3 key differences for the Boston Celtics in this year’s Nets playoff series

The Boston Celtics have found themselves dealing with the Brooklyn Nets for the last two seasons in the NBA playoffs. It really is something, isn’t it? Think about all of the events that have transpired over the past three seasons.

Stick with me if you can, my fellow readers.

Boston Celtics and the ghost of past playoff failures

You had the 2018-19 season, where things were FINALLY supposed to click for the Celtics. But then…they didn’t. Kyrie Irving spends most of the season plotting his move to the Nets with Kevin Durant. The whole city of Boston ends up turning on him. He looks like a jerk, and the Celtics fall in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Milwaukee Bucks.

You had the 2019-20 season, where Kemba Walker is in and it’s a new era of Celtics basketball right? It looked promising. COVID obviously made everything much harder. But there was still a season. The Celtics looked poised to make a run at a title in a wide open Eastern Conference. They ultimately lose to the Miami Heat in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Then there was the 2020-21 season. Walker is injured for a good portion of the year and the Celtics lose in five game in the first round to the Brooklyn Nets. That season just wasn’t fun to be a part of, at all!

Now there’s this season. The 2021-22 season in which there’s a new head coach and a new energy in the organization. The Celtics get the two seed in the East and are currently playing the Nets in the first round…again! So what’s different between this year’s playoff team and last year’s playoff team? Well, let’s take a deep-dive into those differences, shall we?