Boston Globe: Kyrie quit on the Celtics in games 4 and 5

[PhoSita]

It couldn't have been more obvious.

[Chief]

I'm glad the guy is gone. Good riddance!

[GreenShooter]

I don't think he quit, but it's clear he gave up on trying to believe in his teammates. He knew they weren't going to show up so he tried to do everything himself which played directly into the Bucks' gameplan.

Its still amazing to me that people will come for Kyrie, but Gordon can pout and take 5 shots in a critical playoff game and no one says a word. Yeah, i know "but his ankle...." that doesn't effect body language and effort.

Who have you actually witnessed that wasn't critical of Gordon? You post a lot about how nobody criticises him, which is something I find to be simply false

I don't see nearly at the level that Kyrie gets it - who btw also had a second unplanned procedure on his knee that affected his offseason. The bending over backwards to make excuses for Gordon is also quite ridiculous at this point. Yes Gordon got hurt. Yes it sucked. But if he's out there he should be held to the same standard. It's pretty obvious he's been handled with kid gloves by management, the coaching staff, fans and media.

I've always said that if Kyrie had suffered an injury at the level of severity and put up the season Gordon did, the vitriol would be next level.

C'mon! This isn't even about injury or performance. We all know what the vitriol towards Kyrie is about. Gordon got blasted plenty during the season. Why continue now? We saw the implosion of this team and Kyrie should get the biggest slice of blame pie. He was a clown show.
Wait until next season and if GH doesn't return to all-star level he'll be run out of town. Believe it. You'll have to wait several month. Have patience.

[jambr380]

I don't think he quit, but it's clear he gave up on trying to believe in his teammates. He knew they weren't going to show up so he tried to do everything himself which played directly into the Bucks' gameplan.

Its still amazing to me that people will come for Kyrie, but Gordon can pout and take 5 shots in a critical playoff game and no one says a word. Yeah, i know "but his ankle...." that doesn't effect body language and effort.

Who have you actually witnessed that wasn't critical of Gordon? You post a lot about how nobody criticises him, which is something I find to be simply false

I don't see nearly at the level that Kyrie gets it - who btw also had a second unplanned procedure on his knee that affected his offseason. The bending over backwards to make excuses for Gordon is also quite ridiculous at this point. Yes Gordon got hurt. Yes it sucked. But if he's out there he should be held to the same standard. It's pretty obvious he's been handled with kid gloves by management, the coaching staff, fans and media.

I've always said that if Kyrie had suffered an injury at the level of severity and put up the season Gordon did, the vitriol would be next level.

I don't know - if the same thing had happened to Kyrie, I imagine people would be a lot more forgiving. Don't forget, everybody saw Hayward's injury with their own eyes - and it was just about as gruesome as we've ever seen in sports.

I don't think it is a race thing (not sure if that is what you are alluding to). People were also much more familiar with Kyrie than Hayward. Not only was Kyrie considered an international superstar, he was also helping bury us each year in the playoffs on his way to the Finals (with Lebron, of course). We all knew Hayward was a one-time All-Star and he had connections to Brad, but knew very little else about his game.

We never had a chance to be mad at Gordon because he went down so early in his Celtic career. But I do know that many people were disappointed and frustrated with his production and consistency last season - just look back at the threads.

[celticinorlando]

Addition by subtraction.

[playdream]

I don't think he quit, but it's clear he gave up on trying to believe in his teammates. He knew they weren't going to show up so he tried to do everything himself which played directly into the Bucks' gameplan.

Its still amazing to me that people will come for Kyrie, but Gordon can pout and take 5 shots in a critical playoff game and no one says a word. Yeah, i know "but his ankle...." that doesn't effect body language and effort.

Who have you actually witnessed that wasn't critical of Gordon? You post a lot about how nobody criticises him, which is something I find to be simply false

I'm never mad of Hayward, for me as long as he isn't healthy his performance will for sure take a discount, it's not what he can control so it's not a thing for me

As for Kyrie , he performed all year and played his ass off whether it's up or down, maybe he enters a physical slump at the worst possible time, but nonetheless as the best player on the team, calling himself a leader, and most importantly talks big but not perform makes him look very very bad, which he can't be excused off

[Green-18]

I don't think he quit, but it's clear he gave up on trying to believe in his teammates. He knew they weren't going to show up so he tried to do everything himself which played directly into the Bucks' gameplan.

