Boston Celtics: Pros & cons of facing the Brooklyn Nets in round one

After playing through the first half of the season only to come away boasting a sub-.500 record, from game No. 42 onward the Boston Celtics managed to turn their fortunes around in a major way.

The team’s second-half stretch proved to be one of the most successful turnarounds in league history, as they went 31-10 from the mid-way point on, transitioning their once losing record into a 51-31 mark which, in turn,  has them slotted into the No. 2 seed as we approach the 2022 NBA postseason.

With this placement in the standings, the C’s are guaranteed two things: home-court advantage through at least the first two rounds of the playoffs and a quarterfinals opponent that will be determined later today when the No. 7 Nets take on the No. 8 Cavaliers in a home bout in Brooklyn.

The loser of this contest will have another shot at a postseason berth, as they’ll then go on to play the winner of the No. 9 Atlanta Hawks vs. the No. 10 Charlotte Hornets series while the team that comes away victorious from the Tuesday-night matchup will be gearing up for a trip to eastern Massachusetts for a challenging series against the shamrocks.

When it comes to both of Boston’s potential first-round matchups, there’s a strong feeling amongst fans and media pundits alike that the home team has a great chance of advancing to the second round no matter who they square off against.

That said, while they may be perceived as the odds-on favorites, there’s certainly an argument to be made that either of these potential opponents could make things a bit challenging and, in fact, steal the series away from the C’s.

In preparation for tonight’s play-in matchup, we at HH thought it would be a fun idea to share our thoughts on some pros and cons of the Boston Celtics playing against either of these two teams in the first round.

First up, we’ll dive into the star-studded Brooklyn Nets: