This could be part of the reason DA gutted the training staff and moved IT. No one did the right thing long term. Last year they were lucky to get were they got, and IT was the reason for it and he played threw hell, but there is a time when you must lose the battle to win the war.
I loved what IT did here and he was fun to watch, but something always nagged at me about his long term commitment and putting winning above all else. It's hard to say if playing last season was wanting to win, or wanting the big pay day and when he talks about the brinks truck instead of saying we will talk things out and come whats best for both parties, it rubbed me the wrong way. PP and KG you had no doubt they were Celtics from head to toe. IT, if the green was more green on the other side, he'd leave the C's in a heart beat in my opinion. I did 20 years of hiring people, and you just get a feeling about people after doing it for a while, to the point when the boss makes the final derision and you're against it and two months later you can do a "told you so".
By not sitting IT screwed the C's out of this season, and possible for longer if the hip doesn't get back to normal. If he was playing Ball by July, I have a feeling he'd still be here. DA had to make a move just in case. He wasn't going to wast a season with Hayward and Horford just to see it IT would come back and then sign a 3 year contract. He was right he owed it to them by not wasting their time for leaving their teams to come here.
And watching the starting unit last night, man Stevens has a fun system to watch, and if Irving can play like that 75% of the time, it's going to be a heck of a season. 20pt 10ast in 3 quarters....