The Luck Has Run Out

For the Boston Celtics, the 2019 NBA playoffs have been a humbling experience. Since advancing from the first round of the playoffs, the Celtics have been experiencing tremendous trouble against their semifinal opponent Milwaukee Bucks. The pressure fell on the shoulders of Kyrie Irving on Wednesday night as the Celtics had to win in order to fight for an Eastern Conference Finals birth. After finishing the first quarter 2-9 shooting, Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics began to see their season come to an end as Giannis Antetokounmpo and company began to trash the defeated Celtics.

The Boston Celtics finished the 2019 NBA regular season as the fourth best team in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics were a post-season favorite, especially with the help of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward who were both absent during the 2018 playoffs. The Celtics were able to show fans exactly why they deserved to be considered a top contender as they swept the Indiana Pacers during their seven-game series. Boston would eventually become acquainted with their biggest challenge of the season during game two of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the catalyst of the current 3 game winning streak that the Milwaukee Bucks are currently on. His 29 points in game two helped the Bucks gain momentum as they exited the arena with a convincing 123-102 victory over Kyrie Irving and the in need of luck Celtics. An outing like this is has been an every game occurrence of late for Giannis. The "Greek Freak" has been averaging 29.9 points during the last 10 games. His 27.7 points per game average during the regular season earned him as the position of a third-best scorer in the league. His explosive play has led his team to a comfortable 3-1 series over the lackluster Boston Celtics.

As game five continued to play out, the outcome started to become more evident. the Celtics were ready to begin their off-season and their performance on the court showed it. As the Bucks continued to hustled for offensive rebounds, the Celtics roster continued to continue their activities. It was as if they were doing just enough to step foot on the NBA floor. As the Milwaukee crowd continued to greet Giannis Antetokounmpo with an "MVP" chant, the legend of Kyrie Irving began to dwindle.

After a horrible elimination game performance, the Celtics have fewer questions to answer than the star-point guard Irving. Since LeBron James and Irving split ways 2017, many fans have always wondered if Kyrie could win an NBA championship as the number one option on an NBA roster. The 2019 playoffs have shown that Kyrie Irving is not as dominant as a player as many people thought he was. The fact that the Celtics played better as a unit without Irving during their 2018 playoff run shows that something is wrong. Irving will be a free-agent at the end of the 2019 season but will he be able to win a championship if he is not able to have a star teammate?

It is clear that Kyrie Irving is visibly showing that he is struggling to handle the responsibility of winning on his own. Irving has not been able to produce enough wins in order to rightly become an NBA champion. After being eliminated from the playoffs for a consecutive time, critics across the league are wondering if Kyrie will be able to gain the attention of other NBA superstars in order to be apart of a late-career dynasty. Kyrie has an option to resign with the Boston Celtics for a five-year deal or move to a different locker room for a four-year agreement. With teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks as possible landing spots, fans are eager to see where Kyrie will end up next.

It can be said that the Boston Celtics could be the best option for the shifty All-Star point guard. With pieces such as Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, and Terry Rozier it is hard to not see the Celtics righting the ship in the seasons to come. The body language displayed by Irving after the loss in game five did not sell NBA fans the illusion of a happy Celtic. With so many options on the table, Kyrie Irving is definitely a player to watch during the 2019 offseason.