Boston Celtics: Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and the path to banner 18
The Boston Celtics acquired Kyrie Irving in a blockbuster trade that rocked the NBA stratosphere on Tuesday, how will he mesh with Gordon Hayward?
It seems hard to believe that back on July 4th Boston Celtics fans from Massachusetts to the tip of Alaska were eagerly awaiting whether Gordon Hayward would choose the green, take his talents to South Beach or remain with the Jazz.
Over a month in a half later, the team not only landed the prize free agent of the summer, they have acquired one of the best, young NBA superstars in the league in Kyrie Irving.
In a trade that may even be bigger than the one that brought Kevin Garnett to Boston back in 2007, Danny Ainge has secured the present while also securing the future.
The Celtics president of basketball operations traded away a popular star on Tuesday. He did so in order to obtain an NBA champion, an Olympic Gold medalist, and a four-time All-Star who desperately wanted out of the shadows of LeBron James.
In other words, Ainge finally packaged one of those coveted Brooklyn picks to obtain a superstar. He dismantled a team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals just a season ago to give the team a chance to compete for titles for years to come.
The present and the future
Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart are the chosen young core. Mix that with veterans such as All-Star big man Al Horford, Markus Morris and Aron Baynes and you now have a team that can compete now and become the cream of the crop tomorrow.
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Sure LeBron James will still be an obstacle in the Eastern Conference and the Golden State Warriors will still be…the Golden State Warriors. But, what Ainge is building is a team could become very dominant if and when Tatum and Brown become the players they are projected to be.
The Brad Stevens factor
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In the meantime, Ainge and head coach Brad Stevens have a team that will be very fun to watch. With two superstars in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, the Celtics have bonafide scorers who can create their own shots from anywhere on the floor.
Both players are headed to Boston to win. While Irving is out to prove he can lead his own team to the promise land, Hayward is out to brighten his own star.
Will they mesh? Talent wise they can be special. On the court, Stevens will find a way to make it all work out to the strength of each player. He knows Hayward very well (from their days together at Butler) and he knows Kyrie’s game from coaching against him.
In ways, the coach is exactly the reason why these two young superstars now wear Celtics green. Furthermore, along with tradition and a well-established championship sports team, both Irving and Hayward know they have a chance to etch their names into the championship soil of Boston.
Will they? Their own hunger to win will prove that.
Next: Three thoughts on Boston Celtics, Kyrie Irving blockbuster deal
And while they are leading this team, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will be watching, learning, developing and contributing to possibly the next great Boston Celtics dynasty.
Yes, it’s very possible.