It’s starting.
Throughout the Celtics’ miserable 2018-19 season, Kyrie Irving continually put the blame on Boston’s young, inexperienced players. Every night, Irving said something to the effect of, “These guys just don’t get it yet, they don’t know what it takes to succeed in this league, they need to look to me.”
Well, it hasn’t taken long for Irving to start singing a similar tune with his new team.
Following the Brooklyn Nets’ 134-133 overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, Irving said something that should sound awfully familiar to Celtics fans.
“Later on in the season, as we continue to progress, it’ll become more cerebral out there on the floor,” Irving said, via the YES Network. “In the NBA, it’s hard to manage a game when you’re trading baskets. Like, it’s one of the most difficult things to do in the game, when you go up by five, then you give up a three, a two, fouls, slowing the game down. We still have a lot of experience to garner with each other.
” … Welcome to the big stage. It’s gonna be like that sometimes. You’re gonna have guys kinda play outside their comfort zones when they’re playing against certain players. And I’m used to it, I’ve had game-winners shot on me down the stretch so many times.”
Yeah, we know how this story ends.
The Nets, who likely will be without Kevin Durant for the season, are off to a 1-2 start. The Celtics, on the other hand, are 2-1 through three games and, if nothing else, look like a team that’s far more relaxed and together than the one we saw last season.
The two teams will meet Nov. 27 in Boston.
