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

[Hello Brooklyn]

Honestly Celtics are lucky Ben Simmons isn't playing.

If we had Ben this wouldn't be close. He would make things very tough for Tatum and there wouldn't be enough scoring anywhere else.

Nets can never get an injury luck. Past 2 years were got **** by injuries. Then this year too.

Lineup should really be:

Simmons, Kyrie, Harris, KD, Drummond. Would be great defensively.

So afraid of Beta 1 point Simmons!!!!!!!!

You can be afraid of KD/Kyrie who sent you packing last year. Never forget.

[ajones9219]

Yes its not close. Simmons is an All NBA, multiple time all star and finished 2nd in DPOY voting last year.

Rob Williams is a role player.

You guys are acting like hes Bill Russell. Delusional.

Honestly rob being compared to bill Russell is a better take than him not even being close to ben Simmons.

Rob is all defense top dpoy candidate himself and still improving. Ben might never play again and all he ever done is shrink in the playoffs.

30/30 teams would take rob right now before Simmons.

Hes not a DPOY candidate to anyone outside of Boston. Hes not even the best defender on his own team.

Nobody on Earth would take Rob over Simmons. Not even you. Youre lying to yourself.

But yeah hes totally comparable to Bill Russell! Youve lost your mind.

Rob was top 3 in DPOY projections all season. You're delusional. I don't think 30/30 gms take Rob over Ben but over half would take Rob 100% no question.

Nobody is comparing him to Russel but you but you're underrating him and overrating Simmons to a comical degree.

[ajones9219]

Honestly Celtics are lucky Ben Simmons isn't playing.

If we had Ben this wouldn't be close. He would make things very tough for Tatum and there wouldn't be enough scoring anywhere else.

Nets can never get an injury luck. Past 2 years were got **** by injuries. Then this year too.

Lineup should really be:

Simmons, Kyrie, Harris, KD, Drummond. Would be great defensively.

So afraid of Beta 1 point Simmons!!!!!!!!

You can be afraid of KD/Kyrie who sent you packing last year. Never forget.

You beat a team starting Fournier, Tristian Thompson, and Romeo Langford. You want a cookie? Timelord was cooking the Nets in game 1 before he got hurt. never forget.

[The Corey's]

Honestly Celtics are lucky Ben Simmons isn't playing.

If we had Ben this wouldn't be close. He would make things very tough for Tatum and there wouldn't be enough scoring anywhere else.

Nets can never get an injury luck. Past 2 years were got **** by injuries. Then this year too.

Lineup should really be:

Simmons, Kyrie, Harris, KD, Drummond. Would be great defensively.

So afraid of Beta 1 point Simmons!!!!!!!!

You can be afraid of KD/Kyrie who sent you packing last year. Never forget.

That's very comforting for you I see.

Who cares about last year. Imagine thinking you're gonna win because of a player that's never played a minute for the team.

[GreenBloodedC]

Isn't Ben Simmons' infamous 1 point game against the Celtics in the Playoffs. Trust me, Ben Simmons is the least of Celtics' concerns.

We could be ok with 0 points from Simmons. Offense isn't a problem with KD/Kyrie.

Sixers were asking him to do things he couldn't do. Now he can focus on the things hes best at. And Embiid won't be clogging the rim either

This guy thinks a team can just add Simmons who has not played the entire year, and who stunk the place last time he played into the Playoffs

[Hello Brooklyn]

Honestly rob being compared to bill Russell is a better take than him not even being close to ben Simmons.

Rob is all defense top dpoy candidate himself and still improving. Ben might never play again and all he ever done is shrink in the playoffs.

30/30 teams would take rob right now before Simmons.

Hes not a DPOY candidate to anyone outside of Boston. Hes not even the best defender on his own team.

Nobody on Earth would take Rob over Simmons. Not even you. Youre lying to yourself.

But yeah hes totally comparable to Bill Russell! Youve lost your mind.

Rob was top 3 in DPOY projections all season. You're delusional. I don't think 30/30 gms take Rob over Ben but over half would take Rob 100% no question.

