Boston Celtics: 5 keys to series vs. Bucks

2. Kyrie Irving

The NBA Playoffs are where the brightest stars in the league are asked to carry their teams to the promised land. For the Boston Celtics, all eyes are on Kyrie Irving to lead them in this series.

Irving erupted onto the scene as a superstar after being a crucial force in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ historic 3-1 comeback in the 2016 NBA Finals. Behind his 27.1 points per game, Irving helped bring the first championship in franchise history to the Cavaliers.

Now, Irving is attempting to win another title, except this time, he’ll have to do it without the help of LeBron James. This is a challenge that not many players would want to face, but it is exactly what Irving asked for when he requested to be traded.

So far, Irving hasn’t missed a step. Without James by his side, he led the Celtics to a clean sweep over the Indiana Pacers with an average of 22.5 points and 7.8 assists per game. This was the first playoff series that Irving has ever played without James and he has now secured the greatest winning percentage in NBA playoff history (.768).

As Irving continues his mission to prove himself as one of the NBA’s all-time greats, he will be asked to topple the best team in the league this season. The Celtics are a talented team, but they will only go as far as their leader takes them. If his history is any indication of what to expect, this should be an explosive series for Irving.