Poll: Celtics vs. Nets Series Predictions

[Goldstar88]

What if the Nets prefer to play the Heat… and intentionally lose/sit players for the first game against Cle to avoid playing the Celtics?   

[Walker Wiggle]

I saw on another site that the Nets have the 2nd-best betting odds to win the East, behind the Bucks. To me that's crazy and I think it's evidence that people are locked into imagining the Nets as what they were last year, not this year.

It's not just that they no longer have Harden. It's that they no longer have Harden AND a number of important role players that they had last year.

For instance, Joe Harris shot 48% from 3 last year and had an eFG of 65% during the regular season. He was a major part of what they did offsensively, and even played decent defense by his own standards. He played 37 min per game in the semifinals vs the Bucks.

Moreover, Jeff Green played 27 mpg in that series and averaged 10 ppg. Landry Shamet and Mike James (who was an underrated part of that team last year) played about 16 mpg each. None of those guys is an all-star, but the Nets would kill to have those guys in their supporting cast right now.

By contrast, at this point the Nets are playing the following players who were not on the team last year significant minutes: Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Kessler Edwards, Nick Claxton, Patty Mills, Lamarcus Aldridge, Goran Dragic, David Duke. With the exception of Curry, who hasn't integrated particularly well since coming over from the Sixers, and possibly Patty Mills, who isn't what he once was, none of those guys is a good role player. And even in the case of Curry and Mills, we are talking about good shooters/floor spacers who are major defensive liabilities. (Please do not tell me Aldridge and Dragic are good role players. This is 2022, not 2017.)

Lastly: A number of people have asked "What happened to Steve Nash?" His coaching doesn't seem to be what it was a year ago. Well, the answer is simple: they lost a number of key assistant coaches, including Mike D'Antoni and Ime Udoka. This is hugely underrated.

Folks, the Celtics can and will win a 1st round series against the Nets. (It's not a cakewalk to beat the Cavs in the play-in, by the way.) This is a different Nets team from what many of us have lingering in our minds from last year.

[angryguy77]

Only way we lose if if we stop doing what we've been doing the last few months.
C's are the same team that pushed the defending champs to the wall using mostly bench players.

The nets are not going to be pushovers, but they are not good enough to handle Boston's best.

[Yuckabuck33]

I saw on another site that the Nets have the 2nd-best betting odds to win the East, behind the Bucks. To me that's crazy and I think it's evidence that people are locked into imagining the Nets as what they were last year, not this year.

It's not just that they no longer have Harden. It's that they no longer have Harden AND a number of important role players that they had last year.

For instance, Joe Harris shot 48% from 3 last year and had an eFG of 65% during the regular season. He was a major part of what they did offsensively, and even played decent defense by his own standards. He played 37 min per game in the semifinals vs the Bucks.

Moreover, Jeff Green played 27 mpg in that series and averaged 10 ppg. Landry Shamet and Mike James (who was an underrated part of that team last year) played about 16 mpg each. None of those guys is an all-star, but the Nets would kill to have those guys in their supporting cast right now.

By contrast, at this point the Nets are playing the following players who were not on the team last year significant minutes: Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Kessler Edwards, Nick Claxton, Patty Mills, Lamarcus Aldridge, Goran Dragic, David Duke. With the exception of Curry, who hasn't integrated particularly well since coming over from the Sixers, and possibly Patty Mills, who isn't what he once was, none of those guys is a good role player. And even in the case of Curry and Mills, we are talking about good shooters/floor spacers who are major defensive liabilities. (Please do not tell me Aldridge and Dragic are good role players. This is 2022, not 2017.)

Lastly: A number of people have asked "What happened to Steve Nash?" His coaching doesn't seem to be what it was a year ago. Well, the answer is simple: they lost a number of key assistant coaches, including Mike D'Antoni and Ime Udoka. This is hugely underrated.

Folks, the Celtics can and will win a 1st round series against the Nets. (It's not a cakewalk to beat the Cavs in the play-in, by the way.) This is a different Nets team from what many of us have lingering in our minds from last year.

Excellent post!!! I would give a TP if I knew how to.
I feel like the Nets are in the same position playing us that we were last year playing them, and I expect similar results. The Nets team will rekindle the magic enough to win one, maybe two, games. But their flaws are too numerous to not be exploited by the better TEAM.

[Moranis]

Too hard to predict something that will happen in like 2 months.  Just too many variables.

[Roy H.]

I saw on another site that the Nets have the 2nd-best betting odds to win the East, behind the Bucks. To me that's crazy and I think it's evidence that people are locked into imagining the Nets as what they were last year, not this year.

It's not just that they no longer have Harden. It's that they no longer have Harden AND a number of important role players that they had last year.

For instance, Joe Harris shot 48% from 3 last year and had an eFG of 65% during the regular season. He was a major part of what they did offsensively, and even played decent defense by his own standards. He played 37 min per game in the semifinals vs the Bucks.

Moreover, Jeff Green played 27 mpg in that series and averaged 10 ppg. Landry Shamet and Mike James (who was an underrated part of that team last year) played about 16 mpg each. None of those guys is an all-star, but the Nets would kill to have those guys in their supporting cast right now.

By contrast, at this point the Nets are playing the following players who were not on the team last year significant minutes: Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Kessler Edwards, Nick Claxton, Patty Mills, Lamarcus Aldridge, Goran Dragic, David Duke. With the exception of Curry, who hasn't integrated particularly well since coming over from the Sixers, and possibly Patty Mills, who isn't what he once was, none of those guys is a good role player. And even in the case of Curry and Mills, we are talking about good shooters/floor spacers who are major defensive liabilities. (Please do not tell me Aldridge and Dragic are good role players. This is 2022, not 2017.)

