The Boston Celtics had a rough start to the season. So rough, in fact, that Kyrie Irving told reporters having a “15-year vet” would benefit the then-7-6 C’s after a tough loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The guard since has clarified his comments, and Boston now sits at 13-10 after winning their last three games. But one Celtics legend agreed with Irving’s statement.
Speaking at the David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic, Ray Allen explained why having a veteran on the roster is beneficial, noting the importance he brings to a team.
“You always need that because you need someone who is going to steady the ship, always,” Allen said, via WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. “Even when you win you have to have someone who will pull you by your collar and put you down and say, ’Guys we have a game tomorrow.’ Or tell guys to rest up, or go out and have a good time when we’re losing to shake it off of us.
“Often times you get too high when you win and you get too low when you lose. In the NBA you to play in the middle because if you don’t you put yourself in a situation where emotionally if you lose a game you end up losing a couple of games because your emotions carry over,” he added. “Even when you win you carry your winning emotions over and you lose the next game. It does require you to have a good locker room presence where not only coaches are saying it, but the players are saying it. So when the coaches come into the locker room you’ve got guys in there policing things and making sure the right things are being said, the right things are being done.”
It’s hard to disagree with Allen, seeing as he was the veteran presence on the Miami Heat when he played alongside LeBron James.
Since Irving’s comment, however, the Celtics seemed to have turned it around as they go for their fourth straight win Thursday night when they welcome the New York Knicks to TD Garden.
