The Boston Celtics are set to play the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs following Brooklyn's NBA Play-In Tournament victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. After the win, Nets guard Bruce Brown, who played one of his better games of the season against Cleveland, provided the Celtics with some bulletin board material, to the chagrin of superstar Kevin Durant. Brown told reporters that the Nets can “attack Al Horford and Daniel Theis” at the rim, noting that the Celtics have “less of a paint presence” without talented shot-blocker Robert Williams III, who remains sidelined following surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Celtics head coach Ime Udoka fired back at Brown's jab on Wednesday, as reported by Keith Smith of CelticsBlog.

Udoka fired back at Brown, saying that the Celtics “still have two high-level defenders back there”, meaning Horford and Theis. While Boston is certainly losing an elite aspect of their defense in Williams, who averaged 2.2 blocks per game while hearing his name in Defensive Player of the Year conversations, Horford and Theis are definitely no slouches at the rim.

Theis averaged nearly a block per game in under 20 minutes while Horford posted 1.3 in starter minutes. Horford posted an excellent 104 defensive rating with Theis recording a solid 106 mark.

It's clear that even without Williams, Udoka believes that Brown and the Nets won't be getting any easy baskets. The Celtics head coach might have a very good point.