Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving has been to the playoffs four times, with each occurrence coming in the last four season. He’s also been to three NBA Finals series’.
If there’s anyone on the team that know what it takes for Boston to reach the Finals, it’s him.
In terms of what the Celtics need specifically, Irving believes that Boston has to show it can win games on the road just as well as they can at home. Especially with them seeming like a lock for the fifth-seed in Eastern Conference Playoffs, meaning that there won’t be too many chances for them to play in a series that they have homecourt advantage.
Boston is a team with a number of players with high basketball IQ and one of the best strategists as their head coach in Brad Stevens, so that doesn’t project to be a problem for the Celtics. However, the team’s mental makeup has been a concern throughout and if there’s a case in which Boston finds themselves against the ropes — either in a game or in a series — they’ll have to show they have the mental fortitude to weather the storm.
That’s still a question for the Celtics, as they don’t seem to be like the tough and gritty teams for Boston in past seasons.
However, Irving, who recently said he didn’t see any team beating Boston in a seven-game series, would double-down on those comments following the team’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Comparing the Celtics this season to his last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2016-17), Irving said “we lose a bunch of games in a row and we end up sweeping the whole Eastern Conference. I don’t think anybody in the Eastern Conference can really compete with us at a high level when we’re playing the way ”
In Irving’s final season with the Cavs, Cleveland lost four straight games entering the playoffs before sweeping their first round and semifinals opponents, the Indiana Pacers and the Toronto Raptors, respectively. They defeated the Celtics 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals, with their sole loss being a 108-111 nailbiter in Game 3.
There would seem to be a big difference in those Cleveland teams and the one in Boston, as those Cavs teams employed not just the best player in the league in LeBron James but a player who when paired with Irving was one of the game’s most dynamic and impactful 1-2 punches. Though Celtics sophomore forward Jayson Tatum is a rising star, he isn’t nearly as dominant as James nor as complimentary with his skillset.
Consequently, Irving’s parallel between Cleveland’s team in 2017 and Boston’s this season may not depict the reality of the situation for the Celtics, despite the Cavs having shown themselves to have similar chemistry issues and road woes to Boston.
It will be interesting to see how the postseason plays out for the Celtics, as Irving seems to be confident in the team’s ability while many question if they’ll be able to play up to their potential.
For Boston’s sake, Irving is right on the money with his parallel because, like those Cavs teams, the Celtics will need to flip a switch in the playoffs.
