NBA 2021/22 on Wednesday, 09.02.2022
It’s crazy what’s going on in New York right now. The supposed best team in the NBA, the Brooklyn Nets, are slowly but surely approaching a double-digit losing streak in their game against the Boston Celtics.
In fact, I don’t see any way the Black and Whites are going to escape another defeat tonight. Indeed, as we’ll learn in my Nets Celtics tip, head coach Steve Nash has few alternatives available to him – especially at the centre position!
The free fall of the Nets continues unabated. There are still a few days left before we find out what the final twist in the saga of James Harden will be. Because the end of the trade deadline is already peeking around the corner.
However, the move from “The Beard” to the Sixers for Simmons is rumoured to not be going through. Although I think Harden’s departure would be a bitter loss, he hasn’t felt comfortable in the black and white jersey for a long time.
Leadership is what Brooklyn desperately needs, especially now that Kevin Durant is injured. The fact that no one has stepped up to temporarily replace Durantula as New York’s leading wolf is one reason for the home side’s downward spiral.
In addition to the injury woes, everyone on the Nets seems to be looking out for their own interests. Harden no longer wants to play for Brooklyn and Irving’s vaccination status is more important than being able to play in home games at Barclay Arena – the result? Eight losses in a row!
“Eight losses in a row” for the Nets, who were still the favourites for the title at the beginning of the season – you have to let that roll off your tongue! My correctly predicted Nuggets-Nets tip the day before yesterday was therefore anything but witchcraft.
Because freely according to the motto: “Never Chance a Winning Team”, one could claim in this case, “Never Change a loosing Team”. And indeed, everything points to another defeat for the New Yorkers.
For one thing, this has to do with the fact that we won’t see any of the Big Three consisting of Harden, Durant and Irving against the Celtics. In addition, Aldridge and meanwhile also the third centre Nicolas Claxton are out.
So there will be huge problems at the five again for the New Yorkers, who will most likely fall back on Blake Griffin to fill this important position. However, I see black against Boston!
The fact is that the C’s are doing their homework and seem to have recovered brilliantly from their jerky start to the season. In the meantime, they have even won five games in a row, even if they haven’t been able to beat any big names lately.
The qualitative advantages of the Nets will only play a minor role in this duel due to the many absences and thus at the same time increase the chances of the Celtics to win.
Moreover, Boston is a “real team”, while the Black and Whites are a wild bunch of outstanding individualists, which threatens to implode more and more.
The Celtics convince me and with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown they definitely have what it takes not only to beat the Nets in this composition, but also to reach the playoffs in the end. For “more,” however, some adjustments are needed.
Namely, the front court is pretty limited and rebounds are a construction site! If Boston trades Dennis Schröder or Marcus Smart for a rebound specialist just before the deadline, it would certainly help the team.
Conclusion: The Nets are in free fall and until the trade deadline passes, there will be no peace – and even after that, it’s not clear how things will continue with the black and whites, because the house is definitely tilted.
Harden is “possibly” injured, Durant for sure and Irving is not allowed to enter the Barclay Center tonight because of his vaccination status. No wonder Brooklyn has now lost eight games in a row.
The Celtics, for their part, are certainly not an overachieving team, but they are getting better and better and are a unit on the court. With five wins in a row, they have the confidence to knock off the Black and Whites, who are shorthanded!
My Brooklyn Nets Boston Celtics tip: Win by the C’s!