Its still amazing to me that people will come for Kyrie, but Gordon can pout and take 5 shots in a critical playoff game and no one says a word. Yeah, i know "but his ankle...." that doesn't effect body language and effort.

Who have you actually witnessed that wasn't critical of Gordon? You post a lot about how nobody criticises him, which is something I find to be simply false

I don't see nearly at the level that Kyrie gets it - who btw also had a second unplanned procedure on his knee that affected his offseason. The bending over backwards to make excuses for Gordon is also quite ridiculous at this point. Yes Gordon got hurt. Yes it sucked. But if he's out there he should be held to the same standard. It's pretty obvious he's been handled with kid gloves by management, the coaching staff, fans and media.

I've always said that if Kyrie had suffered an injury at the level of severity and put up the season Gordon did, the vitriol would be next level.

Kyrie is a far more polarizing figure than Hayward.  All of us would have liked Hayward to play better against Milwaukee, especially after his resurgence during the last month of the regular season.  That said, there were a ton of chemistry issues that tore the team apart.

Gordon should certainly receive his fair share of criticism.  However, let's not forget that he was mentally broken for a good chunk of the season.  I'm sure the subtle resentment in the locker room was wearing him down.  He needed touches and freedom in order find his confidence.  At the same time, those touches were making his teammates second guess the priorities of the coaching staff.  No wonder the guy needed to see a sports psychologist.  It was a [dang]ed if you do, [dang]ed if you don't type of situation. 

Ultimately, this is where a lack of leadership comes into play.  Most reports indicate that the locker room was quiet and full of awkward tension.  It's frustrating because the solution seems pretty straightforward from the outside looking in.  Hayward accepted the bench role like he should have.  As soon as that happened, his teammates should have collectively made an effort to help him find his confidence.  Instead, it appears that Gordon was on an island by himself, while the rest of the team was having separate conflicts with each other.

 

[cltc5]

I wish people would just shut the hell up about how they feel about him with their opinions until the guy actually makes a decision.  Because if he does come back to Boston won’t the fans look like a bunch of idiots and won’t that look good to potential free agents that are considering coming to a city that as Ainge says...players are dying to play for.

Not saying he doesn’t have issues but brad, the young kids, etc all need to grow up too.  They were all part of the problem last year.

[gouki88]

I don't think he quit, but it's clear he gave up on trying to believe in his teammates. He knew they weren't going to show up so he tried to do everything himself which played directly into the Bucks' gameplan.

Its still amazing to me that people will come for Kyrie, but Gordon can pout and take 5 shots in a critical playoff game and no one says a word. Yeah, i know "but his ankle...." that doesn't effect body language and effort.

Who have you actually witnessed that wasn't critical of Gordon? You post a lot about how nobody criticises him, which is something I find to be simply false

I don't see nearly at the level that Kyrie gets it - who btw also had a second unplanned procedure on his knee that affected his offseason. The bending over backwards to make excuses for Gordon is also quite ridiculous at this point. Yes Gordon got hurt. Yes it sucked. But if he's out there he should be held to the same standard. It's pretty obvious he's been handled with kid gloves by management, the coaching staff, fans and media.

I've always said that if Kyrie had suffered an injury at the level of severity and put up the season Gordon did, the vitriol would be next level.

Kyrie is a far more polarizing figure than Hayward.  All of us would have liked Hayward to play better against Milwaukee, especially after his resurgence during the last month of the regular season.  That said, there were a ton of chemistry issues that tore the team apart.

Gordon should certainly receive his fair share of criticism.  However, let's not forget that he was mentally broken for a good chunk of the season.  I'm sure the subtle resentment in the locker room was wearing him down.  He needed touches and freedom in order find his confidence.  At the same time, those touches were making his teammates second guess the priorities of the coaching staff.  No wonder the guy needed to see a sports psychologist.  It was a [dang]ed if you do, [dang]ed if you don't type of situation. 

Ultimately, this is where a lack of leadership comes into play.  Most reports indicate that the locker room was quiet and full of awkward tension.  It's frustrating because the solution seems pretty straightforward from the outside looking in.  Hayward accepted the bench role like he should have.  As soon as that happened, his teammates should have collectively made an effort to help him find his confidence.  Instead, it appears that Gordon was on an island by himself, while the rest of the team was having separate conflicts with each other.

My thoughts exactly, TP.

