Kyrie Irving Impresses in Preseason Debut

Kyrie Irving showed glimpses of dominance in the Celtics preseason win on Monday night.

Heading into any NBA preseason game, expectations for the effort level of any given team’s superstars are typically low.

However, Kyrie Irving set out to impress the Boston Celtics faithful in his first in-game appearance at TD Garden, a feat he accomplished early and often in The Green’s 94-82 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.

The stat line might read that Irving compiled a -4 plus-minus rating while shooting 4-11 from the field in 19 minutes. Since it is the preseason, we will throw those statistics by the wayside for a brief moment.

The exhibition games are all about witnessing whether the Celtics are cohesive as a unit, and Irving appeared to play a primary role in this offensive chemistry against Charlotte.

Irving put on display a taste the arsenal of tricks that we had witnessed him showcase over the course of his Cleveland tenure, a enticing sight for Celtics fans.

2:30 into the contest, we saw Irving come off of a rub screen from big man Aron Baynes, dribble to the right, and dish a bounce pass back to Baynes for an open 15-foot jumper.

This is the kind of sequence that Boston fans should become accustomed to. Both Baynes and center Al Horford have made their money knocking down this straightaway two-pointer with ease, and the defensive pressure that Irving will command in the lane will make this kick-out pass an consistent option.

45 seconds later, Irving recorded his first Parquet points. After Baynes handed him the ball near the top of the key, Irving used a faux screen from the Australian to step into a long two-pointer, canning it off of a right-handed dribble. Only a minute or so passed before Irving walked the ball up the left side of the floor, tossed it to Horford, and sprinted towards the hoop with a backdoor cut.

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Horford then found the streaking Irving in stride with a bounce pass, and Irving emphasized the opportunity with a two-handed slam.

Irving took the world by storm in Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals last spring with his ability to use the opposite hand while finishing at the rim. Clearly, he has honed that skill even further since June. Midway through the first quarter, Irving blew past his defender on the right wing. As another Hornet attempted to cut off his driving lane 10 feet from the hoop, Irving rose up into the air, switched hands to his left, and banked in a running floater.

At the end of the first half, Irving’s shooting skills came to the forefront. With 2:15 remaining, he received the ball from Horford deep on the right wing, just inside of the Red Auerbach signature. With no hesitation, he stepped into a far three-pointer, canning it to give the Celtics a 41-38 lead.

All Irving needed to provide was a tease of his potential as a Celtic, and he accomplished just that in the win. As a whole, the Celtics offense appeared fluid, moving freely and with solid spacing considering it was the first live game action that the squad has experienced.

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If Irving, Horford, Baynes, and Gordon Hayward can keep the ball moving quickly inside of the perimeter, just as they did at times on Monday night, there will be a man open nearly every single possession while the first unit is on the floor.

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