NEW YORK — The Boston Celtics don’t have Jaylen Brown. What they do have is years worth of collective playoff experience as a group.
It’s a seminal “I’m trying to get like you moment,” a Celtics team wishing they had their missing star versus an (almost) fully healthy Nets team wishing they had years, months or even weeks worth of time together as a team.
The Nets finally found that time this week, as playoff teams prepare for their first-round opponent. James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are healthy, set to play the Celtics in the first round.
Their Big 3, notably, has yet to play 10 games as a trio this season.
“They play physical, and they move the basketball. We have our work cut out for us,” Durant said in assessment of Brooklyn’s upcoming opponent. “We respect this team. We know Jaylen Brown is injured and is one of their key pieces, but they still rally behind each other and play extremely hard. We know that, in order for us to be the best that we can be, we have to be locked in on each and every possession.”
The Nets, however, didn’t need their Big 3 to sweep the season series against the Celtics, 3-0, with an additional win in the preseason. Brooklyn beat Boston once with just Irving; once with Durant and Irving, and again with only Irving and Harden.
The Celtics, now, face the unenviable task of taking on a superteam without arguably their second-best player. Brown, a two-way playmaker who earned All-Star honors for the first time this season, tore a ligament in his wrist, ending a career year early.
Without Brown, however, the Celtics were able to defeat the Wizards in the play-in tournament to secure a date in Brooklyn with the Nets.
“Just because Jaylen Brown is out, we don’t take this team light at all,” Harden said. “They’re very well coached and they got Kemba (Walker) and (Jayson Tatum), who can get going. We got to be prepared. We got to pay attention to details, lock in on both sides of the ball, which we will. We don’t take this team light at all. We got a tough one on our hands.”
Brad Stevens is in Year 8 as Celtics head coach, Tatum has blossomed into an All-Star starter and Marcus Smart continues to be an irritant on defense and a playmaker on offense. Walker is still an All-Star point guard, even in a down season, and is in Year 2 with Stevens’ Celtics.
Last season, Boston lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. Three of their four losses were decided by five or fewer points, showing just how close they were to challenging the Lakers for the NBA crown.
“Tough task. Terrific team. Very well coached. Team that has a lot of collective experiences as well that they can lean on,” head coach Steve Nash said after practice Wednesday evening. “So we’ll need this time to prepare and build and have a good game plan going in against the Celts.”
The Nets know the Celtics will compensate for Brown’s loss by committee. That means a healthy dose of Evan Fournier, the former Orlando Magic scorer acquired by Boston mid-season, who is shooting 46% from three since arriving via trade. It means more minutes and tougher defensive assignments for Smart, who has never backed down from such a challenge. It means Boston, like other opponents without the talent on-paper the Nets possess, are going to muck the game up and try to win the hustle points, win the rebound margin and play tough defense on three of the league’s elite scorers.
It also means the Nets are going to have to find an answer for Tatum, where other teams have failed.
The Celtics’ superstar forward is averaging a career-high 26.4 points per game. He recently scored 60 points to will his team into a come-from-behind victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Nash called Tatum a “big guard, so to speak,” with the rare combination of handles and scoring ability for someone with a 6-8 frame. He also agreed Durant will handle the brunt of the responsibilities checking Boston’s biggest weapon, given his length, athleticism and I.Q.
“I know how special these players are that we’re playing against, and I know how tough it’s going to be in the playoffs,” Durant said. “I’m just trying to focus on being the best that I can be, every possession, on both ends.”