[footey]

I don't think he quit, but it's clear he gave up on trying to believe in his teammates. He knew they weren't going to show up so he tried to do everything himself which played directly into the Bucks' gameplan.

Its still amazing to me that people will come for Kyrie, but Gordon can pout and take 5 shots in a critical playoff game and no one says a word. Yeah, i know "but his ankle...." that doesn't effect body language and effort.

Who have you actually witnessed that wasn't critical of Gordon? You post a lot about how nobody criticises him, which is something I find to be simply false

I don't see nearly at the level that Kyrie gets it - who btw also had a second unplanned procedure on his knee that affected his offseason. The bending over backwards to make excuses for Gordon is also quite ridiculous at this point. Yes Gordon got hurt. Yes it sucked. But if he's out there he should be held to the same standard. It's pretty obvious he's been handled with kid gloves by management, the coaching staff, fans and media.

I've always said that if Kyrie had suffered an injury at the level of severity and put up the season Gordon did, the vitriol would be next level.

Kyrie is a far more polarizing figure than Hayward.  All of us would have liked Hayward to play better against Milwaukee, especially after his resurgence during the last month of the regular season.  That said, there were a ton of chemistry issues that tore the team apart.

Gordon should certainly receive his fair share of criticism.  However, let's not forget that he was mentally broken for a good chunk of the season.  I'm sure the subtle resentment in the locker room was wearing him down.  He needed touches and freedom in order find his confidence.  At the same time, those touches were making his teammates second guess the priorities of the coaching staff.  No wonder the guy needed to see a sports psychologist.  It was a [dang]ed if you do, [dang]ed if you don't type of situation. 

Ultimately, this is where a lack of leadership comes into play.  Most reports indicate that the locker room was quiet and full of awkward tension.  It's frustrating because the solution seems pretty straightforward from the outside looking in.  Hayward accepted the bench role like he should have.  As soon as that happened, his teammates should have collectively made an effort to help him find his confidence.  Instead, it appears that Gordon was on an island by himself, while the rest of the team was having separate conflicts with each other.

Brad and Danny better address this before the next season, if there is any lingering resentment towards Hayward for getting starting PT before he was recovered.  Hayward doesn't strike me as someone to in their faces. Let's his game do the talking. This needs to be worked out ASAP.

[celticinorlando]

I don't think he quit, but it's clear he gave up on trying to believe in his teammates. He knew they weren't going to show up so he tried to do everything himself which played directly into the Bucks' gameplan.

Its still amazing to me that people will come for Kyrie, but Gordon can pout and take 5 shots in a critical playoff game and no one says a word. Yeah, i know "but his ankle...." that doesn't effect body language and effort.

Who have you actually witnessed that wasn't critical of Gordon? You post a lot about how nobody criticises him, which is something I find to be simply false

I don't see nearly at the level that Kyrie gets it - who btw also had a second unplanned procedure on his knee that affected his offseason. The bending over backwards to make excuses for Gordon is also quite ridiculous at this point. Yes Gordon got hurt. Yes it sucked. But if he's out there he should be held to the same standard. It's pretty obvious he's been handled with kid gloves by management, the coaching staff, fans and media.

I've always said that if Kyrie had suffered an injury at the level of severity and put up the season Gordon did, the vitriol would be next level.

Kyrie is a far more polarizing figure than Hayward.  All of us would have liked Hayward to play better against Milwaukee, especially after his resurgence during the last month of the regular season.  That said, there were a ton of chemistry issues that tore the team apart.

Gordon should certainly receive his fair share of criticism.  However, let's not forget that he was mentally broken for a good chunk of the season.  I'm sure the subtle resentment in the locker room was wearing him down.  He needed touches and freedom in order find his confidence.  At the same time, those touches were making his teammates second guess the priorities of the coaching staff.  No wonder the guy needed to see a sports psychologist.  It was a [dang]ed if you do, [dang]ed if you don't type of situation. 

Ultimately, this is where a lack of leadership comes into play.  Most reports indicate that the locker room was quiet and full of awkward tension.  It's frustrating because the solution seems pretty straightforward from the outside looking in.  Hayward accepted the bench role like he should have.  As soon as that happened, his teammates should have collectively made an effort to help him find his confidence.  Instead, it appears that Gordon was on an island by himself, while the rest of the team was having separate conflicts with each other.

Brad and Danny better address this before the next season, if there is any lingering resentment towards Hayward for getting starting PT before he was recovered.  Hayward doesn't strike me as someone to in their faces. Let's his game do the talking. This needs to be worked out ASAP.