Nobody is comparing him to Russel but you but you're underrating him and overrating Simmons to a comical degree.

No he wasn't. And he won't even finish top 5.

Smart is a FAR better defender actually.

Not a single GM would take Rob over Simmons.

If we offered that deal to Brad he takes it yesterday.

[Hello Brooklyn]

So afraid of Beta 1 point Simmons!!!!!!!!

You can be afraid of KD/Kyrie who sent you packing last year. Never forget.

You beat a team starting Fournier, Tristian Thompson, and Romeo Langford. You want a cookie? Timelord was cooking the Nets in game 1 before he got hurt. never forget.

We beat your beloved Celtics.

Not our fault you were stupid and traded for Fournier and signed Tristan Thompson.

[ajones9219]

You can be afraid of KD/Kyrie who sent you packing last year. Never forget.

You beat a team starting Fournier, Tristian Thompson, and Romeo Langford. You want a cookie? Timelord was cooking the Nets in game 1 before he got hurt. never forget.

We beat your beloved Celtics.

Not our fault you were stupid and traded for Fournier and signed Tristan Thompson.

Gotcha. So the Bucks were the better team last season then?

[Perseus1966]

There is no need to play simmons over Brown

[Triple7]

Honestly Celtics are lucky Ben Simmons isn't playing.

If we had Ben this wouldn't be close. He would make things very tough for Tatum and there wouldn't be enough scoring anywhere else.

Nets can never get an injury luck. Past 2 years were got **** by injuries. Then this year too.

Lineup should really be:

Simmons, Kyrie, Harris, KD, Drummond. Would be great defensively.

Hahaha!
I bet you be shouting at Nash to pull Ben out, once “hack a ben” starts and disrupting your offense. I’m sure KD and Kyrie would be delighted with Ben, once he goes 3/16 in the 4th. Lol keep telling yourself he would be useful haha.

Good luck hacking Ben all night, putting yourself over the limit and then putting KD/Kyrie on the line who both shoot 90%. I'm sure it will work out great.

Who says all night? If Ben plays in the 4th, we have a ton of players on the bench to foul him. It’s not like KD gets to the line that much anyways, same with kyrie. Also most teams gets into the penalty anyways. Plus good luck with your horrible bench. You might need to play KD and Kyrie 40 plus mins for you to have a decent chance. Not sure they would hold up till the end of the series. Plus with Ben playing, i like our chances playing 4 v 5, coz ben is as useless on offense as a scorers table lol.

[1st banana]

Hes not a DPOY candidate to anyone outside of Boston. Hes not even the best defender on his own team.

Nobody on Earth would take Rob over Simmons. Not even you. Youre lying to yourself.

But yeah hes totally comparable to Bill Russell! Youve lost your mind.

Rob was top 3 in DPOY projections all season. You're delusional. I don't think 30/30 gms take Rob over Ben but over half would take Rob 100% no question.

Nobody is comparing him to Russel but you but you're underrating him and overrating Simmons to a comical degree.

No he wasn't. And he won't even finish top 5.

Smart is a FAR better defender actually.

Not a single GM would take Rob over Simmons.

If we offered that deal to Brad he takes it yesterday.

Ooof Brooklyn get your boy before he hurts himself.

If you think not a single gm would take rob over Simmons then you just haven’t watched any of either player.

[ajones9219]

You can be afraid of KD/Kyrie who sent you packing last year. Never forget.

You beat a team starting Fournier, Tristian Thompson, and Romeo Langford. You want a cookie? Timelord was cooking the Nets in game 1 before he got hurt. never forget.

We beat your beloved Celtics.

Not our fault you were stupid and traded for Fournier and signed Tristan Thompson.

He says this ^^

But also this:

"Bucks are so **** lucky. First they play Brooklyn with no Kyrie and Harden at 20%.

Now they get to play the Hawks with Trae Young on a bad ankle and Bogie at half strength.

Meanwhile they get to be completely healthy except for freaking Divincenzo lol."

