Jackie MacMullen Article on the Celtics Season

[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

He pretty explicitly did.

In your delusion?

I mean, he absolutely did say this on multiple occasions, especially it being regarded as his team and him being the “leader” and best player on the team. It is also widely known that this is one of the main reasons he wanted out of Lebron’s shadow.

Strange argument to make against such a well-know fact.

If so then where is the quote?

He did say he is a leader and wants to lead but that's all , he didn't say those things you put in his mouth

[soulman]

“I want Kyrie to find happiness,” Stevens says. “If he does move on, I wish him nothing but good health and success. I saw a lot of great qualities in him.” Those qualities have been muted by the scorn of a jilted fan base that feels duped and betrayed by its point guard and his soon-to-be former teammates, who seemingly were assembled for a memorable title run. “I really don’t think it’s anyone’s fault,” Stevens says. “If you blame anyone, it’s me. I’m the guy who couldn’t fit the pieces.” – via ESPN

I would say the same thing, it just didn't workout and i'm sad it didn't. Best of luck Uncle Drew.

[Jiri Welsch]

There's actually already a thread about this. In the future you can just look to the "Latest Discussions" tab on the right and it typically will show you what most of the day's discussions are.

Get in on that talk!

[Silas]

Stevens says. “If you blame anyone, it’s me. I’m the guy who couldn’t fit the pieces.”

You got that right!

[RJ87]

These guys don’t need to report for work till like 4pm so being out at 2 am, in and of itself, means nothing. If they are drinking heavily, then that’s a different story. It’s kind of hard to come down from all the adrenaline flowing through their bodies at 10pm to sound asleep by midnight.

I'm sure they're only having meaningful conversations in the clubs on Miami Beach until 5am.

Btw, they weren't out until 2am. That's when the team got into town and guys still went out.

I know that but go to bed by 5am, wake up by 1pm. It’s enough sleep. I’m just saying guys generally go out to dinner after a game. They are probably never home till 2am. Staying up a bit later doesn’t mean they aren’t serious about winning.

Teams usually have walk throughs and film sessions earlier in the day on game day. Again, they should have a life off the court. But I also want players to have enough awareness to say "our record isn't that great right now, it's the middle of a tough back-to-back. Maybe I shouldn't be out partying until at least 5am."

And if you do party, at least bring it the next day. Miami blew us out that night. Tatum went 4/11, Brown went 1/5 (and got into it with Morris), and Terry went 1/8.

[nickagneta]

The article, in some ways, shows that Kyrie's heart was in the right place, as a leader, for quite a while before seemingly having had enough on that Florida road trip and making the mistake of going public on the decision Hayward made with that last second pass and then later commenting publicly about the young guys.

Kyrie was absolutely right to be peeved about the young players' decision to go party in the middle of the night in the middle of a home then away back to back. Clearly, it affected Brown's and Rozier's play, at the very least, in that Miami game and was probably the reason Stevens had them playing only 13 and 16 minutes, respectively, that night. Remembering the game though, no one played well that night. It was a pretty uninspiring performance from everyone.

But you know what? The young guys are young guys that are millionaires. They lead a lifestyle that has them working from 5PM to 11PM and then sometimes traveling into the middle of the night. They are encouraged to sleep late into the day to rest their bodies and some take afternoon naps to replenish their energy before games. So their time to socialize and have fun is going to be from 11PM and on. That's what players do, it's not just a young guy thing.

So the Miami story doesn't surprise me nor does it bother me. Those young guys will eventually learn to still bring it nightly even if they are going to be out late at night or will curtail that behavior some and learn not to do it on certain nights, like nights before games, or they will continue to do it to the point it affects their overall performance and career and the team moves on from them.

This going out late in Miami story has happened to every team just about every year at least once a year. On teams with little veteran guidance, it probably happens constantly throughout the season. I don't think it's a big deal. And prediction, it will probably happen at least one time again this year(and we likely won't hear about it). Maybe with a new set young guys.

