who looked up to him -- to buy in.

He not only failed at doing that, he actually seemed to avoid that responsibility, at least by the second half of this season.



If you don't want to be blamed when team chemistry is a shambles, don't hold yourself out as the main man.

[Sketch5]

The one thing that I never really expected that seems to finally be coming out is how much Kyrie and CBS weren’t exactly on the same page. If your star isn’t completely bought into what you’re trying to do you’re pretty much screwed regardless. He seemed enamored with him when he first got to Boston but that obviously changed quickly.

Yeah for a guy who claimed himself a basketball genius, he didn't catch on to how Stevens could take players like IT4 and Crowder and put them in positions to have their best seasons. Irving had his best over all season, and he didn't completely buy in. Imagine if he actually listen to his coach.

 But remember, Irving comes from years of having LEbrons puppet do the coaching.

[Fafnir]

The one thing that I never really expected that seems to finally be coming out is how much Kyrie and CBS weren’t exactly on the same page. If your star isn’t completely bought into what you’re trying to do you’re pretty much screwed regardless. He seemed enamored with him when he first got to Boston but that obviously changed quickly.

Yeah it seems like Kyrie meant well, but he's a weirdo who was a wandering eye to the next thing.

So when things didn't go well, it snowballed hard. Fundamentally that's on Kyrie, Horford, and Brad to me. They were supposed to be the leaders on the team, the two all-stars and the coach.

[PAOBoston]

I don’t think any of that is earth shattering (except the not signing the balls for charity thing; that’s just **** move).

The immaturity by the young guys and the issues with Kyrie buying in and leading we already really knew about.

Hopeful that everyone takes it as a learning experience and moves on. The Cs look to be trying to instill a culture change so hopefully they get back to that scrappy, fight for everything, team basketball persona they had the previous years.

[Sketch5]

Kyrie didn't fail by himself.

But I'll keep saying this:


Kyrie wanted the mantle.

He wanted the spotlight.

He wanted to have a franchise to call his own.


He got all of that.

He wasted it.


He asked for the responsibility to be the leader and be the guy whose job it was to get all the younger guys -- who looked up to him -- to buy in.

He not only failed at doing that, he actually seemed to avoid that responsibility, at least by the second half of this season.



If you don't want to be blamed when team chemistry is a shambles, don't hold yourself out as the main man.

Exactly.

If he wanted to be a leader, he should have been talking to the young players. He should have gotten Hayward and Horford on his side of how to do things, and if Brown and Tatum were at the club at 2 am,  they go get them and put them to bed.

Yeah maybe that could have made things worse, or could have been better. Especially if Stevens bought into it and benched them the next game for staying out. These kids never really had to have much responsibilities. You can't expect them just to have it, it needs to be taught in lessons.

This team needs a KG BAD. Hell DA should just go to KG and say here 10mil to come in and scare the #$## out of these kids and get them on the right path for the year.

[Kuberski33]

The one thing that I never really expected that seems to finally be coming out is how much Kyrie and CBS weren’t exactly on the same page. If your star isn’t completely bought into what you’re trying to do you’re pretty much screwed regardless. He seemed enamored with him when he first got to Boston but that obviously changed quickly.

Usually when that happens, it's the coach who goes, but Stevens has a lot of capital built up with Ainge & ownership - and it's pretty obvious that Kyrie didn't make a lot of friends while he was here.  The situation 'resolved itself'. 

[playdream]

Kyrie didn't fail by himself.

But I'll keep saying this:


Kyrie wanted the mantle.

He wanted the spotlight.

He wanted to have a franchise to call his own.



He got all of that.

He wasted it.


He asked for the responsibility to be the leader and be the guy whose job it was to get all the younger guys -- who looked up to him -- to buy in.

He not only failed at doing that, he actually seemed to avoid that responsibility, at least by the second half of this season.



If you don't want to be blamed when team chemistry is a shambles, don't hold yourself out as the main man.

He never said he wanted those, stop putting up strawman out of blind hatred

[celticinorlando]

Kyrie did not like being challenged on or off the court by Brown. Brown probably called him out on his idiotic theories.

Rozier contributed a lot...as did Brown. Him and Tatum need to grow up.

Stevens was in a tough spot. When Kyrie sours on the coach it is over....see Cleveland.

I am all for clearing out everyone necessary. I think Hayward is a professional who just did not know his role and was just recovering from his injury.

Rozier and Kyrie are gone and I have no issues moving Brown for a big.

[playdream]

Look its not ideal that guys are going out late during the playoffs.

But as Celtics fans we revere Larry Bird who broke his hand in a BAR FIGHT during the playoffs. As NBA fans we love Jordan who was in casinos constantly during regular season and playoffs.

We only care when our team doesn't win, then we suddenly "discover" how these guys aren't hermetic warrior monks who only play basketball.

