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Shaquille O'Neal has highlighted an area the Brooklyn Nets will have to improve to beat the Boston Celtics following their 115-114 defeat in Game 1 of their first-round series.
O'Neal said the Nets need to restrict the Celtics defensively by not allowing their role players to make an impact.
Aside from Jayson Tatum (31 points) and Jaylen Brown (23 points), Al Horford and Marcus Smart recorded 20-point games on the night.
Analyzing Brooklyn's chances after the loss, which was decided by a Jayson Tatum buzzer-beating layup, O'Neal said (via NBA on TNT):
"We know Brooklyn is a confident bunch. I know they're in the locker room saying, 'Hey, we got down, we played well.' KD's probably saying, 'I didn't play my best, but we can still win.' The key when playing against a team like Boston is they have their one-two punch (Tatum and Brown), but can't let three or four guys get off. Al Horford came out of nowhere, and he played well, Marcus Smart played well."
O'Neal's fellow Inside the NBA analyst Kenny Smith was in disagreement with the former's take.
Smith said the Celtics have players that cannot be limited because they are consistent scorers, and that has helped them get to the level they are at right now.
Here's how O'Neal responded to Smith:
“You can’t let a guy that averages 12 get 20.”
Can Brooklyn Nets execute Shaquille O'Neal's advice?
One of the Brooklyn Nets' biggest weaknesses this season has been their defense. They are a top offensive team that can mostly win games by outscoring their opponents. This was always a concern raised by many fans and analysts before the Nets started their postseason.
As mentioned by Shaquille O'Neal, the Nets will have to execute their defensive schemes efficiently if they are to cause an upset and beat the in-form Boston Celtics.
Brooklyn may not have a set of players that can limit superstars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. However, they do have the depth to defend against the rest of the role players who can be impactful if allowed to be.
The Boston Celtics exposed the Brooklyn Nets' defensive weaknesses by moving the ball around and letting their role players make an impact.
It will be interesting to see how the Nets tackle this issue as they wait for the return of Ben Simmons.
