Boston Celtics: Kyrie Irving does not need LeBron James to win a title
Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving was a guest on ESPN’s ‘First Take’ this morning, and essentially said he doesn’t need LeBron to win another title. He’s right.
All I’ve been hearing ever since Kyrie Irving got traded to the Boston Celtics was that he wouldn’t be able to win another title without the self-proclaimed King. No one seems to believe in Kyrie going forward. Kyrie Irving can win a title without LeBron James, don’t worry.
First of all, Kyrie is primarily an isolation player. An iso guy does’t rely on other’s much, does Kyrie still have his handles? Yes? He’ll be just fine. He creates his own shots and a lot of his offense comes when the ball is in his hands. He never really relied on LeBron to get his offense.
Also, Brad Stevens will figure out a way to get the best out of Irving. I expect a bumpy start to the season because of all the roster turnover.
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However, it sounds like Kyrie really wants to buy in. What’s Brad Stevens good at? Pinpointing his players’ strengths and really bringing out the best in them. Kyrie is really going to learn how to run a team, and I personally believe he’s going to thrive.
Let’s not act like Irving was traded to a team of scrubs. Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, Al Horford. Kyrie Irving has a real cast of guys to work with here. They’re so much younger than the Cleveland Cavaliers, and so much more versatile.
If Danny Ainge continues to build a strong team around Kyrie, there’s no reason he can’t help lead this team to the NBA Finals.
I think we’re going to really see growth in Kyrie Irving this year. We’ll see his defense get better, and his passing will be more on display. Irving was the guy who hit that series winning shot in the 2016 NBA Finals while scoring 26 points in that all important Game 7.
Next: Boston Celtics: Comparing the 2016-17 and 2017-18 teams
Yes Kyrie has to take the next step in his game in order for him to win a title without LBJ, but there’s little reason to believe he can’t do it.