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The Brooklyn Nets will start their journey in the 2021 NBA Playoffs with a first-round matchup against divisional rivals, the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics are coming off a big win over the Washington Wizards in the play-in tournament, during which Jayson Tatum scored 50 points.
How the Brooklyn Nets can beat the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs
For many analysts, the Brooklyn Nets are the clear favorites to win the Eastern Finals and go to the NBA Finals. However, their journey in the 2020-21 regular season was not ideal, with their main players, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, playing only eight games together.
The Boston Celtics have also been limited by injuries, mainly with Jaylen Brown's absence. However, the Nets will still need to cover certain areas in order to put Brad Stevens' Celtics away.
In this article, we take a look at five things that Steve Nash's Brooklyn Nets need to do to overcome the Boston Celtics in their first-round matchup.
#5 Step up defensively
No matter how great your offense is, timely defense will be required in each round of the NBA Playoffs, regardless of the opposition.
For the series against the Boston Celtics, who ranked 10th in Offensive Rating in the entire league, the Brooklyn Nets must have good alertness on the defensive end to not run into difficulties.
The Nets allowed 113.8 points per 100 possessions throughout the regular season and showed a slight improvement in the last month of the regular season (113.4).
#4 Three-point shooting
The Brooklyn Nets had the best offense in the entire NBA, even with Durant and Harden missing a considerable number of games in the regular season. The team scored 118.3 points per 100 possessions and ranked second in the NBA in three-point shooting at 39.2%.
In this first-round series, the Brooklyn Nets will need to maintain their three-point shooting level.
The Boston Celtics also finished in the top 10 when it comes to three-point shooting, but they also allowed the ninth-highest three-point percentage in the NBA. The Nets should look to take advantage in that area.
#3 Control the glass
Controlling the boards is always essential in the NBA Playoffs. That will be an area where the Brooklyn Nets will need to be efficient in their first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics.
The Brooklyn Nets averaged 44.4 rebounds per game this year, while the Boston Celtics put up 44.3 boards per game. The Celtics were also sixth in limiting the opposition's boards, while the Nets were 12th.
Moreover, the Boston Celtics have the sixth-highest average of offensive rebounds per game this year, while the Brooklyn Nets allowed the fifth-most. This trend could put the Nets in trouble during this series, and they need to perform well in that department.
#2 Handle Jayson Tatum's offense
Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum will enter the first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets on the back of a solid 50-point outing in the play-in game against the Washington Wizards.
In his last 10 games, including the play-in match, Tatum is averaging 34.1 points per game. He will look to keep that scoring trend against the Brooklyn Nets, as the Boston Celtics need him to guide the team's scoring.
Stifling Jayson Tatum's efforts will be the main goal on defense for the Brooklyn Nets, and they must take the ball off his hands in big situations.
#1 Chemistry between the Brooklyn Nets' 'Big Three'
Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving form one of the most formidable trios in NBA history. They make the Brooklyn Nets the clear favorites in the Eastern Conference this year, despite playing only eight games together throughout the regular season.
However, the three players should begin building their chemistry from the tip-off of the first game against the Boston Celtics, not only for success in June but also in this upcoming series.
Durant averaged 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game in the 2020-21 regular season, but he only played 35 games.
Kyrie Irving played the most games out of the Big Three, though he's received a lot of criticism for taking time off. He played 54 games in the regular season and averaged 26.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and six assists per night.
Meanwhile, James Harden played 36 games for the Brooklyn Nets this year and was out for 18 games in the late stages of the season with a hamstring injury. However, he returned for two games before the regular season's end.
Harden put up 24.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10.9 assists per game for the Brooklyn Nets this year and will surely initiate the offense throughout the NBA Playoffs.
