Can Kyrie Irving and Coach Brad Stevens co-exist?

[KGBirdBias]

If Ainge floated a story that "Boston may be looking to go in another direction." This would really be a wake up call to Kyrie. Right now he's acting like he holds all the cards and how he goes the team goes.

[BlackCeltic]

I'm with the poster who said Kyrie should go to Ainge and tell him he's not resigning. I will take it a step further and say Ainge should go to Kyrie and tell him, the team will be moving in a different direction next year.

This would in essence stop all of his pouting and motivate him and the others to play better. The others may feel like Ainge will unload them to resign. Kyrie and trade for AD. Reverse the tables and let's see who is motivated to play.

Brad ruined this team by starting Morris for too long. Its embarrassing.

[LilRip]

It’s not a Kyrie issue. That team last year didn’t win all those games in the regular season despite Kyrie. It’s a total team chemistry thing. Honestly, putting Hayward in there has thrown guys off rhythm. Rozier getting a taste as a starting guard has thrown guys off rhythm. Starting Morris has thrown guys off rhythm.

Last year? The pecking order was clear. Kyrie. Horford. And then either of Brown/Tatum.

This year? Kyrie. Tatum... Morris? Brown? Horford? Hayward? Rozier? They’re all trying to be the “good guy” and sacrifice their game while also trying to get theirs and prove their worth.

[Tr1boy]

I'm with the poster who said Kyrie should go to Ainge and tell him he's not resigning. I will take it a step further and say Ainge should go to Kyrie and tell him, the team will be moving in a different direction next year.

This would in essence stop all of his pouting and motivate him and the others to play better. The others may feel like Ainge will unload them to resign. Kyrie and trade for AD. Reverse the tables and let's see who is motivated to play.

unlikely to happen....but the recent interviews/body language is a dead giveaway

Ainge doesn't have to tell Irving the team is not interested to resign him (if this how he feels currently).... because Irving will leave 1st

THE only way this doesn't happen is that the team makes it to the finals.  And 50 percent chance he stays if at least team makes the ECF (even with all of this regular season turmoil)

[Rosco917]

This team is in a painful position.

Either step forward, get rid of some of the youth, keep Kyrie and shoot for AD.

Or...Don't sign Kyrie, step back and build off the youth.


How about trying to sign Kimba Walker...and shoot for AD? Walker doesn't have nearly the ego or personality of Kyrie.

[ozgod]

I suggest the following reading assignments:

https://www.boston.com/sports/nba/2019/03/01/adam-silver-sloan-nba-unhappy

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/3/4/18249721/boston-celtics-kyrie-irving-brad-stevens-crisis

The team has several problems that are not his fault, but Kyrie does not have the emotional makeup to fit as a Celtic. He is unhappy with the whole NBA experience

I'd read that first one but the Ringer article from Kevin O'Connor is intriguing, TP for posting. The comments about how quiet the locker room is telling. I can imagine how awkward it probably feels. Kyrie's change in demeanor after being asked about his future in Boston in the light of AD's trade demand could mean any number of things: a) he's mad that he got asked something he already committed to just because another player made a trade demand; b) he's mad because internally he's already out of here and the reporting confirmed it early; or c) he's mad that the media is trying to destabilize the team. He's already said multiple times how the media destroys locker rooms.

Here's the team's stats pre- and post-the AD trade, it's pretty stark:

PRE-AD TRADE DEMAND (Season start to Jan 28)



POST-AD TRADE DEMAND (Jan 29 onwards)

[KGBirdBias]

This team is in a painful position.

Either step forward, get rid of some of the youth, keep Kyrie and shoot for AD.

Or...Don't sign Kyrie, step back and build off the youth.


How about trying to sign Kimba Walker...and shoot for AD? Walker doesn't have nearly the ego or personality of Kyrie.

Option #2 please

[Who]

I suggest the following reading assignments:

https://www.boston.com/sports/nba/2019/03/01/adam-silver-sloan-nba-unhappy

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/3/4/18249721/boston-celtics-kyrie-irving-brad-stevens-crisis

The team has several problems that are not his fault, but Kyrie does not have the emotional makeup to fit as a Celtic. He is unhappy with the whole NBA experience

This is from the second link

There are currently two NBA soap operas captivating audiences: Schadenfreude West, starring LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, and Schadenfreude East, starring Irving and the Boston Celtics. The two most storied franchises in league history are having seasons of crisis.

I read that and I just thought that was funny.

Two ex-teammates. Two main player and leaders of the successful but highly dysfunctional Cleveland Cavaliers.

They leave to get away from that nonsense. To go to more successful surroundings. Only to create / recreate dysfunction on their new teams. Why? Because those two divas were the ones that made Cleveland into a mess in the first place.   

Gone is Cleveland as the NBA's messiest locker room. Enter new team LeBron (Lakers) and new team Kyrie (Boston).

[Jamilmac99]

I have never wanted a player OFF of the Celtics more than Kyrie. He has completely failed at the leadership position. I don't even know if Davis is still a possibility. Perhaps we just re-tool and see how far we can get with the young guns.

[PhoSita]

I suggest the following reading assignments:

https://www.boston.com/sports/nba/2019/03/01/adam-silver-sloan-nba-unhappy

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/3/4/18249721/boston-celtics-kyrie-irving-brad-stevens-crisis

The team has several problems that are not his fault, but Kyrie does not have the emotional makeup to fit as a Celtic. He is unhappy with the whole NBA experience

This is from the second link

There are currently two NBA soap operas captivating audiences: Schadenfreude West, starring LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, and Schadenfreude East, starring Irving and the Boston Celtics. The two most storied franchises in league history are having seasons of crisis.

