The Boston Celtics had a disappointing 2018-2019 season to say the least. Now Boston must focus on the offseason and building a productive roster for next season. The biggest question mark for Boston this offseason is Kyrie Irving.
Throughout the season, Irving never gave a definitive answer about his free agency plans. Many people now believe Irving will leave Boston after a subpar playoff performance.
No matter what Irving decides to do, it will have a huge impact on how he is remembered. He has many different options and we will not know where his head is at until he makes his decision.
The first scenario is to leave the Celtics and join forces with another star player on a different team. Examples of this would be teaming up with Kevin Durant and heading to the New York Knicks or rejoining LeBron James and playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
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This scenario affects Kyrie’s legacy because he would be second fiddle once again. Joining Kevin Durant or LeBron James means that Kyrie is neither the leader nor the best player on the team. He is more likely to win another championship this way, but he will not be the leader of a championship team.
If this is the route Irving chooses, it will be tough to put him in the discussion with some of the all-time great players. There is definitely a good chance Irving will make a move like this, even though he left the Cleveland Cavaliers to be the leader of a team.
The next scenario is to leave the Celtics and become the leader of a different team. An example of this would be joining the Brooklyn Nets, who showed a lot of potential this season. In this scenario, Irving can still be the best player on a championship team. However, if Irving struggled to get the job done in Boston, it is tough to believe he can lead a different team to the promised land.
The last scenario is to stay with the Celtics and keep trying to lead this team to the championship. This scenario may seem doubtful right now, but you never know what Irving is thinking.
It is difficult to come up with a better scenario for Irving to be the best player on a contending team. The Celtics have a nice mix of veteran players and young talent. The Celtics have enough talent to contend for a title, but they never fully gelled as a team.
Let’s remember that Irving has only really taken one swing at leading the Celtics to the championship, considering he was out for the 2018 playoffs. Some would argue it looks very weak if Irving leaves after only giving one shot at the playoffs with the Celtics.
Soon enough, fans will know Irving’s decision and the Celtics will be able to adjust accordingly. Irving is an excellent player, but his legacy hangs in the balance this offseason.