Celtics Embracing Challenge of Guarding Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic: ‘Can’t Take That for Granted’

Jesse Cinquini | Jun 1, 2024

Jan 22, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) drives to the basket with Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) defending during the third quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Mavericks guards in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving — two of the more gifted offensive players in the history of the NBA — are the straws that stir the drink of Dallas’ offense. So far in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the tandem is averaging a combined 51.6 points and 14.0 assists per game.

Keeping in check players of their caliber presents challenges for any defense, including the Boston Celtics’ defense, which finished the 2023-24 regular season with the second-best defensive rating in basketball at 110.6.

But recent words from Jrue Holiday and head coach Joe Mazzulla suggest that the Celtics are embracing the defensive challenges ahead of them.

First, Holiday — who will likely spend a lot of his time on the floor guarding Irving or Doncic during the championship series — explained it will be fun albeit difficult to try to keep the two guards in check from scoring and playmaking standpoints.

“It’s hard," expressed Holiday. "It’s hard, but its fun. Two of the best scorers in the league. They’ve been doing it all of their career and you’ve seen what they’ve been doing in the playoffs. They are in a really good groove, not just scoring but playmaking , making the team better in crucial moments and close out games and whatever it is. They’ve been performing very, very great. So, it’s not going to easy but it will be fun."

Mazzulla also gave Irving his flowers for his level of play in the 2024 NBA Playoffs and acknowledged that the 32-year-old boasts quite the impressive playoff resume.

“Listen, he's a great player," voiced Mazzulla. "He's got a lot of good things. I think just how he's carried himself, how he's played this postseason, has been one of the fun things to watch. It's one of the themes in the NBA. So, he's a great player. Done a lot of great things over the course of his career, and he's playing really well. So, you have to respect that, you can't take that for granted, and you have to be ready to guard him at a high, high level. That's the most important thing."

Finally, the youngest head coach to reach the NBA Finals since Bill Russell said that defending Doncic well will require a team effort.

“Yeah, you just got to be very aware of what you're willing to live with and what you're willing to take away and when it's time to adjust," said Mazzulla. "And I think there's not one coverage, there's not one player. It's gonna take multiple coverages, it's gonna take multiple players, it's gonna take a team effort.

"And you just have to have a clear understanding of what you're willing to live with and what you're willing to take away and how those things change over the course of the game. Your defense is connected to your offense and vice versa, so if you're having empty possessions on the offensive, giving up transition, giving up offensive rebounds, there's no half-court adjustment. If you're managing the game properly with your offensive execution, getting back to transition, [and] holding them to one shot, then your adjustments are different. So, you just have to have an understanding of how the game is going and do what's necessary at that particular time."

Time will tell if the Celtics will be able to make life difficult for Irving and Doncic, but if they can, Boston fans should feel optimistic about the team’s chance of winning its 18th title in franchise history later this month.

Further Reading

NBA Finals MVP Odds: Jayson Tatum Front-Runner for Bill Russell Trophy

NBA Finals Betting Lines: Celtics Significant Favorites Over Mavs

Joe Mazzulla Eviscerates Contrived Narrative about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

Celtics-Mavericks NBA Finals Has Kyrie Irving Between Boston and Banner 18

Report: Celtics Center Kristaps Porzingis 'On Track' for NBA Finals Return

Al Horford Returns to NBA Finals Aiming to Add to a Legacy Already Cemented

Jaylen Brown's Evolution Propels Him to Eastern Conference Finals MVP

Crunch-Time Resolve Sends Celtics Back to NBA Finals