Though the Boston Celtics may be just two days away from their game one matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, we here at HH, along with many other faithful followers of the organization, fear that these next 48 hours will feel more like a millennium.
The shamrocks have proven to be one of the best ball clubs in all of the association during the 2021-22 campaign and now, heading into the postseason, many believe that this team has a legitimate shot of winning it all which, should this happen, would allow them to re-take sole possession of the moniker of “winningest franchise in NBA history”, a title they currently share with the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, before they can hoist banner No. 18 into the rafters back at TD Garden, they must find a way to get past the Nets who, though may be viewed as the underdogs what with coming into the matchup as the significantly lower seed, likely will not make things easy for the C’s.
Despite finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference race, Brooklyn finds itself boasting a roster headlined by two of the top talents currently in the league in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, both of whom have tasted glory in the past and know exactly what it takes to get back there.
Still, the Boston Celtics are viewed as the favorites in this quarterfinals matchup, and, considering they went 3-1 against them in the regular season already and are heading into the playoffs strong, losing just seven times over their last 33 games, this is certainly a warranted distinction.
With guys like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Al Horford leading the charge for this C’s squad, the Nets are already in for some high-level competition, and the majority of the team’s supporting cast could easily continue to bring about the tremendous play that helped earn them the fourth-highest bench NET Rating in the league by year’s end.
However, not all of the talents found in the rotation have proven to be great or trusty contributors and, in fact, we at the Houdini believe that, of all the players found on the team, there are 2, in specific, that fans should hope do not see extended play in this first-round matchup: