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Yesterday, the Celtics received the devastating news that Kyrie Irving required a second surgery to remove the screws from his knee and will consequently miss the remainder of the 2017-2018 NBA season. Any hopes that Boston had of competing in the Eastern Conference Finals have been all but dashed, and what was an incredible regular season will ultimately culminate in a disappointing playoffs. The Irving injury sends ripples across the NBA; here are six significant byproducts of the news.
1. LeBron sleepwalks to eighth straight Finals
Ugh. This one hurts, but it’s a reality. Although eight straight Finals appearances is a fantastic accomplishment, much of the NBA world was looking forward to a changing of the guards in the Eastern Conference. Everything was lining up for the season finale of LeBron vs. Kyrie (season two coming next fall), where Irving would get the last laugh after the two stars’ messy split last offseason. But, alas, LeBron wins again; there’s no way the choking Raptors can conceivably find a way to beat “Playoff LeBron” in a seven-game series.
2. Brown, Rozier, and Tatum gain valuable playoff experience
In Kyrie’s absence, Rozier has shown flashes of legitimate NBA potential, logging double-digit performances in 25 of his last 26 games. Tatum has overperformed all season, but he hit a skid towards the middle of the season (as most rookies do). That being said, it appears he’s once again found his stroke and has shown up as “the guy” in several of Boston’s recent victories. Brown’s been solid but inconsistent at times, struggling to score the basketball on a nightly basis. All three of these young bucks have a bright future as the core of the Boston Celtics, and the next logical step is postseason experience. With Tatum, Brown, and Rozier in their first, second, and third seasons respectively, it might not be such a bad idea to push them outside their comfort zone and see how they respond.
3. Celtics’ Marcus Smart window closes, unless…
Luckily (or unluckily) for the C’s, Marcus Smart is the only significant piece set to become a free agent this offseason--that is, unless you consider Aron Baynes and Greg Monroe significant. Like many great defensive players, it has been in Smart’s absence that his impact has been recognized. As the emotional sparkplug of this squad, Smart serves a vital role as a “glue guy.” Whether the C’s choose to pay up for Smart or simply go forward with Rozier and Larkin as the second-string PGs, this is the final year that Smart was set to play under his incredibly valuable entry-level contract. There’s no doubt that Smart has been sorely missed (out until the second round of the playoffs with a lacerated thumb), and it’s a shame that his defense and affordable contract will be squandered this season due to Kyrie’s injury.
4. Boston’s big three gets one year older
With one of the youngest teams in the league, the Boston Celtics are hardly concerned with the age of their stars. But next season, Al Horford, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford will be 32, 29, and 27 years old (respectively), and one year is a long time in the sports world (just ask Peyton Manning). This isn’t a reason to sound the panic alarm and say that the Celtics are running out of time, but it does feel like we’ve been saying that the C’s will be a great team “soon” ever since Brad Stevens took the head coaching gig in Boston. Horford is exiting his prime, Hayward and Irving are still young but maintain serious injury concerns, and all three players have one less year on their expensive contracts. Now is the time to compete for a championship, and one year just ticked off Boston’s clock.
5. C’s miss out on smooth path to The Finals (and possibly the opportunity to compete for a title)
For the first time in a while, LeBron’s team is mediocre, the Warriors are banged up, and the first-place Raptors have been lukewarm. It seems like the perfect storm; if the Celtics had all of their pieces healthy and ready to go, we’d all be looking forward to a hotly-contested NBA Finals between them and the Houston Rockets. When the Warriors are 100%, it’s hard to bet on anyone having a shot against Golden State. But given the injury bug plaguing the Dubs, it’s looking more and more like the Rockets’ year in the West. Moreover, Boston showed that it can hang with Harden and Co. in two matchups this season, so Houston vs. Boston would undoubtedly be a fun series to watch. Oh well; it looks like we’ll just have to hope for next year.
(Stats and contract info via Basketball Reference)
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