For real: The new-look Boston Celtics

Sure, NBA analysts saw the sense in Kyrie Irving’s decision to step out of the shadows of Lebron James and request a trade that eventually brought him to Boston. Nobody was surprised, too, when the Celtics acquired Utah star Gordon Hayward to raise further the team’s chances leading to this season’s playoffs.

Image source: chowderandchampions.com

What many were not too happy about is that the management’s pre-season moves involved dismantling their already formidable lineup. The trade shipped Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, and Ante Zizic to Cleveland and saw the departure of Avery Bradley for the Pistons. Why fix something that isn’t broken?

Interestingly, the same critics and fans who were complaining before are the ones leading the cheering now. After what was quickly deemed an omen of season-long failure in the opening night injury to Hayward, the Celtics have churned out a winning streak that now stands at 11, the current longest in the NBA and the first for a team that started the season with two consecutive defeats.

Who would have thought? Kyrie is playing the game of his career and proving to be unstoppable both outside and in his patented drives. Horford is complementing Irving’s game with a solid showing of his own. And even when Kyrie went down after accidentally getting elbowed by a teammate, the team came back from 18 down to win against Charlotte. Truly, nobody is doubting the Celtics now. And Lebron’s mood-memes will only get more revealing of the hard work ahead of him if the Cavs are to get past Boston this year.

Image source: youtube.com

Hi, my name’s Peter Max, and I’m a New Yorker currently studying sports management in California. I’m also a sports blogger. For more NBA news and insights, check out this website.