Boston Celtics: 5 goals for Kyrie Irving in 2017-18

4. Get to the foul line more frequently

There is little question Kyrie Irving is one of the most prolific ball-handlers in the NBA. His ability to navigate the floor, create shot opportunities for himself and finish at the rim is unmatched throughout the league.

Last season, Irving attacked the rim 9.3 times a night, finishing with a total of 288 layups. Once Irving got to the rim, he managed to convert 60 percent of his attempts, but only drew a foul 12 percent of the time.

Ever since he entered the NBA as the first overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, he has yet to average 5.0 free throw attempts a game. During the 2016-17 season, 31 players, including Isaiah Thomas and LeBron James, earned at least five free throw attempts a game.

The 4.6 free throws Irving averaged last season tied him for 36th-most in the league along with Hassan Whiteside and Stephen Curry. Tying Curry in trips to the foul line each night is a bit shocking, considering Irving took an additional 98 shot attempts at the rim.

If Irving wants to inflate his scoring average past his career-high of 25.2 points from a year ago, additional trips to the free throw line will be a necessity.