The Boston Celtics made plenty of changes coming into the 2017-18 NBA season. Among them was essentially the overhaul of their backcourt which was highlighted by the arrival of superstar Kyrie Irving. Meanwhile, the Celtics' former pairing of Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley were dealt as Boston prepared for a new era of basketball.
Although Irving and Bradley are on different teams this time around, the showdowns between these two are still far from over. According to Jared Weiss of the Celtics Wire, both players have plenty of mutual respect for one another.
Avery says Kyrie is the toughest guy to cover. Kyrie says Avery is the toughest defender to go against. It’s just beautiful.
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) November 28, 2017
These two have grown accustomed to battling it out with each other, especially during last year's Eastern Conference Finals. Given each players' skill sets, their matchups have been a treat for fans over the past couple of seasons.
Avery Bradley is widely regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. He finally earned his spot on the NBA All-Defensive First Team last year before being traded to the Pistons along with a second-round pick in exchange for forward Marcus Morris. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving is still arguably the best one-on-one scorer in the entire NBA and has settled in seamlessly with the Celtics.
At this point, it is safe to say that the trade may have worked out for both Irving and Bradley. Although Bradley and the Pistons may have won this round, they could be poised for yet another playoff showdown down the line.
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