With The Boston Celtics set to take on the Brooklyn Nets Saturday night in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, I preview three things to keep an eye on for Boston as the series kicks off.
1. Can Jayson Tatum Help the Celtics Compete Against a Championship-Level Team?
While Tatum doesn’t need to convince me of his ascending superstar status, how he performs against the Brooklyn juggernaut will be interesting to note. The absence of Jaylen Brown cannot be overstated for the sake of Boston’s chances in the series. But, how far Tatum can will the Celtics in the matchup against the likes of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving will demonstrate how much he’s grown as a leader over the course of this season. It will also be a test to see if Tatum can elevate himself into MVP-level discussions going forward. His 50-point outburst against Washington in the play-in game was a good start.
But in a series where it’s not hard to imagine Boston getting swept, we’ll see if the Celtic’s leader can muster enough effort out of his team to give the Nets a run for their money.
Boston’s struggles this season are due to a multitude of factors, not the least of which is this year being the first where Tatum and Brown are the undisputed leaders. Injuries, COVID restrictions, and the loss of Gordon Hayward all played their role as well, but if Tatum can lead the Celtics to a decently competitive series, then the organization has some hope of competing with the likes of Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Milwaukee next season.
2. Will the Rookies Have a Playoff Impact?
Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith have been valuable contributors on this team all year, especially in the second half of the schedule. Pritchard has the look of Boston’s future point guard, with quality ball-handling, good court vision, and a great shot to boot. In an era where Tatum and Brown will be taking the most shots every night for the Celtics, having a more pass-first centric point guard at the helm might serve the team better in seasons to come.
In this matchup, look to see if Pritchard can lead the second unit to quality minutes when Walker steps off the court. This might be his audition to take the helm for next year depending on how the offseason plays out.
Nesmith struggled for minutes early on in the season, surprising fans and media alike why the 14th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft wasn’t getting any playing time. Eventually, he broke through thanks to his lockdown defense that teammate Marcus Smart likely loves about the 6’5” guard. Nesmith’s 3-point shooting, the biggest attribute attached to him coming out of college, has trended in the right direction over the last month of the season. He shot 45% from deep over the last 10 games of the regular season, averaging 9.7 PPG and 4.9 RPG during that span.
Despite losing out on minutes early in the year to Pritchard, Nesmith outplayed his fellow rookie teammate 14 minutes to 5 minutes in Tuesday’s crucial play-in game. In this series, look to see if Nesmith’s defense can help contain Harden and Irving from completely blistering the Celtics.
3. Is Kemba the Future at the Celtics Point Guard Position?
There’s no denying Kemba Walker’s rough start to the year. Beginning on the injury list and shooting horribly for the early part of this season, it was time to question whether Walker had a future in Boston. A good second half of the season, which saw him return to his All-Star form, makes the question even more compelling. Over his last 20 regular-season games, Walker averaged 20.9 PPG, 5.5 APG while shooting 45% from the floor and 36% from the 3-point line. However, Boston only managed an 11-9 record over that stretch.
Walker is getting paid a lot, potentially more than the Celtics are willing to dish out for their third scoring option. He’s under contract for two more years with over a combined $73 million left on the deal. And with the squad continuing to struggle even after he started playing like Kemba again, it begs the question if he is the right piece for this team if Boston wants to return to the Finals for the first time since 2010.
Pritchard may be the perfect replacement at the point guard position, with his style of play complementing the Jays’ more closely. Walker’s performance this series, and how much he helps Boston truly compete against the Nets, might be the final test for Boston’s top brass before deciding to explore other avenues for the verteran come this offseason.
What do you think we should look for from the Celtics this series? Could these be the last set of games Walker plays for Boston? Let me know in the comments!
Catch Game 1 of the Celtics-Nets First Round series tonight at 8 pm ET on ABC.