I do not think this will be an issue because the malcontents are being purged from the roster.

[RJ87]

I don't think he quit, but it's clear he gave up on trying to believe in his teammates. He knew they weren't going to show up so he tried to do everything himself which played directly into the Bucks' gameplan.

Its still amazing to me that people will come for Kyrie, but Gordon can pout and take 5 shots in a critical playoff game and no one says a word. Yeah, i know "but his ankle...." that doesn't effect body language and effort.

Who have you actually witnessed that wasn't critical of Gordon? You post a lot about how nobody criticises him, which is something I find to be simply false

I don't see nearly at the level that Kyrie gets it - who btw also had a second unplanned procedure on his knee that affected his offseason. The bending over backwards to make excuses for Gordon is also quite ridiculous at this point. Yes Gordon got hurt. Yes it sucked. But if he's out there he should be held to the same standard. It's pretty obvious he's been handled with kid gloves by management, the coaching staff, fans and media.

I've always said that if Kyrie had suffered an injury at the level of severity and put up the season Gordon did, the vitriol would be next level.

Kyrie is a far more polarizing figure than Hayward.  All of us would have liked Hayward to play better against Milwaukee, especially after his resurgence during the last month of the regular season.  That said, there were a ton of chemistry issues that tore the team apart.

Gordon should certainly receive his fair share of criticism.  However, let's not forget that he was mentally broken for a good chunk of the season.  I'm sure the subtle resentment in the locker room was wearing him down.  He needed touches and freedom in order find his confidence.  At the same time, those touches were making his teammates second guess the priorities of the coaching staff.  No wonder the guy needed to see a sports psychologist.  It was a [dang]ed if you do, [dang]ed if you don't type of situation. 

Ultimately, this is where a lack of leadership comes into play.  Most reports indicate that the locker room was quiet and full of awkward tension.  It's frustrating because the solution seems pretty straightforward from the outside looking in.  Hayward accepted the bench role like he should have.  As soon as that happened, his teammates should have collectively made an effort to help him find his confidence.  Instead, it appears that Gordon was on an island by himself, while the rest of the team was having separate conflicts with each other.

And this is exactly what I'm referring to.

" All of us would have liked Hayward to play better against Milwaukee, especially after his resurgence during the last month of the regular season.  That said, there were a ton of chemistry issues that tore the team apart."

Okay and? I'm sorry, but that is applicable to every member of the team. Gordon isn't the only one affected by chemistry issues. He's not a victim. Especially considering the favoritism of him by the coaching staff reportedly contributed to the issues. Especially when his wife is on social media after he takes 5 shots in a game claiming he's unappreciated and the team won't let him be great. Imagine if Kyrie's fiancee did the same thing? This whole board would be in ashes.

""However, let's not forget that he was mentally broken for a good chunk of the season."

Again, woe is me. If he's that mentally fragile from game to game, we're in for a world of trouble. Are we not expecting our max players to have a little mental fortitude? Or just certain ones?

[Green-18]

I don't think he quit, but it's clear he gave up on trying to believe in his teammates. He knew they weren't going to show up so he tried to do everything himself which played directly into the Bucks' gameplan.

Its still amazing to me that people will come for Kyrie, but Gordon can pout and take 5 shots in a critical playoff game and no one says a word. Yeah, i know "but his ankle...." that doesn't effect body language and effort.

Who have you actually witnessed that wasn't critical of Gordon? You post a lot about how nobody criticises him, which is something I find to be simply false

I don't see nearly at the level that Kyrie gets it - who btw also had a second unplanned procedure on his knee that affected his offseason. The bending over backwards to make excuses for Gordon is also quite ridiculous at this point. Yes Gordon got hurt. Yes it sucked. But if he's out there he should be held to the same standard. It's pretty obvious he's been handled with kid gloves by management, the coaching staff, fans and media.

I've always said that if Kyrie had suffered an injury at the level of severity and put up the season Gordon did, the vitriol would be next level.

Kyrie is a far more polarizing figure than Hayward.  All of us would have liked Hayward to play better against Milwaukee, especially after his resurgence during the last month of the regular season.  That said, there were a ton of chemistry issues that tore the team apart.

