The 2018-19 Boston Celtics boasted a team that, on paper, looked poised to make a deep playoff run. Between Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving, Terry Rozier and the continued emergence of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, there was a lot of talent on the roster.
But the Celtics fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals after sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the first round.
Appearing on “Podcast P With Paul George,” Hayward shed light on why that 2018-19 wasn’t as successful as it could have been.
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“In my eyes, we all had too many agendas. And the agenda to win the whole thing was not the main one,” Hayward said. “Not to blame anyone, either, because I think it was all human nature. I’m coming back from where the last season that I played I was an All-Star, so I’m trying to prove that I’m still an All-Star. Kyrie was hurt the year before, (had) to miss the playoffs. So he’s trying to prove this is still his team. And then you’ve got JT and Jaylen and Terry who are coming off where they’re all starting.”
The year prior, the Celtics were without Hayward for the entire 2017-18 season and playoffs after he suffered a gruesome leg and ankle injury in his team debut, while Irving was recovering from knee surgery that kept him out of the playoffs. Despite the two big losses, the Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Finals before they fell to then-LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers.
Hayward added that there were several players who were in the same position of wanting the ball and not wanting to make sacrifices despite the fact it would benefit the team.
“We all rock with the ball. … It was one of those things where it’s like we’ve had five players-only meetings and things were said that were the right things,” Hayward said. “… And we do need people to sacrifice but that person shouldn’t be me.”
Irving, Hayward and Rozier are all on different teams now. Irving left in that offseason after the second-round playoff exit after a tumultuous tenure in Boston. Rozier and Hayward were both traded in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The two are teammates with the Charlotte Hornets, who are 7-23 on the season.
The Celtics, meanwhile, have another strong roster that has high playoff hopes.
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