James Harden wouldn't have mattered.
So, the Celtics have that going for them.
All the hemming and hawing coming from Celts' fans heading into this 2020-21 season regarding the need for another superstar not named Jayson Tatum has quieted down as we have put Game 2 in the rearview mirror. The Celtics are 1-1, a record they would have had with or without the polarizing trade target who still sits in Houston.
Whether or not that reality makes you feel better or worse, that's up to you. But it is what it is. There is Brooklyn in the Eastern Conference and everybody else, even if Harden replaces the likes of Jaylen Brown. That much we do know after the Nets' 123-95 win at TD Garden on Christmas Day.
“They’re very capable of pouring it on,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after the loss, referring to the Nets. “I think it’s the deepest team in the NBA and … certainly in the conversation for the best. We know that we have a lot of work to do, that’s very clear. And we know what we have to shoot for. Good to know.”
The good news is that it is early. A lot can happen. Despite Stevens' proclamation that Brooklyn's strength is partially built on its depth (which is true) there are two straws who are stirring this drink -- Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. And would anybody be shocked if there are physical hiccups along the way that change this Eastern Conference narrative.
But all we have is the here and the now. And you know what? For the Celtics, that's not disastrous, a notion which most should embrace after Game 2.
Right now, Jaylen Brown does look like a player the Celtics should hesitate including in any Harden deal. He appears motivated, aggressive and productive, netting 60 points on 49 percent shooting from the field over the first two games. Whether or not the next-level light going on was a product of a "don't-you-dare-trade-me-for-that-guy" mentality, who cares. This is exactly the player the Celtics need.
The other guy -- Tatum -- is another matter.
The Celtics' best player has been the Celtics' best player. But this version of himself needs to be even better.
The juxtaposition between Tatum and Kevin Durant Friday should have been striking. The Nets' forward was next-level in the pivotal second half, doing basically whatever he wanted inside and out the way to scoring 29 points in 33 minutes. The Celtics' go-to guy? Sure, Stevens and Co. would have been sunk even further without the option of Tatum, who did end up with 20 points.
But this is a guy who has yet to go to the foul line in the first two games, which should tell a lot about the way both Tatum and the Celtics' half-court offense is playing.
“I think the offense is making good strides,” Brown said. “Obviously I think we played some good basketball for about three and a half quarters, but those guys put a lot of pressure on us with their shot-making ability, and we’ve got to stay with it. We’ve still got a lot of growth, a lot of learning in front of us, but I’m looking forward to it.”
What the Celtics fell back into Friday was the kind of uneasy image that their opener against the Bucks masked. After Tatum and Brown, there aren't a whole lot of consistent offensive options.
Nobody believed Jeff Teague was going to score another 19 points, and sure enough he didn't. The veteran did net a single point. The delicious image of Marcus Smart facilitating instead of shooting went out the window (in large part out of necessity), with the guard scoring 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
Tristan Thompson seemed a step slower than Wednesday night, while the role players that offered so much optimism in the win over Milwaukee simply paled in comparison to what the Nets were rolling out as complements to Durant and Irving.
There are certainly pieces to build on, with rookie Payton Pritchard, for instance, absolutely looking like someone who could serve as a legitimate rotational player. Pritchard played the fourth-most minutes of any Celtic (25), scoring seven points.
The ultimate takeaway is that the meat and potatoes of the Eastern Conference argument hasn't gone anywhere. If Durant and Irving stay healthy, they will be unbelievably tough to beat. But the crack in the window remains for Celtics, with Kemba Walker's health and that trade exception offering Boston some hope.
And as has been documented time and time again -- particularly when it comes to a 72-game NBA season -- hope is a powerful thing.