That's exactly what Kyrie is talking about, our young guys doesn't know what it takes to win a champ, he was proved to be right, so Brown and Rozier(and Tatum for that matter) think they are Bird or MJ?

If i'm Kyrie i will call their axx out in public too, because that's what they asked for and what they deserved

[celticinorlando]

Look its not ideal that guys are going out late during the playoffs.

But as Celtics fans we revere Larry Bird who broke his hand in a BAR FIGHT during the playoffs. As NBA fans we love Jordan who was in casinos constantly during regular season and playoffs.

We only care when our team doesn't win, then we suddenly "discover" how these guys aren't hermetic warrior monks who only play basketball.

That's exactly what Kyrie is talking about, our young guys doesn't know what it takes to win a champ, he was proved to be right, so Brown and Rozier(and Tatum for that matter) think they are Bird or MJ?

If i'm Kyrie i will call their axx out in public too, because that's what they asked for and what they deserved

Then you have to do the same to Kyrie...who flat out quit vs the Bucks in the playoffs. He also did not even try to play defense the entire season. Kyrie had problems with just about everyone on the Celtics...justified or not.

When Kyrie does not get his way he pouts and turns on everyone...did the same thing in Cleveland during the playoffs. Refused to talk to the coaches or players. His pattern of behavior stretches far and wide.

[PhoSita]

Kyrie didn't fail by himself.

But I'll keep saying this:


Kyrie wanted the mantle.

He wanted the spotlight.

He wanted to have a franchise to call his own.



He got all of that.

He wasted it.


He asked for the responsibility to be the leader and be the guy whose job it was to get all the younger guys -- who looked up to him -- to buy in.

He not only failed at doing that, he actually seemed to avoid that responsibility, at least by the second half of this season.



If you don't want to be blamed when team chemistry is a shambles, don't hold yourself out as the main man.

He never said he wanted those, stop putting up strawman out of blind hatred

He pretty explicitly did.

[Sketch5]

Kyrie did not like being challenged on or off the court by Brown. Brown probably called him out on his idiotic theories.

Rozier contributed a lot...as did Brown. Him and Tatum need to grow up.

Stevens was in a tough spot. When Kyrie sours on the coach it is over....see Cleveland.

I am all for clearing out everyone necessary. I think Hayward is a professional who just did not know his role and was just recovering from his injury.

Rozier and Kyrie are gone and I have no issues moving Brown for a big.

Yeah, this was a cluster $#$#. To many issues, and no way Steven(while should get some blame) could have pulled this all together by himself.

Rozier/Brown/Tatum are still kids, and have been center of attention most of their lives, and the run they had the prior year didn't help the ego. They didn't know how to adjust being in the shadow of some one else, and no one was seeming to help them. Kids need to be taught how to mature in lessons, either some  one pulls you aside, or you learn from bad situations on your own. Since the first did't happen, hopefully the second will.

Horford should have stepped up more, but not sure he's that kind of guy, it takes an other personality to pull of what KG did. Not everyone is like that. Hayward is the same, and were he was coming from injury, he probably didn't feel like it was his place to tell guys where they stood.

I think right before the deadline they had a run, so maybe DA thought about just keeping the team together the way it was and it was righting it's self, but that was a mistake. Or they just wanted to let it ride, and deal with it at the end of the season.

But I'm more into the team with grit. I like the Walker idea, an older guy who wants to win. If DA can get a big and add a good bench, this team could be really fun. We need a vet like Smart who will make the Big Baby's on the team cry when they don't do the right things. LOL That 08 team rarely had the best player on the floor, but they had the most grit and heart, and thats why it was possible for them to win. Lets get back to that and no more of this sexy superstar BS.

[jpotter33]

I saw a twitter photo of Jayson Tatum at a casino at like 2am during the playoffs. Unfortunately I am not surprised to hear about the young guys going out.

Kind of makes you crazy considering they have this entire offseason to party.

Tatum needs to grow the hell up!

As I read all of this, it makes me want Ainge to bring Kyrie back

Not sure how anyone could come to that conclusion after that article.

[gouki88]

Kyrie didn't fail by himself.

But I'll keep saying this:


Kyrie wanted the mantle.

He wanted the spotlight.

He wanted to have a franchise to call his own.



He got all of that.

He wasted it.


He asked for the responsibility to be the leader and be the guy whose job it was to get all the younger guys -- who looked up to him -- to buy in.

He not only failed at doing that, he actually seemed to avoid that responsibility, at least by the second half of this season.



If you don't want to be blamed when team chemistry is a shambles, don't hold yourself out as the main man.

He never said he wanted those, stop putting up strawman out of blind hatred

He pretty explicitly did.

Yeah, I was pretty pro-Kyrie all year, and have literally no problem with the true things Pho said about Kyrie.