I don't think Boston returns to 40 wins without Kyrie. I actually think Boston will be ok. They will play team basketball and be better on defense.
Kyrie does not fit Brad Stevens system. He does not play team basketball and he is a liability on defense.
Cs won't be flashy but they will play harder. I also think that Hayward will return to his Utah numbers and he will be an All Star.
My only question is what do they do with the draft picks.
I'm with you. I think a lot of celtics fans are sleeping on our players
I just think Kyrie demanded so much of the attention that guys had to defer. This created some serious rifts on this team.
I actually think it's more Hayward that took attention and touches away and created rifts. I don't think Kyrie demanded any more attention this year than he did last year when he played his 60 games. It was really Hayward coming in that disrupted everything.
Yeah, but it's against the rules to rag on Gordon. Even though it's just stating the obvious with him at this point, people get super sensitive about it. Nevermind the fact that Brad gives him more leeway than other guys and maybe it was the clear favoritism that upset the dynamic in the locker room. But no no. It's all Kyrie.
What is with people and Hayward? We get it, he wasn't a superstar this season, but he played pretty well. He moved the ball, was reasonably efficient/productive, and only took like 8 shots/game. Just because other players had their panties in a bunch over his presence doesn't mean he was the real problem. In fact, he wasn't a problem at all. This narrative is lame and lazy.
It is becoming quite obvious that the worst thing that could have happened to our team's future was making it to game 7 of the ECF. If we had just lost in round 1 to the Bucks like we should have, players would have better known their roles.
He wasn't the problem in terms of behavior and trying to find his role in the team, he was an All-Star that accepted a bench role and reduced minutes and tried to be more selfless and subordinate his role to that of his less illustrious teammates. Unlike others here, I certainly don't resent him for coming back the way he was and how they tried to encourage him and build his confidence back. I don't think he was sulking at all, he just looked lost. But his return was the catalyst that triggered off a cascading series of factors that ultimately all led to our failure to meet expectations this season. You could do a root cause analysis and track it all down:
Gordon returns, Stevens puts him in starting lineup to build his confidence = Mook and Smart play well > playing time for young players drops > creates resentment > Gordon and Jaylen struggle, go to bench > team struggles > Kyrie, probably insecure at the fact that the team made the ECF without him, tries to impose his will on unhappy young players by saying they lack experience, need to accept their role > publicly throws them under the bus > leads to disharmony and inconsistency > Ainge does nothing at the trade deadline, trying to keep assets for a run at AD
(which may not even happen now if Kyrie leaves)etc.
It certainly wasn't his fault that he started the season underdone and his return created friction, but it was certainly a catalyst (not the only one, Mook and Smart playing well and being promoted to the starting lineup was another one that derailed things for the young guys) for everything else that happened. It's unfortunate as he's probably the most selfless, team oriented player on the team and the one who tried the most to make the best of his situation.
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