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3 reasons why Kyrie Irving’s departure has benefited the Boston Celtics

By Andrew Hughes

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 01: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics wipes his face next to the Celtics coach Brad Stevens during the second quarter at TD Garden on April 01, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 01: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics wipes his face next to the Celtics coach Brad Stevens during the second quarter at TD Garden on April 01, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Boston Celtics (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Boston Celtics (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

No undermining Brad Stevens

With rumors going around that Irving was not a fan of Kenny Atkinson, it is abundantly clear that the point guard had at least somewhat of an influence on his ouster. According to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the good feelings in Brooklyn following Irving’s arrival didn’t last long at all:

"Irving soured on Atkinson early, league sources told Yahoo Sports, and currently prefers Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue to be the team’s next head coach. Lue was the head coach in Cleveland when Irving hit the winning shot in the 2016 NBA Finals and was in talks to take the Lakers job before discussions broke down."

Just as Irving likely didn’t enjoy playing under David Blatt in Cleveland, he seems to have made up his mind early in his playing career in Brooklyn that Atkinson wasn’t the coach he wanted to play under. After Atkinson built up the Nets from the ground up, Irving came in and immediately used his superstar influence to exile him.

According to who you ask, Irving may not even be a superstar, despite his notoriety as an NBA All-Star. Brad Botkin of CBS Sports doesn’t seem to think so:

"Irving’s tradeoff has always been his talent, which will forever tantalize teams. Yes, he won a championship. Yes, he hit one of the biggest shots in NBA history. LeBron was with him for both. There is, to date, no evidence that Irving represents anything close to superstar value on a team without the cover of an actual superstar."

The Boston Celtics luckily never allowed Irving to provide any personnel input. With no Irving, Stevens no longer runs the risk of being undermined by his players.

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