And yet he doesn't perceive a shred of the irony.

https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?p=92100695#p92100695

[GusFring]

Won't be surprised at all if nets take this. This board must of be young putting so much stock in the RS when both Durant and Irving barely played.

[Pachinko_]

Isn't Ben Simmons' infamous 1 point game against the Celtics in the Playoffs. Trust me, Ben Simmons is the least of Celtics' concerns.

We could be ok with 0 points from Simmons. Offense isn't a problem with KD/Kyrie.

Sixers were asking him to do things he couldn't do. Now he can focus on the things hes best at. And Embiid won't be clogging the rim either

Yeah sure, but why would Ben do such a thing?

Basketball, according to Ben Simmons, is a game where he has the ball in his hands and he makes the decisions, and the other players (like the Durants and Irvings of this world) go to the corners and move without the ball and wait for his instructions and creative passes. That's how he understands the game, he has said it, his coaches have said, everybody knows it: he-wants-the-ball.

And to be fair, name another guy who makes $33m a year and is ok with 0 points and touching the ball whenever KD/Kyrie give it to him, which is basically forecasted to be once on his birthday and once at Xmas (if he's been a good boy).

[Perseus1966]

Such an effort from teams just to get an exam from Bucks proctologist...

[celtxman]

You do realize your own fanbase was singing that same tune this season that Brown and Tatum can't play together, fire Ime, trade Smart, etc? Stay mad that the Bucks forced the Celtics to play a legit team instead of skating by with the Bulls

Let me understand this. You're admitting the Bucks "forced" the Celtics to play a legit team, while the Bucks, as you say chose to skate. The defending champs make a conscious decision to avoid playing someone may be a strategy but a bad look.

In the end if it helps the Bucks win a Championship, nobody is going to remember or care that they sat players for the final game. They did earn the ability to choose that destiny by beating Boston, Brooklyn, and Philly to end the season

Well, they won't be up there with Rudy Tomjonovich's "never underestimate the heart of a champion" LOL, but sure if they repeat........not many will remember. There was at least a little chatter to allow the team that earned the tiebreaker the choice in the future. That would be wild and fun.
There is also absolutely a scenario where people will remember the Bucks decision for a long time. Celtics are fortunate enough to beat the Nets. They then get to set the tone with first two games in Boston against the Bucks. Game 7 in Boston. 100% people will remember if Celts beat the Bucks in round 2.
If

[rilamann]

It's crazy that if just 3 months ago, you said that the Celtics and Nets would be playing in the 1st round of the playoffs in the #2 vs # 7 match-up and you asked NBA fans which seed the Nets would be. Most would have been like The Nets slipped to the #2 seed?

I would be a bit nervous if I was a Celtics fan.

[Raps in 4]

KD signs with Boston after this series.

[hardenASG13]

It's not just rust, he's physically not in game shape, reinjured himself the last time he tried to rush back, hasn't played a game since June last year, and hasn't played a full five on five practice with his current team ever because he's physically unable to. The idea that he is about to be plopped into the middle of a competitive playoff series and expected to play an important role should be terrifying to any Nets fan. I'm worried he's going to injure himself again.

I don’t think he’s expected to play that important of a role. If he’s working out, great, but whatever he can give them is really just a bonus.

I don't see how he can simultaneously be a much needed addition to their rotation this season and not expected to play that important a role.

They lose nothing if he stinks,he’s never played.All they need him to do is attack when KD and Kyrie are doubled,defend and rebound. He’s 6 10 and very athletic, should be able to do that. To clarify, if he’s able to give them close to his normal stuff,thatd be a much needed addition (size, defense, attacking the rim). There’s no reason to think he can’t do that 25 min a night, they wouldn’t put him out there if he wasn’t in shape and again he doesn’t need to be in superstar shape. Guy is a natural freak athlete, despite his offensive short comings shooting a basketball.

[Fencer reregistered]

Smitty has Celtics in 6.

https://www.celticsblog.com/2022/4/14/23025263/2-boston-celtics-vs-7-brooklyn-nets-first-round-playoff-series-preview