Skip to main content

Negative aspects of the Hayward/Irving signings linger for Celtics

Image
By

The Boston Celtics signing of Al Horford as a free agent in 2016 was a positive more for The Green. He came to the young team as a quiet mentor through which much of the offense and defense was directed.

The acquisition of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward the following season, however, proved to be a near-disaster. Injuries and friction followed, and soon all three All-Stars were off to pastures allegedly greener than those in Beantown.

Well, how did all that work out? The Celtics are struggling with a .500 record - Horford is sitting out the rest of the season with the Thunder - and Hayward is out once again for an extended period of time with an injury.

Kyrie Irving? Doing just fine, thank you - currently leading his Brooklyn Nets to the top ranking in the East with a 36-16 record. The turmoil that surrounded the petulant point guard in Boston appears to be non-existent in Brooklyn (per USA Today's Mike D. Sykes II) 

Wic Grousbeck:  "...And that change (Kyrie irving's departure from Boston) touched off a lot of stuff and we weren’t able to maybe recruit free agents in the same way and, you know, there’s a bit of a domino effect. But it is what it is."

Those "dominoes" are still falling. I still recall the incident where Irving publicly chided Hayward for inbounding the ball to Jayson Tatum, resulting in a missed shot at the buzzer. That one incident told fans a lot. There was discord among the troops.

The trio of Kyrie, Al and Gordon paired with the Jay Team were supposed to seriously contend for a Title. Al seemed content to to mesh with his teammates, while both Kyrie and Gordon truly wanted to separate from the pack as potential leaders. None of that worked, and the Celtics are still looking for that one player to step forward and lead them to Banner #18. Boston may need a few more seasons in which to recover from the Hayward/Irving signings.




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Elm Street Nightmare

By
 A true-and-suspenseful horror tale of haunting, homicides and the hunt for triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante - as told by the cops that were there By Lt. Thomas Lane (Ret.)  Daniel Laplante - cold, calm, clever, calculating- Photo: YouTube   Elm Street  surfaces on six (6) occasions in the Laplante saga: 1.) He  resided on Elm Street  in Townsend, Massachusetts  2.) He  kidnapped a woman  at gunpoint on  Elm Street, Pepperell , Massachusetts 3.) That kidnapped woman fled to the Gillogly residence on Elm Street after escaping from the armed fugitive, Laplante. 4.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 5.) He was  tried, convicted   and sentenced for the murders at  Superior Court , corner of  Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. 6.) The author, Thomas Lane, lived on Elm Steet, Pepperell, Massachusetts while a police Sgt./Lt. for the t...
23 comments
Read more

A sorrowful farewell to Kitty's Restaurant (North Reading, MA) as a family tradition

By
  Time to say "Goodbye" to Kitty's Restaurant - my   family's destination and tradition for six generations and more than 80 years. My memories of Kitty's go back to the early-1950's . I would accompany my dad and grandfather on fishing trips to the Ipswich River in North Reading, Massachusetts - followed by a visit to the restaurant on Main Street. In later years, my wife, Linda, and I would eat there with our two kids, Marc and Lisa - and years later - with our two grand daughters - and still later - with our great grandson, Carson. Author and family at Kitty's approx. 10 years ago Kitty's never disappointed. The drinks were big and well-made . The food was terrific - as were the portions. The service was exceptional and we became well-acquainted with the waiters and waitresses. It all worked so very well for many decades. My grand daughter, Courtney , was particularly fond of the restaurant. She was born with cystic fibrosis , and during her fr...
10 comments
Read more

Did the Celtics Kevin McHale really have a wingspan of 8-feet?

By
According to many sources, the Celtics Kevin McHale did indeed have an estimated wingspan of 8-feet. One of those sources is Wikipedia, as seen below: Kevin McHale American basketball player DescriptionKevin Edward McHale is an American retired basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Boston Celtics. He is a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, and is regarded as one of the best power forwards of all time. He was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Wikipedia Born: December 19, 1957 (age 61 years), Hibbing, MN Wingspan: 8′ 0″ Height: 6′ 10″ Spouse: Lynn McHale (m. 1982) NBA draft: 1980, Boston Celtics (Round: 1 / Pick: 3) Hall of fame induction: 1999 Number: 32 (Boston Celtics / Power forward, Center) Kevin was listed at 6'10" tall when he was drafted with the 3rd pick in the 1980 draft. Red Auerbach, in yet another heist, brought in both McHale and center Robert Parish (via trade) prior to the Celtics' 1980-81 Champion...
2 comments
Read more