Kyrie Irving vows to fit in as a team player with Celtics

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Kyrie Irving vows to fit in as a team player with Celtics



Celtics guard Kyrie Irving, shown during photo shoot on media day Monday in Canton, said Wednesday that he will not try to carry the team by himself. [AP Photo/Steven Senne]



By Scott Souza
ssouza@wickedlocal.com




Posted Sep 27, 2017 at 6:49 PM
Updated Sep 27, 2017 at 6:53 PM



Kyrie Irving said during his introductory press conference that he never knew of a squad where one player could carry it in its entirety, and he is not expecting to be that player in Boston.

NEWPORT, R.I. — Kyrie Irving arrived in Newport this week with some serious star power.

Dozens of Salve Regina University students lined the entrance to the Rodgers Recreation Center waiting primarily for him — many with newly purchased No. 11 Celtics shirts ready to be signed. Irving obliged to the delight of several following Monday night’s second half of a double session.

But when it has come to being on the court, Irving has made it clear he does not want this to necessarily be his team and his team alone. He said during his introductory press conference that he never knew of a squad where one player could carry it in its entirety on his shoulders, and he is not expecting to be that player in Boston.

“A true tell-tale sign of a great player is how they integrate themselves into a new system,” he said as training camp began, “with new guys, and still be themselves at the same time. It’s a hard adjustment. But at the same time the special ones are able to do it.”

There is little doubt his new teammates are buying into the four-time All-Star’s special qualities — especially on the offensive end — in the first week of camp, just as they appreciate ways that Irving has tried to make himself one of the guys.

“He’s made it seem like he’s been on the team for a couple of years,” backcourt mate Terry Rozier said prior to Tuesday night’s second session. “He’s made himself comfortable. He’s made everyone around him comfortable. He talks to everyone — whether it’s on the bus, or in practice. You can tell that he’s a guy who’s gone far in basketball.”

For Celtics coach Brad Stevens, both the treat and challenge of adding a player of Irving’s caliber is striking the balance between integrating him into what the Celtics have run in the past, while also coming up with ways to make the most of Irving’s unique skill set.

“You look at what you’ve done and you say: ‘Could he fit into that? Yeah, pretty easily,’” Stevens said. “As good as he is with the ball, he’s just as good off it. So we’ll do a lot of both. The key is to do it with some pace. We’re in the stage right now where we’re thinking about where we need to be and what we need to do, instead of doing it unconsciously because we’ve worked on it enough.

“We’ve got to do as many of the things (offensive actions) that fit into his game, with the personnel that we have, to bring out the best in him. We did all that stuff with (former Celtics All-Star) Isaiah (Thomas) in different ways. Some of them will be the same types of scenarios. Some of them will be a little different.”

Celtics center Al Horford said his role in camp has gone from trying to learn a new team last year to trying to teach the new players the system and the culture this year. He told Thomas at the beginning of last season one of his objectives was to help make the point guard a better player, and he said Tuesday he intends to do the same with Irving.

“It’s to learn tendencies,” Horford said. “What they want to do. How they’re playing. And I’m going to play around that. I will make adjustments. I have always been able to do that.”

Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum said Tuesday that the Irving he has seen in practice the first two days is even more impressive than the one he watched on television growing up as a basketball fan and future fellow Duke Blue Devil. Rozier joked that Irving will also learn a few things from having to guard him in practice each day, but lauded: “He has so many counters. If you cut off one counter, he goes to the next one. He’s just so smart. He knows the game.”

Irving brings six years’ worth of NBA knowledge, including three straight Finals appearances, one championship, and a good bit of glamour to the Celtics this season.

But he also knows enough to know that if he’s going to make it back to the NBA Finals a fourth straight year, it’s going to have to be about a lot more than just him.


bob


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There are going to be a lot of interesting story lines with this pick up team. The Yabuseles and Olejewes , Jayson Tatum, Brown with a bigger role, Rozier and the more sculptured Smart are all going to be fascinating. As far as the so-called big three, Horford`s a nice player, Hayward is above average. Kyrie has to be the alpha dog though , because its not in those guy`s nature, IMO, and because they are,not even marginally super-stars. Let`s hope he can be the true point guard that seems to be the nature of his quest. Maybe he didn`t like the role the Cavs gave him , playing in isolation, and , less frequently , spotting up. Personally, I am skeptical that acquiring him puts the Celts over the top durng the duration of Horford`s contract, but I hope to be pleasantly surprised.