The Boston Celtics are one win away from the Eastern Conference finals, and if they reach the third round of the NBA playoffs, they will have done so without arguably the two best players on their roster.
Gordon Hayward played five minutes for Boston this season, while Kyrie Irving hasn’t played in a game since March 11. But despite the pair of injured superstars, Brad Stevens and Co. continue to chug along.
While the playoffs typically are powered by top-tier talents, one NBA analyst believes the C’s wouldn’t be that much better if Irving were active. During a Monday appearance on FOX Sports 1’s “The Herd,” Chris Broussard explained why a healthy Irving wouldn’t provide a substantial boost for Boston.
“You put Kyrie Irving in that lineup, I think they’re only marginally better then they are right now,” Broussard said. “I think the way Brad Stevens coaches, that system, I think they’re playing just about as well as they would play even if Kyrie were healthy.”
It’s not difficult to understand why Broussard thinks this way. The Celtics have played terrific team basketball throughout the postseason, and one could make the case that Irving’s ball-dominant nature might disrupt the fluidness. That said, let’s not forget all that the star point guard brings to the table.
Irving was averaging 24 points per game prior to going down with injury, and his ability to create his own shot would provide the C’s with a clear-cut, go-to scorer in crunch time. Not to mention, Irving has a bevy of playoff experience, and his leadership only would benefit his team as it goes deeper in the playoffs.
Boston brought in Irving with championship aspirations in mind. While it’s easy to get caught up in the success of the current team, let’s not overthink this one: the Celtics are a better team with Irving in the fold.