Gordon should certainly receive his fair share of criticism.  However, let's not forget that he was mentally broken for a good chunk of the season.  I'm sure the subtle resentment in the locker room was wearing him down.  He needed touches and freedom in order find his confidence.  At the same time, those touches were making his teammates second guess the priorities of the coaching staff.  No wonder the guy needed to see a sports psychologist.  It was a [dang]ed if you do, [dang]ed if you don't type of situation. 

Ultimately, this is where a lack of leadership comes into play.  Most reports indicate that the locker room was quiet and full of awkward tension.  It's frustrating because the solution seems pretty straightforward from the outside looking in.  Hayward accepted the bench role like he should have.  As soon as that happened, his teammates should have collectively made an effort to help him find his confidence.  Instead, it appears that Gordon was on an island by himself, while the rest of the team was having separate conflicts with each other.

Brad and Danny better address this before the next season, if there is any lingering resentment towards Hayward for getting starting PT before he was recovered.  Hayward doesn't strike me as someone to in their faces. Let's his game do the talking. This needs to be worked out ASAP.

I do not think this will be an issue because the malcontents are being purged from the roster.

Same here.  The Kyrie drama overshadowed everything else.  Hayward's recovery likely took a backseat to everything else that was going on behind scenes.  I doubt there will be any lingering resentment next season. 

[gouki88]

I don't think he quit, but it's clear he gave up on trying to believe in his teammates. He knew they weren't going to show up so he tried to do everything himself which played directly into the Bucks' gameplan.

Its still amazing to me that people will come for Kyrie, but Gordon can pout and take 5 shots in a critical playoff game and no one says a word. Yeah, i know "but his ankle...." that doesn't effect body language and effort.

Who have you actually witnessed that wasn't critical of Gordon? You post a lot about how nobody criticises him, which is something I find to be simply false

I don't see nearly at the level that Kyrie gets it - who btw also had a second unplanned procedure on his knee that affected his offseason. The bending over backwards to make excuses for Gordon is also quite ridiculous at this point. Yes Gordon got hurt. Yes it sucked. But if he's out there he should be held to the same standard. It's pretty obvious he's been handled with kid gloves by management, the coaching staff, fans and media.

I've always said that if Kyrie had suffered an injury at the level of severity and put up the season Gordon did, the vitriol would be next level.

Kyrie is a far more polarizing figure than Hayward.  All of us would have liked Hayward to play better against Milwaukee, especially after his resurgence during the last month of the regular season.  That said, there were a ton of chemistry issues that tore the team apart.

Gordon should certainly receive his fair share of criticism.  However, let's not forget that he was mentally broken for a good chunk of the season.  I'm sure the subtle resentment in the locker room was wearing him down.  He needed touches and freedom in order find his confidence.  At the same time, those touches were making his teammates second guess the priorities of the coaching staff.  No wonder the guy needed to see a sports psychologist.  It was a [dang]ed if you do, [dang]ed if you don't type of situation. 

Ultimately, this is where a lack of leadership comes into play.  Most reports indicate that the locker room was quiet and full of awkward tension.  It's frustrating because the solution seems pretty straightforward from the outside looking in.  Hayward accepted the bench role like he should have.  As soon as that happened, his teammates should have collectively made an effort to help him find his confidence.  Instead, it appears that Gordon was on an island by himself, while the rest of the team was having separate conflicts with each other.

And this is exactly what I'm referring to.

" All of us would have liked Hayward to play better against Milwaukee, especially after his resurgence during the last month of the regular season.  That said, there were a ton of chemistry issues that tore the team apart."

Okay and? I'm sorry, but that is applicable to every member of the team. Gordon isn't the one affected by chemistry issues. He's not a victim. Especially considering the favoritism of him by the coaching staff reportedly contributed to the issues. Especially when his wife is on social media after he takes 5 shots in a game claiming he's unappreciated and the team won't let him be great. Imagine if Kyrie's fiancee did the same thing? This whole board would be in ashes.

""However, let's not forget that he was mentally broken for a good chunk of the season."

Again, woe is me. If he's that mentally fragile from game to game, we're in for a world of trouble. Are we not expecting our max players to have a little mental fortitude? Or just certain ones?

Jeez

[celticinorlando]

Hayward was not 100 percent healthy last season. The second surgery was a little more serious than many thought.

In addition, with Kyrie and Rozier, Hayward just couldn't exist. Just did not work for him. I expect this year he will be a focal point of running the offense and he will be is much better shape physically and mentally.

Not really worried about Hayward.