Bleeding Green for IT: Celtics Off-Season From an Emotional Fan Part 3
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Feelings of vertigo followed by crimson tears and vision blurring to red. A trembling internal feeling, as if I was unaware that I had just received a sub-dermal implant.
Creeping and intensifying waves of nausea layered with a convulsive need to retch. You'd be forgiven for thinking that you were reading the script for a new Alien movie, but no, actually that was just my reaction to the Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie Irving trade.
It's hard to know where to start with this miasmic trade; most of the wounds have now healed over, the trauma is spent, but I can still trace the scars. Have I mentioned before that I'm overly dramatic and emotional?
Seriously though, this trade hurt, it stung, it surprised, it baffled, and it eventually eased into a reluctant acceptance. The Celtics and Cavaliers trade had more layers to it than an onion murder mystery, but I'll try to break it down into manageable bites.
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The Hurt
I've been watching the Celtics play for about 20 years, and in that time I've never witnessed a single season performance like what IT did for the Celtics last year. I watched every game, and was consistently stupefied and awed at IT's offensive dominance and late game heroics. He layed it all on the line, is how the famous sport's cliché goes, but it's hard to argue with that when IT stepped onto the court for playoff basketball a day after his sister had passed away.
The diminutive superstar carried the Celtics to the best record in the Eastern conference, but sputtered out in the playoffs after colliding with Cleveland and injuring (or reinjuring) his hip. So how did we reward his sacrifice, intensity, grit, passion and talent? By trading him away, to our biggest rivals. Is there a font for pain?
The Reason
IT finished in the top 5 for MVP voting, all while sporting a 6 million dollar contract. Everyone knew IT was due for a hefty raise after the 2017-2018 season.
After his famous "back up the Brinks truck" quote and his visible friendship with Floyd "Money" Mayweather, Celtics fans knew IT was going to push for a Max contract. Most fans seemed to think that despite his ascendant form IT was not deserving of a Max deal because of his height, age, and concerns about injury potential.
Obviously Danny Ainge felt the same way and traded IT, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the rights to Brooklyn's 2018 draft pick to Cleveland for Kyrie Irving. Opinions varied wildly about this trade from " gouge your eyes out bad", to "IT's injury will end his career, Brooklyn is awesome." Both of these extremes are absurd though, and the truth will probably fall somewhere in between.
The Comparison
Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving are two of the best offensive point guards in the league, but even supermodels get airbrushed. That is to say, neither of them are without defects. IT was rated as the worst defender in the league by numerous metrics, and Kyrie imitated a revolving door so often he could easily find work at the entrance to a swanky hotel.
IT is 28 years old and peaking, while Kyrie is 25 years old and still has the potential to grow into a superstar. IT suffered a season ending hip injury during the playoffs that will have him miss a portion of the upcoming season, but the truth is during their 6 year NBA careers IT has been the more durable player. Kyrie only played 11 games at Duke after injuring his toe, and during his NBA career he has averaged 63.5 games per year.
IT hasn't suffered nearly as many significant injuries during his run as a professional basketball player and has averaged 73.5 games per year. IT will make just over 6 million dollars next season, an incredible value, while Kyrie will be making roughly 20 million a year for the next two seasons before he opts out of his 3rd year player option.
IT is a much better value for next season, but if he does get a max contract then the pendulum would swing back in favor of Kyrie. IT's regular season statistics last year were superior to Kyrie's numbers, but in the playoffs IT struggled and Kyrie excelled. This season versus post season statistical analysis seems to be a trend for both players, with Kyrie consistently performing at a high level in the playoffs while IT struggles. Last but not least Kyrie had a reputation in Cleveland for enjoying the night life, and also is on record for his belief that the Earth is flat. He thinks the earth is flat. Wrap your mind around that, or if it's too difficult then you can wrap your mind across it. I'm not a religious man, but I pray that he was just trolling.
The Gamble
It's no secret that Danny Ainge had a treasure trove of assets and had been trying to use them for a few seasons in attempts to acquire a legitimate superstar.
There were conversations about Jimmy Butler and Paul George, but Danny's first task, besides muddling with the draft, was to get Gordon Hayward to sign. By the time Hayward signed both Butler and George were gone. No one seemed to really think Danny would go after Irving, who was begging to be rescued off of the S.S. Sinking Cleveland.
Let me be clear: Kyrie Irving is NOT a superstar. In fact, he's only slightly better than Isaiah Thomas, who was just one of 4 pieces used to acquire him. But he does have a chance to become a superstar in Boston. He has shown an affection for the city of Boston (his father played college ball at B.U.), and he's still young with the possibility to improve.
Danny is clearly gambling here that Kyrie, now out from under the colossal forehead and shadow of Lebron, will elevate his game and become the superstar that Boston so desperately needs. It really hurts to lose IT who was beloved in Boston, and losing the Brooklyn pick hurts just as much. Only time will tell if this latest gamble for Danny will pay off or not. At first I felt like someone had robbed me, taken my dog, my TV, my favorite chair, and left me with a shiny new strange chair and no dog and no TV. I had a hard time accepting the reality of the situation.
The reality is the world will keep spinning 'round and 'round (Kyrie read here please) and all I can do is welcome Irving to Boston and hope that Danny has bet on the right man.
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Hoops Habit
Really well written post! I enjoyed it thoroughly. You really put me in the shoes of a Celtics fan. I do feel for you but not too much. Kyrie is a heck of a player. No matter how great a season IT had last year, the majority would take Kyrie over him. Drafting Tatum probably softens the blow of losing Crowder.
I'm amazed at IT's career. He has shined bright everywhere he has played and yet keeps getting traded. Gm's and a part of me do believe that he is not a playoff player. When the game slows down and size and strength start to become more important advantages for a player/team to possess, IT falls short (pun intended)
Kyrie is a heck of a player, I do agree with you, and while almost all fans would take Kyrie over IT, the general consensus around the NBA about this trade was that the Celtics payed a lot, perhaps a bit too much. Also your point about IT's struggles in the playoffs aren't an opinion, it's a fact, albeit with a very small statistical sample size to back it up. Glad you enjoyed the post.
The best post ...
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I like it.
I loved the way IT led the Celtics in the regular season last year, sad to see him go i think the Celtics and Kyrie are going to have an explosive season - I feel the Celtics got the better deal in this trade.... Kyrie offers more in rebounding than IT does, the celtics do lose a leader and that is where IT is better than Kyrie
Go the C's!!!
I think the Celtics were going to have a great season this year whether they made this trade or not. Danny has been desperate to get a superstar onto this roster, and while I preferred trying to draft our own (with the Brookyln pick), Danny obviously preferred the known quantity in Kyrie. Either way excited for the upcoming season.
I like this.
Cool my team,