The Boston Celtics are expected to be the best team in the Eastern Conference this season, but they have not looked the part through the first month of the regular season. Following a 1-4 road trip that dropped their record to 7-6 on the year, Kyrie Irving is not pleased with what he has seen.
While speaking with reporters after Sunday’s 100-94 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Irving offered a harsh assessment of the current state of the Celtics.
“We needed this. We’re not as good as we think we are,” Irving said, via NBC Sports Boston. “That’s really what it comes down to. … It’s real basketball now. It’s not just about the potential of the team or where we’ll be at the end of the season, it’s right now and taking care of what presently is in front of us.”
While Irving himself has played well and is averaging 21 points per game, Boston has gotten off to a slow start in large part because of its star-studded roster that is not yet accustomed to playing together. The team that made a deep playoff run last year did not have Irving or Gordon Hayward, so establishing chemistry may take a while.
The good news is the Celtics still rank near the top of the league in defense. Offensive issues should, in theory, be easier to solve and come more naturally. Adversity in the early season can be beneficial in the long run, and we already know what some players from the NBA’s top team think of Boston. Don’t be surprised if the Celtics rip off a long winning streak at some point in the near future.