Lastly: A number of people have asked "What happened to Steve Nash?" His coaching doesn't seem to be what it was a year ago. Well, the answer is simple: they lost a number of key assistant coaches, including Mike D'Antoni and Ime Udoka. This is hugely underrated.

Folks, the Celtics can and will win a 1st round series against the Nets. (It's not a cakewalk to beat the Cavs in the play-in, by the way.) This is a different Nets team from what many of us have lingering in our minds from last year.

I agree with a lot of this, but you're selling a few of their guys a bit short.

LMA is old, yes.  He also averaged 13 ppg on 55% shooting.  Drummond put up 12 / 10 / 61%.  Curry pretty much matched Harris' numbers from last season.  Brown and Claxton are productive. 

They're certainly not an unstoppable power house, but they're probably better than you're implying.  Offensively, they're quite good.  If our team hits open shots, we should win.  If our offense struggles even a bit, we could be in trouble.

[Vermont Green]

Too hard to predict something that will happen in like 2 months.  Just too many variables.

You mean when the Celtics play the Nets in the ECF? 

I have some thoughts but I am going to wait until the Nets beat the Cavs and actually are the 7 seed before I comment on this possible playoff match up.

Until then, the Cavs are my new second favorite team.

[mef730]

I saw on another site that the Nets have the 2nd-best betting odds to win the East, behind the Bucks. To me that's crazy and I think it's evidence that people are locked into imagining the Nets as what they were last year, not this year.

It's not just that they no longer have Harden. It's that they no longer have Harden AND a number of important role players that they had last year.

For instance, Joe Harris shot 48% from 3 last year and had an eFG of 65% during the regular season. He was a major part of what they did offsensively, and even played decent defense by his own standards. He played 37 min per game in the semifinals vs the Bucks.

Moreover, Jeff Green played 27 mpg in that series and averaged 10 ppg. Landry Shamet and Mike James (who was an underrated part of that team last year) played about 16 mpg each. None of those guys is an all-star, but the Nets would kill to have those guys in their supporting cast right now.

By contrast, at this point the Nets are playing the following players who were not on the team last year significant minutes: Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Kessler Edwards, Nick Claxton, Patty Mills, Lamarcus Aldridge, Goran Dragic, David Duke. With the exception of Curry, who hasn't integrated particularly well since coming over from the Sixers, and possibly Patty Mills, who isn't what he once was, none of those guys is a good role player. And even in the case of Curry and Mills, we are talking about good shooters/floor spacers who are major defensive liabilities. (Please do not tell me Aldridge and Dragic are good role players. This is 2022, not 2017.)

Lastly: A number of people have asked "What happened to Steve Nash?" His coaching doesn't seem to be what it was a year ago. Well, the answer is simple: they lost a number of key assistant coaches, including Mike D'Antoni and Ime Udoka. This is hugely underrated.

Folks, the Celtics can and will win a 1st round series against the Nets. (It's not a cakewalk to beat the Cavs in the play-in, by the way.) This is a different Nets team from what many of us have lingering in our minds from last year.

Excellent post!!! I would give a TP if I knew how to.
I feel like the Nets are in the same position playing us that we were last year playing them, and I expect similar results. The Nets team will rekindle the magic enough to win one, maybe two, games. But their flaws are too numerous to not be exploited by the better TEAM.

Look to the left side of the screen and you'll see the person's profile picture (or gray box). Third row underneath the profile pic/gray box is "giveth one." Click on that.

[ozgod]

Assuming that’s who we face I’m going to stick my neck out and say Celtics in 5 or 6 at the most. I think we have their measure. Durant and Cryrie will have to play outstandingly every game to beat us.

Devil's advocate, but last game -- at home -- it took 54 from Tatum to beat them.  In a game where we shot 47.2% from 3PT, we were behind entering the 4th quarter.  And that's a game where we had Timelord, who was a big-time contributor with 5 blocks.

That's a fair comment. My response would be that we still won despite a KD special. KD had a TS% of 72% and scored 37 but we made him earn it, and he just didn't get the support he needed to get from his teammates, including Cryrie. No doubt it's not going to be a cakewalk but if we defend the way we defended in the game KD and Cryrie will have to play outstanding every game of the series to beat us and if they do they will have deserved the series victory. We don't have Timelord but they don't have Simmons and I think our team has more cohesion and confidence than theirs, both offensively and defensively.  Also you mentioned Tatum who went to another level, he always seems to lift his game when he meets up with the likes of KD.

Obviously the risk is that KD and Cryrie are superstars for a reason and they have won playoff games and championships with their clutch gene. But I think we can match them. KD is very difficult to scheme against but we should be able to make life very hard for everyone else on their team, including Cryrie, and they don't have as much depth as we do, and their team is much worse defensively.

[footey]

Celtics in 7, after trailing 3-2 in series, Rob Williams returns and leads them to victory last two games.

[Celtics2021]

Not making a prediction until this is actually a series.

[Cman]

Not making a prediction until this is actually a series.

Boom. Agreed.

[slamtheking]

No Timelord, KD and Kyrie are different animals in the playoffs.

Celtics in 7.

true, Kyrie has been shown to quit on his team in the playoffs when it's not going his way. 

[greg683x]

I predict that my blood pressure is going to go up immensely during this series

[SHAQATTACK]

I predict Kyrie get loudly booed at the Garden