NBA Rumors: Where is Kyrie Irving’s head as the stretch run of the season gets underway?
As the Boston Celtics continue to perform at nothing more than a better than average pace in the Eastern Conference, it’s hard to ignore the huge elephant in the room that is Kyrie Irving‘s upcoming free agency.
And Kyrie hasn’t exactly done himself any favors in expelling the rumors, as he hasn’t done anything in terms of committing to the Celtics. In fact, his words exactly were:
"[per NBC Sports]"
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"I don’t owe anybody sh*t"
Those aren’t exactly the words of a player that has decided on where he’s going to sign during the off-season. At the same rate, it certainly hasn’t helped that the Celtics are playing well under their expectations headed into the season and that they are currently sitting in the 5th spot of the Eastern Conference with less than 20 games remaining in the regular season.
Short of a miraculous run during the final month of the regular season, the Celtics aren’t going to host a first-round playoff series and will likely have to face off against the top-seeded team in the conference in the second round, assuming they get passed a team like the Indiana Pacers or Philadelphia 76ers in the opening round.
But apart from their on-the-court struggles, there is now growing belief that Kyrie has changed over the last couple of months. According to The Ringer, Kyrie has appeared “disengaged” from the team as of late.
Here is the official report:
"Sources around the team told me that Irving’s persona has changed, too: He’s become disengaged and detached from those around the team. There is talk that Irving’s friendships on the team start and end with Tatum, with whom he shares an agent. Two sources peg Irving’s change in demeanor to early February, around the time he was asked about the possibility of joining the New York Knicks next season."
Interestingly, Kyrie Irving is arguably having the best statistical season of his career thus far, averaging 23 points, seven assists and five rebounds per contest on 50 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range.
However, the team hasn’t exactly been on the same page this year. And that’s probably the biggest reason why they’ve underperformed this season. Question is, could they turn it all around in the playoffs? They have the talent, and the depth.
The Celtics could save their season by breaking through in the East in the post-season, but at this point – unlike before the season – I don’t think anyone really expects this team to make beyond the second-round of the playoffs anymore.