The Boston Celtics are gearing up for a series versus the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The Celtics closed the season in a fantastic manner. They had a 17-5 record after the All-Star break, putting them first in the NBA in that regard.
While they started off slow, the Celtics really picked it up and ended up as the second seed. Now, they are set to face the seventh-seeded Nets, who just beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in a play-in game to reach this spot. As the series is very promising, it is worth taking a look at what we can expect from the Celtics.
Here are three bold Boston Celtics predictions for the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs versus the Nets.
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Celtics bold predictions vs. Nets
Jaylen Brown will score 25 points per game in the series
Jayson Tatum is the alpha dog for the Celtics, but they will need more than just him to get past this powerful Nets squad. Thankfully for them, they have Jaylen Brown. Brown did not quite match last season's scoring output when he nearly had 25 points per game (24.7), but he still put up 23.6 points per game as part of a terrific campaign.
The Nets will likely look to prioritize Tatum in this series. He scorched them for 54 in their last matchup, so they know where the main danger is coming from.
Yet, Brown has increasingly shown offensive maturity over the last few years. The Celtics forward makes better decisions, takes better shots, and he has become a true offensive weapon for this Celtics lineup.
Due to the aforementioned focus on Tatum and the inconsistent Nets defense, the Celtics will look for Brown to take more responsibility. Brown has shown he is ready and should be able to step up to the plate and go over 25 points per game for the series after missing last season's playoff bout.
The absence of Robert Williams will largely not be felt
The Celtics got some bad news a few weeks back, learning that Robert Williams will not feature in this series. He tore his meniscus at the end of March in a game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves and should miss this entire round. While it seems like a huge blow for the Celtics, and it is in a certain regard, the roster has enough defensive powerhouses to make this work. It will likely mean that Al Horford, despite being 35 years of age, will need to play more minutes, but his experience is beyond valuable for this squad. It might be tiring, but it should work, with Daniel Theis and Grant Williams also capable big-man defenders.
The Celtics are not the second-rated defense in the league because of one individual, no matter how impactful he is. They will take a hit, yes, but coach Ime Udoka and president Brad Stevens will find a way to rally the defense to play close to the level they have been at in the regular season. It will take more effort and adjustments, but the Celtics have the manpower to do it. They will likely focus more on perimeter defense and employ the zone at times to dissuade primarily Irving and Simmons, if he features, to enter the paint.
While the Celtics will miss Time Lord, it will not be the deciding factor of the series.
The Celtics will win in five or six games
We all recognize that the Nets are not a typical seventh seed. They have been plagued by internal struggles and injuries, but any team with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving should be higher than seventh.
Still, the Celtics are a better team. They are elite in both defensive and offensive rating, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have matured beyond all expectations, and their supporting cast got a huge boost with midseason acquisitions Daniel Theis and Derrick White. It will not be easy, but the Celtics are the better team and should win.
This series will be defined in the first four games. The Celtics have home-court advantage in the first two and then the series moves to Brooklyn for Games 3 and 4. If the Nets manage to steal one of the first two games, it will be tough for Boston. But if the Celtics take all the home games and steal one in Brooklyn, it could be game over for the Nets. The Celtics should be protecting home court without any issues and should steal at least one in Nets territory.
Thus, the Celtics should oust the Nets from the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs in five or six games.
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