There is a theory that at times, certain star NBA players can make their team better by not playing. The theory is named for a historic run by the New York Knicks that took place after their star big man, Patrick Ewing, went down injured.
But at least one NBA analyst thinks that the theory could be better explained by a handful of more recent examples, including how the Boston Celtics took a step forward when star point guard Kyrie Irving got hurt. The 2017-18 NBA season ended in the Eastern Conference Finals’ Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers sans Irving, and shifted the focus of the team moving forward as a result.
The folks behind the “Andy Hoops” YouTube channel put together a video of five such examples from recent NBA history.
Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear their case.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
