The Boston Celtics were just one win away from playing in the NBA Finals last season, a remarkable feat considering they went the entire playoffs without Gordon Hayward or Kyrie Irving. Hayward, of course, suffered a gruesome broken ankle on opening night, while Irving underwent multiple knee surgeries in the spring. The good news for everyone in Boston, is that both stars are expected to be ready to go for this season.
A short time ago, Hayward spoke to the media and said he's basically 100 percent and expects to play on opening night. Now, we have an update on Irving. Longtime NBA reporter David Aldridge noted in his most recent column that Irving "will be under no minutes restrictions once the regular season begins, according to a source."
Irving was always expected to be ready for training camp, and we most recently saw footage of him looking quite shifty during a pick-up game down in Miami with other NBA stars. But the report that he won't be under any sort of minutes restriction once the season begins is the best news Celtics fans could have hoped to hear.
It shows the team has plenty of confidence in the health of Irving's knee. And while the Celtics proved last season that they are deep enough to survive without Irving, they still need him -- not only healthy, but playing at his best -- if they have hopes of challenging for an NBA title this season.
