Eastern Conference | Round 1 | (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Brooklyn Nets

[Jaqua92]

I look at the Celtics as one of the most bi-polar teams I can remember. Have the Cs fans who are saying this will be an easy 4 or 5 game series forgetting how a considerable amount of fans were calling for major roster changes and firing their coach? The second half of the season was impressive no doubt, but the Celtics were also one of the healthiest teams in the league during that stretch and ran into quite a few teams that weren’t fortunate in that regard. Now the Celtics are down one of their key pieces, the last time we saw them without a key contributor they were struggling against the Knicks. Now suddenly they’ve figured it out so much to the extent that they’re going to dominate a team with Durant and Kyrie healthy? I don’t buy that

They've been without Rob for weeks, and have beaten a number of playoff teams since then.

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[Feed Your Head]

Tatum has destroyed the Nets the last two years, 30/6/4 on a 60% TS, 64% this season. If they go drop coverage with Drummond, Tatum will wreck them. If they go switch with Claxton, the Celtics will force mismatches in the post with Jaylen or Al. If they blitz Tatum, which I expect, it becomes a 4 on 3, especially with the way the Celtics have the ball flying around. Smart has also given the Nets trouble, 18/4/6 on a 64% TS since last years playoffs.

The Celtics haven’t lost a game to a bad defensive team in almost two months, and they had no Horford/Smart that game. KD is scary as hell, and Kyrie will do some damage, but the Celtics just matchup really well with them IMO. Rob Williams could very well be back for game 4 or 5, as it’ll have been 4 weeks since his surgery, and he’s already way ahead of schedule.

Also, their net rating with Rob in the second half is +12.7. Their net rating without him in that time is +10.8, which is still extremely dominant.

Celtics in 6 feels right IMO, but if it goes 7, I think the Nets would probably win. Fortunately I don’t see that happening, thinks Celts win 1/2/5/6.

[Tor_Raps]

No discussion on the Bruce Brown comments about Thies/Horford and then KD punking him afterwards for it?

Soft lol

Read on Twitter

[stormi]

No discussion on the Bruce Brown comments about Thies/Horford and then KD punking him afterwards for it?

Soft lol

link

[Eyeamok]

Personally, I think taking the fourth seed would be better as we could definitely beat the raptors without timelord. Hopefully getting the home court advantage was worth it.

Oh yeah, I went with Celts in 6 though as I think we have more than enough offense when combined with our D. Should be a great series though.

Yeah but playing the Raptors would have meant playing without Jaylen and Hartford in away games, that's big.

No it wouldn't

Easy buddy. I heard they were not vaccinated and would not be able to play away games in Toronto. If it's not true then ok.

[Tor_Raps]

No discussion on the Bruce Brown comments about Thies/Horford and then KD punking him afterwards for it?

Soft lol

link

Read on Twitter

[Mavrelous]

Nets in 5

[FrodoFraggins]

Personally, I think taking the fourth seed would be better as we could definitely beat the raptors without timelord. Hopefully getting the home court advantage was worth it.

Oh yeah, I went with Celts in 6 though as I think we have more than enough offense when combined with our D. Should be a great series though.

Yeah but playing the Raptors would have meant playing without Jaylen and Hartford in away games, that's big.

Horford promised he'd be able to play anywhere for the playoffs. I'm still not sure onJB

[ITYSL]

Yeah but playing the Raptors would have meant playing without Jaylen and Hartford in away games, that's big.

No it wouldn't

Easy buddy. I heard they were not vaccinated and would not be able to play away games in Toronto. If it's not true then ok.

No big deal, I just wrote "no it wouldn't" to correct your error.

[GoCeltics123]

Most people betting on the Nets to win the series........

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2022/04/boston-celtics-open-as-underdogs-against-brooklyn-nets-according-to-betting-odds-despite-being-the-no-2-seed.html

The line swung towards the Celtics fast though lol

[Eyeamok]

No it wouldn't

Easy buddy. I heard they were not vaccinated and would not be able to play away games in Toronto. If it's not true then ok.

No big deal, I just wrote "no it wouldn't" to correct your error.

That did not correct my "error" because you provided no substance to back up your statement. I just gave you the benefit of the doubt because it was important to you to be right.

[Triple M]

It could be a combination of

1) unsustainable shooting
2) top 3 health in the league
3) opponents being injured/coasting
4) being in try hard mode since February (same rotations same defensive scheme no deviation or experimenting)

You obviously have your viewpoint but lets not pretend like the team didn’t have their best DeRozan/Lowry Raptors regular season impersonation. Teams like those Raps and this years Celtics go try hard in the regular, while teams like the LeBron Cavs or the Bucks just coast because health is the only concern.

Bucks were also a tryhard regular season team not too long ago....only recently they realized how pointless that was. Be careful up there on your high horse.

First of all, I’ll be the first to say the 2017-18 Bucks were filled with garbage players getting too many minutes. The Celtics beating that team is not an accomplishment. Second, until Holiday was acquired I was well aware of the fact that the Bucks did not have a reliable playmaker and that would hinder their ceiling. The Celtics had no choice but to go full try hard this year. Their coach knew his seat was getting pretty warm. They knew that they were the 11th seed in the East before the ASB.

