Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets Preview

The Boston Celtics have finally escaped the dreaded four game stretch as they get back to backs against the Brooklyn Nets. The Celtics faired better than expected over the last four games, capturing three wins but an blown 18 point lead prevented them from entering this home and home on a winning streak.

They put themselves on the map with commanding wins over strong teams but now they have to prove that they can easily handle the teams that are behind them. While the Nets have been a bottom dweller all season long they have been playing better than the beginning of the year. While they have avoided being winless, their most impressive game was against the defending champs. The Nets lost but they shocked the world by pushing them to overtime.

While the Celtics may have a new found confidence after this last four game stretch, the last thing they wasn’t to do is underestimate the Nets and try to coast to a victory. The majority of the Celtics’ success is based on their energy and hustle and if they come out against the Nets flat footed then they could be in for a rude awakening.

Oct 19, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Amir Johnson (90) drives to the hoop against Brooklyn Nets forward Justin Harper (L) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Fortunately, the Celtics have Brad Stevens who always has his team prepared to play. The Celtics are one of the last team’s you’d expect to take a night off and winning against the Nets benefits them in multiple ways. Of course, it is a great opportunity to gain some ground in their own divisional race and it is also a chance to increase their odds in the lottery.

While the Nets may avoid having the worst record in the league this season, it will certainly be a close tanking race. It is still early on but every loss will count with the Nets and while it may be impossible to out tank the Lakers and the 76ers, the Nets have the kind of team that could very likely wind up close to the other dysfunctional franchises in the league.

There is, however, a good chance that the Nets will be going into the Celtics game with a little more to prove than normal. Not only do the Nets have absolutely no incentive to tank because of the Celtics getting their draft pick, but it is because of the trade with the Celtics that the Nets are in such a troublesome situation. The Nets never got the return they were expecting when they sent the Celtics all kinds of draft picks for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. The ageing former Celtics never gave the Nets the boost they needed and it has cost them years and years of the future.

If there is any team that the Nets will be holding animosity towards and if there is any team that they will blame for their current situation, it is the Celtics. The good news is that this should help motivate the Celtics and ensure that they continue to play harder than their opponent on each and every play.

One area the Celtics will need to focus on against Nets is offensive rebounding. Jared Sullinger has lead the way and is creating an incredible amount of second chance opportunities. The Celtics are third in the league with 13.1 offensive rebounds per game but the Nets have been one of the best teams in preventing offensive rebounds. The Nets are giving up just 9.4 per game and that is 4th best in the league. With Brook Lopez anchoring the middle, the Celtics are going to have their work cut out for them if they want to continue to have a distinct advantage on the offensive boards.

While the Nets are certainly a team that the Celtics can beat while struggling to shoot the ball, they will still need to be on point in all other phases. The Nets have been battling teams hard and the Celtics need to look to demoralize them on the defensive end. The Nets are just above the middle of the pack with 14 turnovers per game but that is a number that the Celtics will need to increase.

The Nets are far from the prolific offenses that they shut down in their brief three game winning streak and they need to bounce back from their abysmal 5 points in transition against the Mavericks.

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The Celtics are beginning the first of back to backs against one of their weakest opponents of the season and they are in a position where they absolutely cannot afford to lose these games to opponents that are not playing at their level.

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