Getty Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
We all knew that the Boston Celtics would be facing off against the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs, but most of us were holding out hope the Cleveland Cavaliers could upset the apple cart during the April 12 play-in game.
Alas, the Nets did what they were supposed to do, defeating the Cavaliers and entering the playoffs as the seventh seed, setting up a playoff rematch with the Celtics as a result.
Tonight, I’m a Cavs fan. Let’s get it
The Celtics now find themselves with a difficult path through the Eastern Conference, with every potential opponent possessing numerous star players along with deep and talented benches. But, if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and the Celtics will certainly be put to the test as they embark on Ime Udoka’s first playoff run as a head coach.
Celtics Twitter Sounds Off on Playoff Matchup
Fan rivalries are part and parcel of sports fandom, they enrich the experience of rooting for a team, and can quickly create a sense of community online. There’s no doubt that for basketball fans, Twitter is the place to be, with a rabid Celtics fanbase being at the forefront of the social platform.
Of course, once the Nets were confirmed as the Celtics playoff opponent, Twitter users weighed in with their takes, ranging from fearless optimism to tragically concerned.
Without Simmons, the Celtics can take out the nets! For the first time in a long time I can’t wait to watch an Eastern conference playoff series. I’m not even rooting for anybody
“Celtics are 3-1 vs the Nets this season so apparently the strategy they’ve used so far has been working pretty well,” @NotJustAnyDan Tweeted.
2021: Celtics win their play-in game to play against the 2nd seed Nets in the first round of the playoffs.
2022: Nets win their play-in game to play against the 2nd seed Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.
“If garland is doin’ (sic) this to the nets defense, This will be a cakewalk for Tatum and Brown. Difference is the Celtics have an elite defense,” @0TATUMVP sounded off.
“The Nets beat the Cavaliers, a team full of 20-year-olds, half of them injured, by 7 points. Yes, the Celtics are very scared,” @Theis_Fanclub joked online.
I usually think caring about seeding and matchups is loser behavior. You have to beat good teams anyway to win a championship
But with the injury situation I have to admit I am a little annoyed the Celtics get the Nets draw
The Bruce Brown ascension is as concerning as anything else entering #Celtics #Nets. C’s will try to guard him with Theis, who is far more susceptible to being drawn into P&R/switches than Rob was,” @RealBobManning Tweeted.
If you want to see the full scope of fan reactions, you can find them here, but be warned, Celtics fans have very mixed opinions on the team’s upcoming playoff series.
Robert Williams Will be a Big Miss
Whenever two teams embark on a seven-game series, match-up superiority becomes a consistent talking point. Everybody wants to know where their team has an advantage, and how they can utilize it to their benefit. Unfortunately, without Robert Williams in the rotation, the Nets are poised to have a slight edge on the glass.
Nicolas Claxton will come into this series as the most athletic big man, and the Nets will look to get him going as a lob threat early and often. Of course, if Williams was healthy, Claxton wouldn’t pose as much of a threat, but with the Celtics’ core rim protector on the injury report as he recovers from a torn meniscus, Boston will need to get creative in order to slow the Nets big man down in transition.
“Now they don’t have Robert Williams, so they have less of presence in the paint, so we can attack Al Horford and (Daniel) Theis. So them not having Robert Williams is huge,” Bruce Brown said during a recent press conference.
However, Kevin Durant feels that the big man pairing of Al Horford and Daniel Theis are capable of holding their own throughout a series, “Those two dudes can do the same stuff. They ain’t going to be that easy, I can tell you that,” Durant noted.
We won’t have long to wait, as the Celtics and Nets face off in their opening game on Sunday, April 17, and then we can finally start to get some answers over which team is likely to progress past the opening round.