Boston Celtics: Brad Stevens bearish on chances against Nets

If you ask Boston Celtics HC Brad Stevens, the Eastern Conference quarterfinals opponent the Cs drew is the best of the best.

In today’s NBA, expecting Stevens to bash his opponent is not a fruitful endeavor. Even still, he didn’t sound excited to play one of the league’s most talented rosters.

Stevens was bearish on the C’s chances against the surging Brooklyn Nets, who are finally at full strength and finished the season winning their last five games by a point differential of +58.

When asked by reporters about his next matchup, he stressed that playing together is the only way to get past the Brooklyn “Big 3”, and also admitted that the uphill climb is a steep one:

Saying that it’s hard to see the Nets losing isn’t the most confident statement in the world, but Stevens’s squad has been hit with injuries left and right this season and the lack of Jaylen Brown’s scoring output against such a high-powered offense could be the nail in the coffin.

Then again, there were signs on Tuesday night that perhaps there’s another way. Obviously Jayson Tatum can’t give you 50 every night, but there were encouraging signs from some of the other veterans this team will need to rely on.

Kemba Walker was all over the floor, not only contributing 29 points to the cause but also grabbing seven rebounds against a big Wizards frontcourt. Tristan Thompson had a double-double off the pine. Evan Fournier and Marcus Smart struggled with their shot (3-11 from 3-point line, 6-19 overall) but had a combined ten dimes and kept the flow of the offense moving in non-Tatum isolation sets.

Hardwood Houdini isn’t asking you to wager your whole house on the Boston Celtics winning this series, but perhaps Stevens is intentionally playing coy as he prepares his guys for one of the more lopsided first-round postseason matchups on paper.

That, or he understands that a massive tidal wave is coming and in the postseason, there’s no running for higher ground.