It’s time for our 2024 NBA Finals preview, as we look ahead to the series between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.
We’ve reached the most crucial point in the season, and while that means basketball is almost done with, it also means we’ll get to watch the best players on Earth going toe-to-toe, and one superstar is about to get his first ring.
On the one hand, we have a complete juggernaut of a team in the Boston Celtics, who have been the favorites to win the whole thing for months now.
On the other hand, we have an up-and-coming team that has been on a roll since the All-Star break, led by arguably the best player in the game. With that in mind, we’ll share our 2024 NBA Finals preview.
NBA Finals: How Teams Stack Up
The Boston Celtics are the most stacked team in the league and it’s not even close. The NBA Finals schedule allowed them to get Kristaps Porzingis back to full strength, as he had more than five weeks to heal from the calf injury he suffered in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat.
Trading for Jrue Holiday was also a game-changer for Joe Mazzulla’s team, as they now have one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, all while being a better scorer and facilitator than Marcus Smart.
On top of that, these guys are battle-tested. They were here just a couple of seasons ago, and they now know what it’s like to play under the bright lights.
The Celtics dominated their way to the NBA Finals, only needing five games to get past both the Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers before sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, so they’re fresher and well-rested ahead of this series.
The Mavericks, however, are in a better rhythm, and that comes after taking down some elite competition on their way here. While the Celtics faced injury-depleted teams without Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Tyrese Haliburton, the Mavericks emerged after beating the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves, so they’re going to be the first and only tough opponent the Celtics have to face in this postseason run.
Also, the coaching matchup might favor the Mavericks here. While Mazzulla has proven to be a great strategist in terms of game-planning, he’s not been as good when he’s had to make in-game adjustments.
The Mavericks have one of the greatest point guards in NBA history drawing the Xs and Os, and Jason Kidd has made great strides as a tactician, replicating his unmatched ability to pick opposing defenses apart in real time.
NBA Finals Prediction
We can’t also ignore the fact that the Mavericks have the best player in the series, and one could argue that they have the two best players. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are known for being the clutch and taking over when it matters the most, which is the absolute opposite of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The Celtics have the deepest roster, and they’re one of the few teams that could match up defensively with the Mavericks. Nonetheless, who’s going to take Kyrie, and who’s going to take Luka?
Holiday is an elite stopper, but Luka can body him up; he’s much bigger than him. The same goes for Derrick White, so it will most likely be up to Brown and Tatum to step up and get the job done on both ends of the floor.
One thing’s for sure: This series will go the distance and will take at least six games to determine the champion. And if we had to choose a winner, we’d have to go with the Mavs here.
