Kyrie Irving has been the Celtics’ best player this season.
But who has been Boston’s second-best player?
That’s the question Max Kellerman posed Monday on ESPN’s “First Take” while trying to make sense of Boston’s up-and-down 2018-19 campaign. And it’s a fair inquiry with the Celtics failing to meet expectations one season after taking LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.
Is it Jayson Tatum? Al Horford? Marcus Morris?
Cases could be made for any of those guys, but Kellerman’s bigger point is more notable: It too often looks like the Celtics’ players beyond Irving are unsure of their roles, and it’s had a negative effect on Boston’s chemistry, both on and off the court.
Ultimately, Celtics coach Brad Stevens will need to sort things out or else Boston will suffer an early playoff exit just months removed from entering the season with NBA Finals aspirations.
