Boston Celtics: A play for Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward

Last season, Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving shared the court for barely five minutes. How will these Boston Celtics stars fit together next year?

Have you ever opened up your four-piece McNuggets and been surprised to see a coveted extra nugget waiting there for you? It is a moment of pure bliss. To many, this is what the opening night of the NBA feels like, especially when it features the Boston Celtics.

Last season, that feeling disappeared within minutes, as the Celtics lost Gordon Hayward, their newly signed star, to a gruesome leg injury. The injury is so disconcerting that it makes you want to throw that extra nugget back up. What was even more sickening is that NBA fans never got the chance to see Kyrie Irving play extended minutes with his pal Hayward.

There is hope, however. Once again, the Boston Celtics will play a rival on opening night, but this time it will be the Philadelphia 76ers. Fans will get what they have been waiting for, as Irving and Hayward get another shot to play together.

The only other time we saw these two prized acquisitions interact on the court were during a handful of preseason games. The footage of them looks promising, but there is not enough to draw firm conclusions on how these two will play together. Reexamining the way Irving interacted with other wings helped resolve this.

Studying head coach Brad Stevens’ offensive schemes gives up a glimpse into how Hayward will be used when paired with Irving, but we need more. The numbers also provide some clues. So, how can these two work together to form a devastating offensive duo?

Early into the season, Stevens keenly recognized just how much on-court gravity his stud point guard had. Irving is just as deadly at shooting triples as he is getting to the rim, so defenders need to stick to him at all times. Stevens saw this early on and iterated it to Jay King of The Athletic (formerly of MassLive) Specifically, Stevens said this of Irving:

"“His ability especially on backcuts to set up a cut – and often times he’s going to be overplayed because of who he is, but he has a burst on that initial movement that gets him open that’s pretty special.”"

So how did the Boston Celtics take advantage of Irving’s underappreciated talent? They ran a play called “43.” The goal of this set is to have the defense focus on a weaving Irving while the ball remains on the wing. Irving is not the recipient of a pass, however. Instead, he sets a screen for a wing. The wing then takes advantage of having a smaller guard switched onto him and tries to get an easy bucket in the paint.

The video posted below will give you a good example of this play’s effectiveness. Keep your eyes on Irving, but also notice how Marcus Morris positions himself to look like he will set a pick. Irving looks as though he is going to run through Morris’ screen and forces Steph Curry and Kevin Durant to run into each other, which springs Jaylen Brown for a dunk.

What makes this play possible is the amount of attention that must be placed on Irving. According to NBA.com, Irving finish last season in the 81st percentile when playing off screens. Both Durant and Curry have an eye on Irving. The Golden State Warriors defenders are prepping for him to run through a Morris screen. In actuality, it is the tricky Irving who will be setting the screen.

Next season, expect for Hayward to sometimes replace Brown in this scenario. When defenders switch correctly, this play has resulted in Brown getting shut down in the post. A more adept passer than Brown, Hayward can pass out of the post and keep the offense alive if the play is sniffed out. He also has the athleticism to finish above the rim.

In this next clip, a variation of “43” was run. Hayward received the ball in the post after getting the smaller Jerryd Bayless switched onto him. Bayless does a good job defending Hayward, but Hayward sucks the defense in by faking a shot and finding an open Terry Rozier in mid-air for a corner 3-pointer.

With Hayward operating out of the post instead of Brown, the Boston Celtics get a clear advantage. They benefit from Hayward’s court vision. This play will become even more effective as Hayward can outmuscle guards or pass to the open man. It will be an added wrinkle resulting in extending plays that are seemingly well-defended.

Furthermore, Hayward also commands almost as much gravity as Irving. Although game film of these two playing together is scarce, one clip shows both of them drawing the attention of two defenders in the same possession. Watch these two interact against the Charlotte Hornets.

It may not look entirely special, but this is attractive basketball. Irving and Hayward play off each other perfectly. Hayward receives a pass from Irving, pump fakes and drives just enough to deter Kemba Walker for a split second. For a moment, he has the attention of both Dwayne Bacon and Walker.

Next, he dishes to Irving. Irving mimics Hayward by utilizing a pump and attack dribble. Once again, Bacon and Walker are drawn to a single Celtics player. This time, Irving passes to Hayward once more and Hayward cans a triple.

Despite only playing a handful of games together, the chemistry between these two is evident. It has shown in flashes on the court, but these two have been wanting to team up for a while. If you recall, former Cleveland general manager David Griffin said that Irving attracted Hayward to Cleveland, which noted their desire to suit up together.

The 2018-19 Boston Celtics would be wise to feature Irving and Hayward in pick-and-roll situations next year. They both have the ability to pop for open 3-pointers, take a mismatched defender to the hoop, or find an open teammate. Irving’s ability as a screener can maximize Haywards talent as a shooter and secondary playmaker.