Nothin' But Nets
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Brooklyn Nets: 3 things we need to root for before playoffs start

By Adam Weinrib

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 23: James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets drives around Kelly Olynyk #9 and Maurice Harkless #8 of the Miami Heat (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 23: James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets drives around Kelly Olynyk #9 and Maurice Harkless #8 of the Miami Heat (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Brooklyn Nets
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 23: Blake Griffin #2 of the Brooklyn Nets looks to pass as Tristan Thompson #13 of the Boston Celtics defends during the second half at Barclays Center on April 23, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

2. Celtics’ Confidence to Remain Low

We’re confident the Brooklyn Nets can defeat opponents 7-through-10 in the play-in tournament. In fact, they’ve already laid waste to the Celtics, the tourney’s top seed, on numerous occasions, a team that has since lost Jaylen Brown for the rest of the year.

That being said…it would still be awfully nice of Boston doesn’t gain steam and momentum in any way throughout the tournament.

If they have to win, Brooklyn fans should hope it involves a lot of scratching and clawing. We want to see double-digit deficits again. We want to see rock fights. We want to see slow starts and unsustainable energy from tenth men.

If Jayson Tatum gets ignited and drops 50+ in either of these games, that’s not particularly great for us. If Marcus Smart draws a charge in a one-point game in the waning seconds, sending every Bostonian named “Chad Von Charles” into a frothy sweat, that’s not wonderful. We need dull victories or we need heartbreaking losses for the C’s. That’s it.

After all, no other team stuck in this portion of the bracket approaches the overall talent level and coaching acumen in Boston, though without Brown, that equation changes. Throughout the season, the Celtics have been missing “it” and their situation has only recently gotten more dire.

That being said, we’d hate for them to find any approximation of “it” right on time — and it’d be pretty fun, too, if they just straight-up lost and we drew the Indiana Pacers and their head coach, who is beloved by no one.