When the Boston Celtics acquired All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert was so thrilled that he famously said his team “killed it,” though they received only a draft pick, Isaiah Thomas, Ante Zizic and Jae Crowder in the deal. The Celtics were absolutely thrilled, but it wasn’t long before team president Danny Ainge began to understand Gilbert’s sentiment.
While Irving is still considered one of the best talents at point guard in the league, his team’s stats while he is on the floor prove that talent doesn’t always translate to winning. Just ask the Celtics. During the 2018-2019 season, the Celtics saw themselves playing much better without him, during a 10-game streak Irving missed, Boston had a .800 winning percentage at 8-2, while with him their winning percentage was barely over .500.
With the news of Irving getting season-ending shoulder surgery, it seems that the Boston Celtics still don’t miss him, and that the Brooklyn Nets appear better without him on the court.
Throughout the 2019-2020 season so far, Irving has missed 33 total games, 25 of which were consecutive. Much like his two years spent in Boston, the Nets are noticing a pattern. When Irving is not on the floor, they have a winning record, albeit, not by much. Without Irving, the Nets posted a 17-16 record, whereas when he was on the court, the Nets went an abysmal 8-12.
The Nets have not had great success building through free agency. In 2013, during draft night, the Nets and Celtics were involved in what is one of the most notable, yet worst trades of all time. The Celtics sent Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry to Brooklyn in exchange for Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, Keith Bogans and three unprotected first-round draft picks. The Nets expected this trade to put them over the top, however after a second round exit to the Miami Heat, that did not happen.
The Celtics seemingly got away with armed robbery when they used these draft picks to build a powerhouse of a team after drafting Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, then using the last pick to trade for Irving. Now, a year after his departure, the Celtics are looking like a legitimate Finals contender thanks largely to his absence.
If Irving’s brief stint is any indication, this latest attempt to bypass the rebuilding process may meet much the same fate. There may be a silver lining for the Nets though, with Irving missing numerous games, and now the rest of the season, Spencer Dinwiddie is getting his chance to prove that he can be the best teammate for Kevin Durant when he returns. The Nets have real potential to become contenders assuming that everyone comes back healthy and the chemistry is there. They may, however, find the same thing that the Celtics did before them. Moving on from Irving might be the best way for them to realize their full potential.
