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Prior to the start of this season, most NBA experts and analysts viewed the Boston Celtics as a favorite to win the Eastern Conference. It was a deserving assumption, as their roster is loaded with talented young players, including All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. However, the C's haven't quite lived up to the hype — yet. Their 37-21 overall record is currently good for the No. 4 spot in the East.
At times throughout this season, the Celtics have shown what they're capable of, but injuries have hampered their continuity a bit. Irving, who missed several games before the All-Star break due to a strained right knee, recently sat down with ESPN's Rachel Nichols to discuss Boston's trying season:
“You and I sat down at the start of this season and we talked about the challenge it was going to be to have everyone (on the team) figure out how to play together,” Nichols said to Irving during their interview. “It's turned out to really be a challenge. What has it been like along the way?”
“You obviously have expectations to live up to individually, but as a team, it's a lot to figure out all in one year,” Irving replied. “We didn't just fill in pieces here and there. We filled in pieces with great players.
“A lot has changed since the beginning of this season,” Irving continued. “But overall, I just want to win.
“It's been a trying year for us, because we have a bunch of young men in our locker room that feel like they're capable of doing a lot more than what they're doing,” Irving added. “And that's okay, but there is a maturity that you have to have — a level of professionalism that you have to showcase every single day. That's what the great ones do.”
Kyrie Irving sits down to talk about the Celtics' "trying" season: "we have a bunch of young men in our locker room who feel they're capable of doing a lot more than they're doing." We also talked free agency, the LeBron phone call, & how anger can fester if you don't address it pic.twitter.com/VGNqkifWnk
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) February 20, 2019
Irving has grown into a leadership role with the Celtics. In 47 appearances this season, the former Duke Blue Devil has racked up averages of 23.6 points on 49.8 percent shooting from the field (40.9 percent from beyond the arc), 6.9 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 32.5 minutes per outing.
Though he declared his loyalty to the Celtics at the start of this season, rumors of Irving's next destination continue to swirl around the NBA landscape. Several teams are said to be interested in his services, including the New York Knicks. For now, he'll stay focused on the task at hand.
