3 takeaways from the Boston Celtics 126-91 win vs. the Brooklyn Nets

Boston.com

Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown each scored 22 points, leading the Boston Celtics to their sixth straight win and allowing Boston to move up to seventh in the Eastern Conference. What are some of the top takeaways from the contest?

1. Don’t let this game fool you

There are many things you can take from this game, but don’t let one of them be that the Celtics are ready to challenge for Eastern Conference supremacy. Yes, they beat Brooklyn, but they were without any of their star power. Boston’s defense played well, they tallied 32 assists on 50 made field goals, and no starter played more than 28 minutes. When you play games like that, getting through it with a win and no injuries is what you hope for. Mission accomplished.

2. Freedom sighting in Brooklyn

Celtic backup center Enes Freedom gave us a taste of what his role is to the Celtics. In 12 minutes of action, he grabbed 12 rebounds (three offensive). Although matchups have made Freedom a liability on most nights, it’s good to know that he can still be effective on the glass. Hopefully, he can get more minutes down the stretch to allow Robert Williams and Al Horford (provided the latter is still in Boston after Thursday) to rest as much as possible going forward.

3. Who’s staying and who’s going?

Like everyone else, I am watching and listening to all of the rumors about which Celtics players are moving on and which ones are staying put at the trade deadline. Based on all the stories and discussions, I assume Tatum, Brown, and Williams are the only locks to be here on February 11.

Everyone else has been rumored (at one point or another) to be packing their bags by 3:00 pm tomorrow. As much I disagree with it, Dennis Schroder seems to be the one player that may be moving, based on his situation and desire to make more money than Boston may be willing (or able) to pay him.

However, things change all of the time, and maybe he will end up staying here. There were even rumors about Grant Williams possibly being on the move. It's just ironic that this team is playing so much better as the trade deadline approaches. Brad Stevens, please don’t make moves just to be making moves. If it’s not there, don’t force it.

The Celtics will be back in action on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at TD Garden when they host the reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on NBC Sports Boston and NBA TV.