A lot of the Brooklyn Nets’ blood, sweat, and tears have gone into the making of this team and tonight we get our first look at the new look Celtics. For the first time since the days of Pierce, KG, and Ray Allen the Celtics have 3 legitimate elite NBA players on their roster. No longer are they the plucky underdogs. Not to say they’ll be able to top the Cavs or the Warriors, but this team is much closer than last year’s team was. And while Isaiah Thomas will always be one of my favorite C’s players ever, Kyrie Irving is objectively speaking just a better all around player. Kyrie’s been one of the most entertaining players to watch since his (limited) days at Duke so I’m excited to see him lace up his sexy shamrock sneakers for the first time.

Kyrie Irving laces up the “Shamrock” Nike Kyrie 3 PE during @celtics shootaround

🎥 @NBA pic.twitter.com/tP0DRdeWcs

— B/R Kicks (@br_kicks) October 17, 2017

Not to mention unwrapping the first starting 5 of the year. Brad Stevens has a shit ton of new toys to play with this season.

Brad Stevens confirms that he will start Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford tonight against Cleveland.

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 17, 2017

I love it. Its that positional flexibility that the NBA thrives on these days as each player in this lineup can score from various levels. Its also the same starting 5 I use in NBA2K, no biggie. I’m excited to see Tatum go up against the big boys too after looking silky smooth in the summer league.

And most of all, its great to have a team that can legitimately compete with LeBron once again. Its been a long road back from The Big 3 days, but this team should push the Cavs for a spot in the NBA Finals. Especially with LeBron still dismissively referring to Kyrie as “the kid” every opportunity he gets, Kyrie may legitimately murder LeBron before we even get to the playoffs.