The Boston Celtics begin their Eastern Conference quarterfinals matchup against the Brooklyn Nets today, and the oddsmakers see their chances as longer than the Pan American Highway.
$100 can put you up $700, but it can also be a very painful way to lose a dinner for two.
Given the fact that the Nets won 48 games despite missing 127 games combined from their Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, the latter seems like a far likelier outcome–especially with Jaylen Brown sidelined for the remainder of the 2021 postseason.
Likely doesn’t mean definitely. As the old saying goes, though, “that’s why they play the games”.
Brad Stevens has coached undermanned Cs squads deep into the postseason before, but the 2018 76ers that discovered they had two stars in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons that season is a far different challenge than this tri-headed terror of an opponent.
Writing the Boston Celtics off altogether would be a fool’s errand, though.
Jayson Tatum has made the definitive leap to superstar status, and his 50-point performance in the NBA Play-in game against the Washington Wizards shows that Boston has a puncher’s chance in any series they find themselves in.
Well, they’re in the deep end now. Stevens needs a near-perfect effort to pull off four victories in seven games, and part of that game-plan will be containing certain weapons.
Hardwood Houdini sees the following weapons as 3 the Boston Celtics must contain:
Brooklyn Nets weapon #1 Boston Celtics must stop: Joe Harris
The Nets have three of the deadliest isolation scorers in the league. What makes them particularly deadly in Steve Nash’s offense is the looming threat of a 3-pointer on every possession due to the volcanically hot hand of Joe Harris.
Harris just completed his finest shooting season of his career, ending the year with a 47.5% conversion rate from the 3-point line on six shots per game. Despite the presence of three dominant scorers, he matched his 2019-20 output in points due to his otherworldly efficiency.