[ozgod]

None of what Jackie Mac wrote in that article comes as a surprise to me. It was a multi-level organizational failure with multiple causes that led to a cascading series of events, all intertwined:

2017:
Gordon gets injured > young guys get accelerated development and responsibility > team including Kyrie wins 2nd seed > Kyrie gets injured, misses playoffs > team makes ECF beating Bucks in 7, Sixers in 5 and loses to Cavs in 7 >

2018: Gordon returns, meaning less minutes for young players who overachieved last year > Stevens puts Gordon 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, unhappy at team performance and probably insecure at the fact that the team made the ECF without him and maybe won't listen to 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 > Team bombs out in 2nd round losing 4 straight

2019 summer: Kyrie and Al decide to leave > Ainge doesn't pull the trigger on AD after all because of uncertainty over Kyrie and over AD long term > team is in flux

Anyone who wants to blame this on only one person or cause is being short sighted or just scapegoating. Kyrie has a considerable share of the blame because he was the team leader. Ainge and Stevens share a lot of the blame because they have command responsibility for the team and its composition. But they're not the only people to blame - some of the people to blame are still in the team and my hope is that they use/d the summer to take a good look at themselves in the mirror and take ownership of what they did wrong. Because otherwise they won't learn from the mistakes of this season and may be doomed to repeat them next season.

[Donoghus]

Anyone who wants to blame this on only one person or cause is being short sighted or just scapegoating. Kyrie has a considerable share of the blame because he was the team leader. Ainge and Stevens share a lot of the blame because they have command responsibility for the team and its composition. But they're not the only people to blame - some of the people to blame are still in the team and my hope is that they use/d the summer to take a good look at themselves in the mirror and take ownership of what they did wrong. Because otherwise they won't learn from the mistakes of this season and may be doomed to repeat them next season.

Spot on.  Well said. 

[obnoxiousmime]

This article brings up something I've been concerned about the last week as the blame Kyrie stories and tweets have started to percolate. While he deserves a large share of the blame pie, a lot of other issues from last season didn't seem related to him. If those issues aren't acknowledged, how will they be prevented next season?

Also, lost in the Kemba excitement is the fact that replacing one high-usage PG with another would seem to just repeat the scenario last season where the young players moaned about touches and minutes. Sure, Rozier would be gone but what about Tatum and Brown? They got two weeks of "Celts should refocus on featuring the kids" stories and now it looks like they're back to square one.

[RJ87]

None of what Jackie Mac wrote in that article comes as a surprise to me. It was a multi-level organizational failure with multiple causes that led to a cascading series of events, all intertwined:

2017:
Gordon gets injured > young guys get accelerated development and responsibility > team including Kyrie wins 2nd seed > Kyrie gets injured, misses playoffs > team makes ECF beating Bucks in 7, Sixers in 5 and loses to Cavs in 7 >

2018: Gordon returns, meaning less minutes for young players who overachieved last year > Stevens puts Gordon 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, unhappy at team performance and probably insecure at the fact that the team made the ECF without him and maybe won't listen to 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 > Team bombs out in 2nd round losing 4 straight

2019 summer: Kyrie and Al decide to leave > Ainge doesn't pull the trigger on AD after all because of uncertainty over Kyrie and over AD long term > team is in flux

Anyone who wants to blame this on only one person or cause is being short sighted or just scapegoating. Kyrie has a considerable share of the blame because he was the team leader. Ainge and Stevens share a lot of the blame because they have command responsibility for the team and its composition. But they're not the only people to blame - some of the people to blame are still in the team and my hope is that they use/d the summer to take a good look at themselves in the mirror and take ownership of what they did wrong. Because otherwise they won't learn from the mistakes of this season and may be doomed to repeat them next season.

TP.

[Jiri Welsch]

This article brings up something I've been concerned about the last week as the blame Kyrie stories and tweets have started to percolate. While he deserves a large share of the blame pie, a lot of other issues from last season didn't seem related to him. If those issues aren't acknowledged, how will they be prevented next season?

Also, lost in the Kemba excitement is the fact that replacing one high-usage PG with another would seem to just repeat the scenario last season where the young players moaned about touches and minutes. Sure, Rozier would be gone but what about Tatum and Brown? They got two weeks of "Celts should refocus on featuring the kids" stories and now it looks like they're back to square one.

Two things:

(1) We won't have Al, Kyrie, Morris, and Rozier. That's 48 FGA per game freed up. Last year, Kemba averaged 20 FGA per game. He'll likely average something closer to 17-18 next year.

That means between Hayward, Tatum, and Brown, there will be at least 25 more shots to spread between the three of them (assuming guys like Smart or Semi take a couple more as well).

(2) It's safe to assume Kemba will play more "team-oriented" ball than he did in Charlotte. As I said in another thread, this will be the first time Kemba can likely afford to be a distributor and off-ball player for many possessions. I think Kemba wants to win first and foremost. He’s not going to throw a hissy fit if Brad asks him to get some others players involved throughout the first 3 1/2 quarters.

