There's been an ongoing NBA narrative that a contender can't win a title with a score-first guard as its best player. Stephen Curry has been an exception to this rule, but that may say more about him than the said narrative. Jalen Brunson has guided the New York Knicks to three wins away from a title.
His success as the head honcho in New York also proves that the Boston Celtics had the right idea in mind when they acquired perhaps the most infamous player in franchise history: Kyrie Irving.
Without bringing up the past too much, because everyone knows what happened and gleefully moved on, Brunson and Irving have simlar play styles even if they are definitely not the same player.
Both are elite three-level scorers who have been among the toughest players to stop when they take the floor. There are differences though. Brunson hunts out contact to get free throws and deceptively stronger than his frame suggests while Irving is more of an acrobat whose body control makes him really tough to cover.
Even if they're not the same player, they are among the same caliber as score-first guards. The fact that Brunson and the Knicks are within inches of winning a title shows that even if it didn't work out with Irving, the Celtics were right to believe someone as talented as he was could have guided them to the title.
What Brunson has done for the Knicks is what Irving was supposed to have done for the Celtics. He didn't, but from a talent perspective, it makes more sense than ever why they took that chance.
The Celtics' original vision never got actualized
Irving is still remembered pretty poorly in Boston, which overshadows the fact that vision of him with Gordon Hayward and Al Horford came to fruition for about five minutes. Yes, Boston managed without Hayward (and later Irving), but it was pretty clear how in sync the Celtics would have been with that roster intact and healthy.
The Celtics' roster construction then wasn't the same as the Knicks is now, but the hopes and talent were still the same. What Boston was going for back then was brilliant, and if injuries hadn't gotten in the way, they should have been right where the Knicks are at the moment.
That doesn't tell the story of what went down with Irving and the Celtics organization, but it brings up the tragedy that this should have been a happier memory than it was in the end. It worked out for Boston in the long run, but hate Irving or not, it's a shame how much fate stood in the way of what should have been a fantastic run.
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