Celtics and Nets Series Preview

On the last day of the regular season, the Celtics locked up the two seed in the Eastern Conference with a convincing win over the depleted Grizzlies. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are becoming one of the best duos in the NBA, as each of them has leveled up their games in their own unique ways. With the Brooklyn Nets win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the play-in game, Boston will be tasked to take down a team with two perennial All-Stars with NBA Finals experience.

Last time out, Jayson Tatum outdueled Kevin Durant at the TD Garden as the Celtics outlasted the Nets in an instant classic. This series will not have first-round intensity whatsoever. Both of these squads have Finals aspirations despite what the seeds of each team are. It is a battle of two superstars against a well-coached defensive-oriented team. One of these things has to give way for the other to prevail. What the world knows to be true is that there is a reason why the Celtics are the two seed, and the Nets had to play an extra game in order to make the playoffs. Brooklyn is fundamentally flawed on the defensive end and can make very few adjustments to alter the outcome of the series. It is either Durant and Irving go off each night out, or Boston wins the series with relative ease. Before this star-studded series kicks off, here are a few things to look for:

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1. Which role players step up?

This is where the series is going to turn. There are plenty of stars to go around when these two teams clash for a best of seven, but if certain role players step up, one team will have a great advantage over the other. One of the Nets' role players Bruce Brown criticized Boston's frontcourt following the Cavs game, stating, "Now they don’t have Robert Williams, so they have less of a presence in the paint...We can attack [Daniel] Theis and [Al] Horford in the paint. Them not having Robert Williams is huge." Kevin Durant later revoked those comments, but if Brooklyn wants to have any shot in this series, it cannot think like that.

Missing Williams III is a big blow for sure, but Al Horford and Daniel Theis have been huge as the Celtics clinched the two seed down the stretch. The defense has played with the same vigor and purpose they had during the second half of the season. Boston lacks some vertical spacing without Williams III, but Theis and Horford have more than made up for what was lost. Derrick White since coming to Boston has grown into his role off the bench as a playmaker, and facilitator to whoever is on the floor.

Payton Pritchard has been a walking bucket as of late, and when Boston needs a big shot, the Oregon product has the ability to knock down shots from almost anywhere on the floor. Questions have arisen in recent years about Boston's shooting but this season, the Celtics have two players in the top seven in three-point percentage for individuals who have played 70 or more games in the regular season. Grant Williams is one of those players, and his improvement is a huge reason why Boston is where it is heading into the postseason.

Durant and Kyrie are going to get theirs, but can Bruce Brown, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Nic Claxton, Patty Mills, and even Goran Dragic step up when their name is called upon. In the play-in game against Cleveland, Curry played 33 minutes and did not score a single point. If the Nets want to have a shot against this stifling defense that Udoka has constructed, 25 points or more a night from both of the Nets’ stars is not going to be enough. Brooklyn barely beat a depleted Cavs team when both of its stars netted above 25 and had more and 10 assists each. Whichever team's role players show up big when it matters the most down the stretch is going to have a huge leg up on the other, but the question remains, who is going to do it?

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2. Nets' lack of defense

Last season one of the biggest reasons why Brooklyn was so lethal was due to its toughness on the defensive end of the floor in the playoffs. The absence of defense is predominantly the main reason why the Nets went from the two seed in the East to the seventh seed in the span of just one season. The Celtics have the number one rated defense in the entire NBA this season with a 106.2 defensive rating, the Nets on the other hand sit all the way down in 20th for defensive rating. The Orlando Magic have a higher rating on the defensive end of the floor than Brooklyn does this year. Last season in the postseason, the Nets ranked fourth in defensive rating behind only the Bucks, Suns, and 76ers.

With two future Hall of Famers on their side, the Nets think they can play mediocre defense and get away with it. Boston was a sub-par defense last season, but now, this is its identity. From top to bottom, this Celtics team can defend against some of the best players in the league. If Brooklyn wants to repeat what it did to the Celtics last season in the first round, it needs to play tougher defensively. Get into Jayson Tatum's air space, and force the other players around him to beat you. The problem this season is those players around Tatum are much better than last year, and if the Nets do bail out on Tatum, Jaylen Brown is going to have a field day. The Nets must communicate, and match the physicality the world knows Udoka and the Celtics are going to bring just like the Heat did just a few weeks ago in the TD Garden.

