After the Nets beat the Cavaliers today, they will lock in seventh place in the West, and their opponents in the first round of the playoffs are also out, and they will have to face the Celtics in the first round. I have to say that the Nets will face a very tough opponent in the first round this year, and their challenge is still very large.
The Celtics have ranked first in the league in their defensive efficiency this season. Tatum has averaged nearly 27 points per game this season. So the Nets don't have much of an advantage over such a team with a good offense and defense. After today's game, Irving also talked about their upcoming opponent Celtics, and Irving's words when talking about how to deal with the Celtics also pointed out the point.
Irving bluntly said that they must be good at limiting Tatum, and he said bluntly that when Tatum is comfortable playing against the Nets, the other Celtic teammates will benefit from his excellent form, which is something the Nets must pay attention to. In other words, when Tatum is in good shape, the Nets' defensive focus will be around Tatum. And Tatum's teammates will also get a lot of opportunities, Jaylen Brown, Smart, and even Horford on the inside are all good shooting skills. So the Nets' first-round face against the Celtics is likely to be defensive.
The Celtics are a very defensive player in their own right, and this season they are the best defensive team in the league. In the future, Smart may defend Irving. Irving may be in a series against the Celtics, after all, Smart's defensive ability is the top in the league, and it is more likely to compete for the best defensive player this season, so Irving's offensive end is very challenging.
Durant's task, on the other hand, is particularly heavy. On the defensive end, the Nets could let Brown defend Tatum. That way Durant will be liberated on the defensive end and will help the team as much as possible on the offensive end. The Celtics also don't have particularly good candidates for defending Durant. After all, Durant is misplaced against most players, and the Celtics don't have a particularly good candidate to limit Durant. Therefore, Durant's performance in this round is crucial, he must cut a high score in each game to be able to compete with the Celtics, and many fans are even more blunt, this round is all up to Durant.
In short, the nets in the first round are still very difficult to play against the Celtics. The Celtics are the league's number one defensive efficiency, with two averaging more than 23 points per game and four players averaging more than 10 points per game. Such a balanced offensive and defensive team will indeed become a huge stumbling block for the Nets.