The Boston Celtics are going throughout arguably their roughest stretch of the season, having lost four games in a row after Wednesday 97-92 defeat at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers. Point guard Kyrie Irving is now seeing the toll that losing takes on a team that is expected to win, tired of the non-game narrative surrounding the team's lack of chemistry and resolve.

“I can't wait for all this other BS about regular season — and keep getting better, and talking over and over and over about what we can do to keep getting better in the regular season,” said Irving, according to Jay King of The Athletic. “I just want to be at the highest level playing. And that's what I'm here for.”

Having exhausted most of his other arguments, Irving resorted to bringing his old team, the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers, as a point of comparison.

“We lose a bunch of games in a row and we end up sweeping the whole Eastern Conference,” he said. “I don't think anybody in the Eastern Conference can really compete with us at a high level when we're playing the way we're supposed to be playing.”

That 2017 Cavs team had LeBron James and Kevin Love also hitting their stride, but also fell short of sweeping the entire Eastern Conference after falling to the Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. So close, but false.

Irving is also omitting the fact that Cleveland was thrashed by the Golden State Warriors in The Finals, needing a record-breaking 24 3-pointers to keep them from a sweep.

Irving is clearly frustrated and out of answers, but that is the responsibility that comes with having his own team, as he once wished for.