Would you quite play the Hawks or Magic in Spherical 1?

By this time tomorrow, we’ll know who Boston can be internet hosting for Sport 1 of the NBA Playoffs on Sunday. And whereas it may not appear to matter who the 61-win Celtics play within the first spherical, no collection is only a formality.

Whereas a 22-5 report after the All-Star break means that the crew is peaking on the proper time, there are nonetheless a handful of query marks heading into the postseason. Jaylen Brown’s troublesome knee and reviews of a number of ache administration injections are definitely trigger for concern. There’s at all times a sense of apprehension over the age of Al Horford and the well being of Kristaps Porzingis, too. And eventually, I’m positive we haven’t heard the final of whether or not or not the Celtics’ three-point taking pictures is certainly one of their strengths or a motive for his or her eventual downfall.

So, who ought to we be rooting for tonight within the Play-In Match?

Principally, my intestine tells me {that a} collection with Orlando could be bodily tough however brief and a collection with Atlanta might go lengthy, however could be extra of an train in variance greater than anything.

Boston had a shedding report towards 4 groups this season — the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (0-2), the Indiana Pacers (1-2), and sure, the Hawks (1-2) and Magic (1-2). Little question motivation, timing, and well being had one thing to do in these losses, but it surely’s not like both crew couldn’t take just a few video games off of the Celtics within the playoffs. Alas, something is feasible.

Right here’s CelticsBlog’s Ben Paradis on Orlando’s bruising type: “The Magic are younger, hungry, and hard on protection. If the Celtics lose focus the Magic can exploit them.” What scares me about them is that due to an absence of ability (twenty ninth in eFG%, twenty sixth in AST/TO price), they’ve relied closely on effort and physicality. Led by Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, two wings that invite tough play, they’ll take it to the Celtics as a result of frankly, that’s actually the one manner they will win.

Atlanta, then again, nonetheless has Trae Younger, one of many league’s most efficient offensive engines. After February sixth once they dealt Bogdan Bogdanovich for Terance Mann and Bones Hyland and De’Andre Hunter for Caris LeVert and Georges Niang, they’ve boasted a 118.9 offensive score. Certain, they’re vulnerable on protection and are with out Jalen Johnson, however Dyson Daniels (more than likely a First Staff All-Defender) and Onyeka Okongwu might trigger issues even for an offense as versatile because the Celtics’. Ben once more:

“Atlanta is scrappy — and no stranger to creating issues nearer than they need to be. The Celtics blew them out within the first assembly with out Brown or Porzingis, however the subsequent two video games have been tight, together with a wild NBA Cup loss with out Trae Younger and an infuriating additional time defeat in January.

The Hawks cling round. They linger even when it looks as if they’re accomplished for.”

Again in 2023, the same Hawks crew led by Younger received two video games and made that opening collection somewhat uncomfortable.

Nonetheless, the underside line is that I’d quite get right into a chess match, shootout with the Hawks as a result of over seven video games, the maths will work out in Boston’s favor quite than wrestle within the Orlando Octagon and danger damage to certainly one of our top-6.

Sure, the playoffs are completely different. Sure, Boston can get down and soiled in the event that they need to. Sure, you possibly can’t play with a concern of damage. Sure, the numbers don’t at all times add up. And sure, I nonetheless assume they’ll get out of Spherical 1 no matter who they’ll face. I’d simply quite come out in a single piece.