Poll: Celtics vs. Nets Series Predictions

[CelticsQuestFor18]

Sadly Nets in 6

[Phantom255x]

Maybe it's because it's a Celtics blog, but dang a lot of people think the C's can win in less than 6 games? 

[gouki88]

Sadly Nets in 6

I imagine you haven't watched either team play this year then

[LilRip]

Maybe it's because it's a Celtics blog, but dang a lot of people think the C's can win in less than 6 games? 

I think C’s win in 5 (like how the Nets beat us last year) and I was one of the bigger naysayers this year. The biggest reasons are 1) Tatum is playing the best I’ve ever seen him play. Like this is another huge leap he’s taken vs previous years, (without even looking at the numbers), and 2) this isn’t the Nets team of last year. KD is always amazing but there’s a big diff between a team with KD-Kyrie-Harden and just KD-Kyrie. The former is practically impossible to defend, the latter is the your-turn/my-turn iso ball so many of us here hated. The more we let the Nets feature Kyrie instead of KD, the better.

[Who]

there’s a big diff between a team with KD-Kyrie-Harden and just KD-Kyrie.

I was thinking about this a few days and thinking back to the Nets prior to Harden's arrival. I thought they had a very good team but not quite elite and that was a team that also had Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert (both traded for Harden) and Joe Harris (injured) on it. A much stronger deeper team than this current Nets team that continues to play without Ben Simmons.

Those are 3 very important glue guys that take a team from a 45-48 win ball club to a 55-59 win ball club.

This current Nets team just isn't that good. And they won't be until Ben Simmons returns and is worked into the team.

[Who]

Brooklyn will play Seth Curry, Patty Mills, Goran Dragic, and Kyrie as their guard rotation with Drummond at the 5. That’s 3/5 of their lineup with a below average defender to take advantage of or have to consistently cover for.

They were more switchable in the playoffs last season.

They played Nic Claxton and Blake Griffin at center. Nic Claxton is a quick footed undersized center who plays very good team D. Blake Griffin is a forward who is quick for a center and a good switchable player for a center. They have shifted away from this to playing LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Drummond at center. Both are slow footed. Both are poor at switching onto smaller players. This has hurt their switchability at center.

Then, like you noted, all the small guards; Patty Mills, Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry. All 6-0, 6-1, 6-2. All struggle on switches due to their lack of size. None are tough physical small guards like a Lowry or a CP3. Curry and Mills are both easily pushed around. Kyrie is their most able defensive guard - a scary thought. This hurts their switchability in the backcourt.

So now you can't switch at either guard spot or your center spot. That is 3/5ths of your lineup.

And it is not like they are blessed with talent at forward either outside of Kevin Durant. You have the extremely limited Bruce Brown. You have lost Joe Harris to injury. You lost Jeff Green in the offseason. Harden who was big enough to play SF has been traded. Next up is Bembry or the rookie Edwards. There just isn't talent here. It is Durant ... then Bruce Brown ... then Bembry, Edwards.

This is not a good basketball team.

Not without Ben Simmons. They need Simmons to make this team come together and be a high level basketball team again. Whether that is to replace Harden or to replace previous players Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert. Without Ben Simmons, they are seriously lacking in quality outside of Durant & Kyrie.

[Vermont Green]

The reason that I have concern about the Nets is that I have seen them play elite basketball (the game a few weeks back against the Sixers comes to mind) and I have also seen them play kind of meh.  I don't know which version of this team the Celtics would have to face if it comes to that.

The Celtics have on the other hand, been playing elite basketball pretty much consistently since about mid January.  Even without RWill, I don't expect that to change.

But that is the fear.  Will the elite version of the Nets be the team we have to beat?  Or will be get the "meh" version of the team for at least some of the games?  I think we can play with the elite version of the Nets, we can beat that team if we play at our best.  But that team does scare me far more than CLE  and maybe even more than teams like MIL, PHI, and MIA.

Those predicting the Celtics in 5 or 6 are no doubt thinking it is the meh Nets that show up.  That may be the case.  You just don't know.  One game shouldn't mean much but I think how the Nets do in the Cavs game is going to have a big impact on overall perception of what kind of team the Nets really are.  If they flip the switch and smoke the Cavs, people are going to be picking the Nets over the Celtics (general fans that is).  If they squeak by or lose, not so much.

[Celtics2021]

The reason that I have concern about the Nets is that I have seen them play elite basketball (the game a few weeks back against the Sixers comes to mind) and I have also seen them play kind of meh.  I don't know which version of this team the Celtics would have to face if it comes to that.

The Celtics have on the other hand, been playing elite basketball pretty much consistently since about mid January.  Even without RWill, I don't expect that to change.

But that is the fear.  Will the elite version of the Nets be the team we have to beat?  Or will be get the "meh" version of the team for at least some of the games?  I think we can play with the elite version of the Nets, we can beat that team if we play at our best.  But that team does scare me far more than CLE  and maybe even more than teams like MIL, PHI, and MIA.

Those predicting the Celtics in 5 or 6 are no doubt thinking it is the meh Nets that show up.  That may be the case.  You just don't know.  One game shouldn't mean much but I think how the Nets do in the Cavs game is going to have a big impact on overall perception of what kind of team the Nets really are.  If they flip the switch and smoke the Cavs, people are going to be picking the Nets over the Celtics (general fans that is).  If they squeak by or lose, not so much.

The answer to your concern is most likely both.  The Nets are simply inconsistent, and if you play 4-7 games against them you’re going to see some different versions.  The good news is that the Celtics are capable of beating any team despite the other team playing at their best, and the better news is the C’s have been incredibly consistent to close out the season.  The C’s will take full advantage of the Nets’ lapses, and at the same time don’t actually need those lapses to win.

No predictions from me until this series is actually happening, but I’m very confident.

[Celtics2021]

Not making a prediction until this is actually a series.

Celtics in 5.

[Yuckabuck33]

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Thanks!

[Moranis]

Boston wins games 2, 3, 5, 7 to win the series.  Close series, but the lack of conditioning from Durant and Irving makes the difference in the long grueling series.

I think Milwaukee beats whoever wins though on their way to back-to-back titles. 

[gouki88]

Not making a prediction until this is actually a series.

Celtics in 5.

Agreed

[Donoghus]

Said it in one of the other threads.

Celtics in 6. 

[footey]

Boston wins games 2, 3, 5, 7 to win the series.  Close series, but the lack of conditioning from Durant and Irving makes the difference in the long grueling series.

I think Milwaukee beats whoever wins though on their way to back-to-back titles.

even if Rob Williams comes back 100% healthy?

[angryguy77]

Boston wins games 2, 3, 5, 7 to win the series.  Close series, but the lack of conditioning from Durant and Irving makes the difference in the long grueling series.

I think Milwaukee beats whoever wins though on their way to back-to-back titles.

I don't think MKE is all that scary. One thing people are overlooking is Boston is just way more of a complete team 1-5 than any other in the EC.