[ozgod]

I can't wait till the pearl clutchers about being out at 2 AM find out about KG and Pierce.

Getting the job done and winning tends to make people forgive a lot of things. My boss once told me he didn't mind if I partied all night or lay on the beach all day as long as I hit my deliverables. If I didn't, well then maybe partying all night or laying on the beach all day might become an issue.

[Sketch5]

This article brings up something I've been concerned about the last week as the blame Kyrie stories and tweets have started to percolate. While he deserves a large share of the blame pie, a lot of other issues from last season didn't seem related to him. If those issues aren't acknowledged, how will they be prevented next season?

Also, lost in the Kemba excitement is the fact that replacing one high-usage PG with another would seem to just repeat the scenario last season where the young players moaned about touches and minutes. Sure, Rozier would be gone but what about Tatum and Brown? They got two weeks of "Celts should refocus on featuring the kids" stories and now it looks like they're back to square one.

Two things:

(1) We won't have Al, Kyrie, Morris, and Rozier. That's 48 FGA per game freed up. Last year, Kemba averaged 20 FGA per game. He'll likely average something closer to 17-18 next year.

That means between Hayward, Tatum, and Brown, there will be at least 25 more shots to spread between the three of them (assuming guys like Smart or Semi take a couple more as well).

(2) It's safe to assume Kemba will play more "team-oriented" ball than he did in Charlotte. As I said in another thread, this will be the first time Kemba can likely afford to be a distributor and off-ball player for many possessions. I think Kemba wants to win first and foremost. He’s not going to throw a hissy fit if Brad asks him to get some others players involved throughout the first 3 1/2 quarters.

Also if the team isn't watching Irving play ISO and they move the ball and Tatum cuts back on his ISO, wouldn't there be more shots on top of that? Maybe only 5 or 10 extra that they would get not wasting time watching Irving do his thing, but every little bit helps.

[ozgod]

This article brings up something I've been concerned about the last week as the blame Kyrie stories and tweets have started to percolate. While he deserves a large share of the blame pie, a lot of other issues from last season didn't seem related to him. If those issues aren't acknowledged, how will they be prevented next season?

Also, lost in the Kemba excitement is the fact that replacing one high-usage PG with another would seem to just repeat the scenario last season where the young players moaned about touches and minutes. Sure, Rozier would be gone but what about Tatum and Brown? They got two weeks of "Celts should refocus on featuring the kids" stories and now it looks like they're back to square one.

If they chose to react the same way as they did last season that would really be an ill-advised move for both of them. Nobody's entitled to a starting spot or minutes, you have to earn it. If they can't deal with it I would move them. You can't have people playing from a different hymn sheet when you're trying to put together an orchestra.

[nickagneta]

This article brings up something I've been concerned about the last week as the blame Kyrie stories and tweets have started to percolate. While he deserves a large share of the blame pie, a lot of other issues from last season didn't seem related to him. If those issues aren't acknowledged, how will they be prevented next season?

Also, lost in the Kemba excitement is the fact that replacing one high-usage PG with another would seem to just repeat the scenario last season where the young players moaned about touches and minutes. Sure, Rozier would be gone but what about Tatum and Brown? They got two weeks of "Celts should refocus on featuring the kids" stories and now it looks like they're back to square one.

Two things:

(1) We won't have Al, Kyrie, Morris, and Rozier. That's 48 FGA per game freed up. Last year, Kemba averaged 20 FGA per game. He'll likely average something closer to 17-18 next year.

That means between Hayward, Tatum, and Brown, there will be at least 25 more shots to spread between the three of them (assuming guys like Smart or Semi take a couple more as well).

(2) It's safe to assume Kemba will play more "team-oriented" ball than he did in Charlotte. As I said in another thread, this will be the first time Kemba can likely afford to be a distributor and off-ball player for many possessions. I think Kemba wants to win first and foremost. He’s not going to throw a hissy fit if Brad asks him to get some others players involved throughout the first 3 1/2 quarters.

While you have to consider a starting center probably taking 10 shots, you point is a good one and still stands as I can easily see Brown and Tatum getting about 3-4 more shots a piece and Hayward as many as 5 more FGAs. I said this elsewhere but I could easily see our top 4 guys taking the following amount of shots:

Hayward 14
Brown 14
Tatum 16
Kemba 18.

All 4 guys should average between 15-22 PPG, IMO.