Take, for example, when Brown sat out with back spasms in New Orleans on Nov. 26. The Celtics, at the time, were 10-10 and floundering. Hayward, who was struggling mightily in his return to game action after a year off, had already been replaced in the starting lineup by
Marcus Morris. Now, with Brown sidelined,
Marcus Smart stepped into the lineup for him.
And, after the Celtics won handily, Irving was effusive in his praise for his new backcourt mate.
"There's a reason why he's very instrumental for our team being successful," Irving said. "Because he's a veteran now -- not in terms of years, but he's played high-level basketball for the Celtics for a few years now. So we expect him to be in the right spots and doing the right things."
The message behind the words Irving spoke inside the Smoothie King Center locker room was loud and clear to all who heard it: If it was up to him, Smart would remain in the starting lineup.
Irving got his wish. It was the right move, too -- Boston rattled off eight straight wins with Smart starting, and he was arguably the best defensive guard in the league this season. But the criticisms of the young players didn't let up. The Orlando game proved to be a tipping point.