Atlantic Division Breakdown: Celtics vs Nets
Breaking down the Atlantic Division showdown between the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets
The matchup every Boston Celtics fan is waiting for, there should no issues handling the lowly Brooklyn Nets, and every victory benefits them two fold. Playing in the same division gives the Celtics the luxury of multiple match ups against the Nets, and each of those wins put the Celtics closer to another top three pick.
The Nets were actually quite active in free agency this offseason. The problem is that they did not add any significant players, and could have gone backwards with the loss of Thaddeus Young. The one addition the Celtics may need to pay attention to is Jeremy Lin, but he will be overmatched against the best core of defensive guards in the league.
The Celtics have both Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart who should have no problem with Lin, and it could be an interesting test to see how Terry Rozier holds up against him. Lin has proven he can be effective in limited minutes and after Linsanity during his last stint in New York (with the Knicks) he has proven that he can take over a game.
More from Hardwood Houdini
- Boston Celtics’ two-way contract decision will be made after training camp
- Proposed trade sends Boston Celtics playoff killer to the Cs from rival
- ‘Face of Germany’s stunning run’ in FIBA World Cup not the only ex-Boston Celtics player to win gold
- Proposed Boston Celtics trade target pitched for reunion with fired coach
- Battle For Banner 18: Will Boston Celtics battle historical foe in 2024 Finals?
Unfortunately, the Celtics are not the matchup where Lin is likely to have that break out game, and the one player that may be able to destroy a game is Brook Lopez. The Celtics strengthened their interior defense with Al Horford, but Lopez is the kind of player that would have humiliated the Celtics’ interior last year.
Horford should make a big enough of a difference, and the Celtics should put all their focus and help to stopping Lopez. Horford can hold his own but Stevens will do anything he can to make sure that Lopez does not pull off a shocker. Amir Johnson will certainly help and, in an ideal situation, Lopez will only be seeing the two of them in the paint.
After those two, the Celtics really do not have anyone that can matchup to Lopez. Depending on how the rotations work the one thing the Celtics need to be sure of is that Lopez does not get a chance against the second unit. Kelly Olynyk has been serviceable but he is no match for Lopez, and it really gets worse behind him with Tyler Zeller.
The Celtics need to handle Lopez and if they can do that, they have advantages across the board. The Nets should present little resistance in terms of the Celtics getting into rhythm. Isaiah Thomas should be a nightmare for them. Lin hasn’t had a defensive rating under 106 for four straight years, and they have little depth when it comes to back court defense.
One area the Nets could look to take advantage is with size. The Celitcs love to play small, and the Nets have decent size in their back court. Bojan Bogdanovic, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and even Greivis Vazquez will have a distinct height advantage over all four of the Celtics’ main guards. The second unit could also respond with Gerald Green and Jaylen Brown‘s athleticism could make up for that.
Even if the Nets try to take advantage of the size, the Celtics are comfortable in that situation. All their main defenders have proven that they have no problem being undersized defenders, and they have great athleticism in Smart, Brown and Crowder to respond with.
The Celtics should be able to exploit the Nets on both ends. They should have no problem moving the ball well, creating the open looks they need to be successful shooting the ball. Their back court defense should get them running in transition all game long and they can afford to take risks and unleash their aggressiveness against a team that has as few offensive threats as the Nets.
The problem is that was also the case last year, and yet the Celtics struggled at times. The Celtics are now expected to be a top three team in the Eastern Conference, a conference that should be improved from last year. If they fall into the inconsistent slumps that lead to them splitting the season series at two games a piece last year, then they may struggle to crack even the top five.
Last season, the Celtics started separating themselves from the bottom dwellers of the league and they need to build upon that. The Celtics knew that if they played their game they would have no problem taking down the Nets. Now, they need to make sure their advantage is not just on paper.
The Atlantic Division should be incredibly close this season and the Celtics will have no hope of winning if they are dropping games to the Nets. The Nets have also been projected as a guaranteed lottery pick with a great chance in the top three. With the state of tanking currently in the NBA, those loses could also be the difference in securing the Celtics the top pick while putting them in a better position to bring the division crown back to Boston.
Next: Danny Ainge Not Buying the Hype
The Celtics and Nets will always be an intriguing matchup because of their recent trade history, but that is where the intrigue should stop. The Celtics should be able to run away from the Nets and even losing one game this year would be considered a disappointment.