I read that and I just thought that was funny.

Two ex-teammates. Two main player and leaders of the successful but highly dysfunctional Cleveland Cavaliers.

They leave to get away from that nonsense. To go to more successful surroundings. Only to create / recreate dysfunction on their new teams. Why? Because those two divas were the ones that made Cleveland into a mess in the first place.   

Gone is Cleveland as the NBA's messiest locker room. Enter new team LeBron (Lakers) and new team Kyrie (Boston).

Yep.  It's a valuable, costly lesson for the Celts -- sometimes a dysfunctional franchise isn't only dysfunctional because of a bad owner.  If you take on guys from bad locker rooms there's always a risk they'll blow up your locker room.

[arctic 3.0]

I’ve seriously had enough.
Kyrie is not leading this team to victory, he is leading us to a lost season.

At this point i’d be ok benching him, permanently.
Make Smart the starting point guard, re-insert Brown into the starting line up and see if the kids can recapture the magic. What’s the worst that could happen? Could it be worse then loosing 5 of 6 out of the all star break?

Happy to let him walk after the season, happy to run out there next year with out a “star”. Happy to get back to the underdog persona that has made winning in the cbs era so enjoyable to watch.

I don’t fault Ainge for taking the gamble, I just hope they realize that it failed, and make the move with (maybe) enough time to save the season.

[KGBirdBias]

I suggest the following reading assignments:

https://www.boston.com/sports/nba/2019/03/01/adam-silver-sloan-nba-unhappy

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/3/4/18249721/boston-celtics-kyrie-irving-brad-stevens-crisis

The team has several problems that are not his fault, but Kyrie does not have the emotional makeup to fit as a Celtic. He is unhappy with the whole NBA experience

This is from the second link

There are currently two NBA soap operas captivating audiences: Schadenfreude West, starring LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, and Schadenfreude East, starring Irving and the Boston Celtics. The two most storied franchises in league history are having seasons of crisis.

I read that and I just thought that was funny.

Two ex-teammates. Two main player and leaders of the successful but highly dysfunctional Cleveland Cavaliers.

They leave to get away from that nonsense. To go to more successful surroundings. Only to create / recreate dysfunction on their new teams. Why? Because those two divas were the ones that made Cleveland into a mess in the first place.   

Gone is Cleveland as the NBA's messiest locker room. Enter new team LeBron (Lakers) and new team Kyrie (Boston).

This is it. Both are drama queens and it has spread to both teams.

[Kuberski33]

This team is in a painful position.

Either step forward, get rid of some of the youth, keep Kyrie and shoot for AD.

Or...Don't sign Kyrie, step back and build off the youth.


How about trying to sign Kimba Walker...and shoot for AD? Walker doesn't have nearly the ego or personality of Kyrie.

The team also faces the possibility that Horford could opt out.  And then where are they?

It sounds like no one save for Tatum likes Kyrie so it may be time for the addition by subtraction thing.  I'd start by asking him if he wants to play here the rest of the season and if the response isn't what they want to hear, send him home.  If nothing else it will improve the locker room.

This team as currently constituted has no chance of getting out of the first round, let alone winning a title so there really isn't much to lose. 

[Triplenickle]

I don't like the thought of Kyrie, Davis, and Hayward anyway. It would have all kinds of defensive weaknesses unless Davis is some kind of defensive stud, but it didn't seem that way last year. Or this year

Then you gotta worry about Kyrie controlling everyone's touches... which is the main problem this year.

I say let him walk...but Danny probably wants to get assets, which doesn't make much sense actually.

Danny  truly doesn't understand chemistry. Only "talent" and what he can get. Doesn't seem to matter to him that shortly down the road he can't pay em all, and will part with the wrong players because of it.

[Big333223]

I suggest the following reading assignments:

https://www.boston.com/sports/nba/2019/03/01/adam-silver-sloan-nba-unhappy

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/3/4/18249721/boston-celtics-kyrie-irving-brad-stevens-crisis

The team has several problems that are not his fault, but Kyrie does not have the emotional makeup to fit as a Celtic. He is unhappy with the whole NBA experience

I'd read that first one but the Ringer article from Kevin O'Connor is intriguing, TP for posting. The comments about how quiet the locker room is telling. I can imagine how awkward it probably feels. Kyrie's change in demeanor after being asked about his future in Boston in the light of AD's trade demand could mean any number of things: a) he's mad that he got asked something he already committed to just because another player made a trade demand; b) he's mad because internally he's already out of here and the reporting confirmed it early; or c) he's mad that the media is trying to destabilize the team. He's already said multiple times how the media destroys locker rooms.

Here's the team's stats pre- and post-the AD trade, it's pretty stark:

PRE-AD TRADE DEMAND (Season start to Jan 28)



POST-AD TRADE DEMAND (Jan 29 onwards)

TP for posting.

Lots of interesting stuff in The Ringer piece but I found Silver's comments really interesting. It makes sense. The rise of the internet, social media, and personal devices has everyone isolating more. The growth of the NBA has made the experience more corporate. The phrase "it's a business" is almost parodic now. And if it's all just a business, that makes these players a commodity, right?

Throw in AAU and the one-and-done culture, where would we expect these guys to learn how to become teammates? Where do they learn to value friendship or loyalty?

I'm ranting and blowing it out of proportion but I also think there's something there.