The Brooklyn Nets are predicted to play the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs, according to an article done by Bleacher Report recently. The website believes that the Nets will enter the playoffs as the eighth seed while the Celtics will be the one seed.
Brooklyn currently has the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference at 34-24, but according to B/R, their schedule to close out the regular-season will be what causes their slide down the standings. While their current strength of schedule has been the seventh-toughest in the East, their remaining strength of schedule is the ninth-toughest in the conference.
Part of the Nets’ projected slide is the many changes that the roster has endured since the trade deadline. For a team that used to have superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn will now be relying on players like Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Spencer Dinwiddie to keep the ship afloat. Here’s what B/R had to say about their take on the Nets:
“Even without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, this Nets team is still 10 games above .500 and has plenty of players to like up and down the roster. Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas both look like No. 1 offensive options on any given night, and there are still lots of shooters sprinkled throughout with an elite rim protector in Nic Claxton anchoring the middle. The Nets will likely look very different this summer as the trade deadline dust finally settles and some veterans get shopped around. A playoff spot is still entirely possible, however, especially since teams like the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls continue to sputter. Brooklyn doesn’t stand a chance in a playoff series against the Celtics, but respect should be paid for even staying in the postseason picture.”
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