3. Can Tatum outclass Durant in a seven-game series?

This may be the biggest looming question coming into the series. Last month in the Garden, Tatum dropped a 54 piece on Durant and the Nets, but can Tatum lead his team against arguably the most gifted offensive player in the world for more than just one game? Only time will tell, but if this season has taught the NBA world anything, it is that Tatum has evolved into what Boston always dreamed he would become when he was drafted. During the regular season, Tatum has improved in almost every facet of the game. From passing when doubled to playmaking for his teammates to becoming more of a nuisance on the defensive end of the floor, Tatum is a whole different player than he was during the playoffs last year.

This season, Tatum is fourth in the league in points scored and cemented himself in the MVP conversation as he led Boston in the second half of the season to one of the most historic turnarounds in the history of the NBA. The three-time All-Star is one of two players this season that has netted 50 or more points in three or more games this season. While the other player is Kevin Durant, all this proves is that Tatum is slowly reaching the prolific shot-making abilities that Durant possesses. Tatum has reached a career-high in rebounds, assists, points, and even three-pointers made per game.

Durant may be a two-time Finals MVP, but Tatum is growing into a player that nobody on the planet wants to match up with day in and day out. He is stronger, quicker, and has better vision than last year. Tatum will be tasked to be great a lot of the time during this series, but he has proven he can be more often than not with the help of his All-Star teammate Jaylen Brown.

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4. Will no Robert Williams III affect Boston's defense against Brooklyn?

As Bruce Brown alluded to, the Celtics' defense has a hole without Robert Williams III in the starting lineup. The good news is that Williams III may have a chance to be back for Game 5 of the series due to the scheduling of the games and the projected timeline of the earliest he could return. Even though there is a possibility, the Celtics should not rely on that news, and let Williams III take his time in order to be fully ready before he enters the lineup once again. The Nets' willingness to bring the ball to the inside could be increased due to Boston's All-Defensive player's injury. Durant and Kyrie will most likely attack Theis more regularly than they would attack Williams III due to the lack of athleticism. Both superstars love pull-up jumpers, but with no Williams III, will they take it all the way to the bucket more often?

Boston's defense will need to be more locked than it has so far this season in order to stop this Nets' two-headed offense. Williams III or the "Timelord" bails Boston out in a lot of situations where the defense breaks down. The perimeter defense will be under the microscope to limit penetration that causes chaos for the defense. Theis and Horford are both solid defenders in their own right and must find ways to block one of the best offensive rebounders in the game out during each possession. Grant "Batman" Williams is someone that the Celtics will turn to in order to elevate the defense with Williams III. He can guard the perimeter, and in the painted area pretty well for a player of his size.

There is no doubt there will be some defensive collapses where Brooklyn breaks Boston down, but the question remains if the Celtics' frontcourt can limit extra possessions, and force the Nets' backcourt into taking a tough shot rather than a layup. The Celtics have shown the depth without the "Timelord" in the lineup, but now it is time to show it when it matters the most.

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5. Marcus Smart vs Kyrie Irving

One of the most overlooked matchups of the series. These two were once on the same team, and now for consecutive seasons, have to face each other in the first round of the postseason. Smart is a bonafide stud on the defensive end, and might arguably be the frontrunner for the Defensive Player of the Year after years of not being in consideration despite his relentlessness in stopping the opposition. The box score does not measure the impact a player like Smart has on a team, and with an offensive player like Irving on the other sideline, Smart is going to have to dig in.

Against the Cavaliers in the play-in game, Irving did not miss a shot in the first half. Cleveland has no answers for the prolific shot-making of Irving as he netted a game-high 34 points. With Smart now as the starting point guard for the Celtics, Irving's journey to repeating that performance is going to be much tougher. While he may score a lot, the difficulty that he is going to have to score is going to increase due to the elite perimeter defending of Smart. The former Oklahoma State product loves to get inside the head of his opponents, and there is no question he will try to frustrate Irving as much as possible.

Both individuals play the same position and are gifted at the opposite ends of the floor. Something will have to give in this matchup. There may be a lot of hard fouls and smack talk from both ends as each will claw for every inch on the floor. This matchup is filled with lots of drama due to the fact that this is a best of seven. Every single night, Smart will be in Irving's air space, preventing him from doing what he does best, score the basket from anywhere on the floor.