The Bucks were a tryhard regular season team but even when they had injuries to deal with, they were never as dysfunctional as the Celtics displayed they were this season. Teams like that almost always revert to their bad habits when they are confronted with gritty playoff defense, those bad habits where the Jays are playing ISO offense back and forth and Smart chucking dumb 3s. The Cs fans here wanna act like the team was always bought into what Ime is doing and just needed more time but its just not the case.

The Celtics started 2-5 but went 9-5 the rest of November. They were a bottom 7 or 8 team on defence in that first 7 game stretch but responded by being a top 7 defence in November and December. So yes, there was buy-in from an early stage. The offensive side improvements came later, but even in December, you could see they were trying to break their old habits.

Compare their first West trip, where they went 1-4 in December with losses to LAL and bench LAC, to the 4-0 trip in March, where they were up 20 in every game. The difference isn't trying hard or any other gimmick. The Celtics aren't favoured to win the title, but I also don't see them turning into a pumpkin this year.

[GoCeltics123]

I think the Celtics are going to win in 6 games.

I think the Celtics just have less questions than the Nets do. The Celtics are what they are and they don't deviate from it. Plus, with the extended breaks in this series schedule-wise, the odds of Rob Williams coming back are decently high.

I think the Nets just have so many questions as a team: what will Ben Simmons give them? Will their defense improve in time? Who around KD and Kyrie will step up? Will Nash ever learn to coach?

Idk, KD and Kyrie have played so many minutes the last few weeks and it kinda feels like a series where those two will be worn out by the end.

[Who-rod]

I really expect this series to look like the Celtics-Raps bubble series. I think for the most part, the Celtics looked like the better team in the series. That said, Toronto was gutsy as all hell, stealing games on sheer clutch will. I think Durant has the potential to steal games late on pure talent, greatness, and determination, and if that results in a game 7 - all bets are off.

If the Celtics don't adopt Smart's persona for this game, and instead act like a little brother in aww of their idol, they'll lose in 7. They need to be physical, make life very uncomfortable, and save the friendships for the summer.

Prediction: Celtics in 6
If I were ranking my second most likely outcome: Nets in 7

[GWVan]

Simmons coming back, along with Timelord being out, may be enough to swing the series for the Nets.

Thank god my Bucks got the hell outta that 2 spot.

They may be sorry when the Celtics have HC advantage in the second round

[GWVan]

Most people betting on the Nets to win the series........

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2022/04/boston-celtics-open-as-underdogs-against-brooklyn-nets-according-to-betting-odds-despite-being-the-no-2-seed.html

The line swung towards the Celtics fast though lol

I didn't get in quick enough

[stormi]

No discussion on the Bruce Brown comments about Thies/Horford and then KD punking him afterwards for it?

Soft lol

link

Read on Twitter

Didn't really seem like a punking or drama moment, nor did i detect real hostility from his response. More like KD being a leader and trying to keep BB grounded.

[ChampionRed]

I'll say this...I have Celtics winning this series. BUT - if the Nets somehow push this one to 7 games, I don't see KD and Kyrie losing that one.

Celtics need to take the first two in Boston in the worst way possible.

[ITYSL]

Tatum has destroyed the Nets the last two years, 30/6/4 on a 60% TS, 64% this season. If they go drop coverage with Drummond, Tatum will wreck them. If they go switch with Claxton, the Celtics will force mismatches in the post with Jaylen or Al. If they blitz Tatum, which I expect, it becomes a 4 on 3, especially with the way the Celtics have the ball flying around. Smart has also given the Nets trouble, 18/4/6 on a 64% TS since last years playoffs.

The Celtics haven’t lost a game to a bad defensive team in almost two months, and they had no Horford/Smart that game. KD is scary as hell, and Kyrie will do some damage, but the Celtics just matchup really well with them IMO. Rob Williams could very well be back for game 4 or 5, as it’ll have been 4 weeks since his surgery, and he’s already way ahead of schedule.

Also, their net rating with Rob in the second half is +12.7. Their net rating without him in that time is +10.8, which is still extremely dominant.

Celtics in 6 feels right IMO, but if it goes 7, I think the Nets would probably win. Fortunately I don’t see that happening, thinks Celts win 1/2/5/6.

I expect to see a decent amount of Claxton, just like in the April game. If Drummond is in, Tatum will hunt that drop coverage with PNR and light it up. I imagine Tatum will hunt Kyrie a decent amount as well. Nets will try to cover him with Claxton and Brown, and then KD in crucial moments and crunch time. KD's length can bother Tatum. Should be a good series.

[username_taken]

Celtics in 6. Night and day difference in defensive ability between the two teams, despite the Nets having the best player in this series in KD the Celtics have a much more well-rounded offense. Would've taken them in 5 if Robert Williams were healthy. Celtics have been an absolute juggernaut especially since the roster reshuffle at the deadline. They're 20-6 since adding Derrick White and bringing back Theis, with the losses being a 1 point loss to the Pistons coming off a B2B, getting smoked by 21 by the Pacers off a B2B, a 3 point loss to the Mavs, losing to the Raptors by 3 in OT with 4 of their 5 starters out, losing to the Heat by 8, and losing to the Bucks by 6 when resting half of their guys. I'll give the Nets a chance in the series due to their high end talent, but the rest of the roster looks rather thin and I can't foresee a scenario in which they wipe the floor with the Celtics.