The Boston Celtics look very much like the real deal this season, their midseason turnaround has led to them being one of the most successful NBA teams to end the season and they established their credentials further by sweeping the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. This was seen as quite the achievement, considering that the Nets had Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, and were widely expected to make life miserable for any team that faced them in the postseason although Ime Udoka was never worried.
However, the second round has brought the team back to reality a little bit, with the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks beating them comfortably in Game 1 despite not having Khris Middleton available. And while the Celtics certainly have some thinking to do in terms of how to hit back in the series, Richard Jefferson seems to think the loss says more about the Nets than it does about the Cs.
Boston will be fine but it also shows how far away the NETS really were from being a contender this year! 🤷🏽♂️
— Richard Jefferson (@Rjeff24) May 1, 2022
“Boston will be fine but it also shows how far away the NETS really were from being a contender this year!”
The Nets gave the Bucks their toughest series of the playoffs last season and were expected to be a lot better than they were, but it’s quite clear that the team has a lot of things to put together before they can challenge for the NBA championship next season.
The Celtics will likely not feel too down after just one loss, they have the defense and firepower to come back from this setback, but with Giannis dropping an effective triple-double in Game 1 and the Bucks’ defense stifling them, some alarm bells might be going off in Boston.
The Nets can only watch the rest of these playoffs from their proverbial couch, and while the remaining series may not impact them directly, if the Bucks beat the Celtics convincingly, it’s only likely to reflect poorly on them. Brooklyn will be focused on health and team chemistry in the offseason, and they need to find success next season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoY0JRSbwRY
