Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks 2024 NBA Finals

Here are a couple of links to use for the rest of the playoffs:

https://www.nba.com/playoffs/2024

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39943302/nba-finals-2024-celtics-mavericks-news-scores-highlights

https://www.nba.com/news/2024-nba-playoffs-schedule

https://www.espn.com/nba/playoff-bracket

Cameron Tabatabaie @CTabatabaie
about 24 minutes ago
The Pacers, the Cavs, and the Heat were all very good at defending the 3-point line this season. In fact, IND and MIA were 1st and 2nd in opponent 3P% Dallas was decidedly average in this category



Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
yesterday
If you're wondering, and I certainly was, Jrue Holiday and Kyrie Irving have gone head to head 24 times, including 4 in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinal series between the Nets and Bucks. Kyrie's averaged 23.4 points per game. 44% from the floor, 39% from 3.
MY NOTE:  He's averaging 23.6ppg, 47.4% from the floor and 39.3% from 3 career.  So, in reality, Jrue's defense on him was Kyrie's career average.  Nothing special.


Bob


.

Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks!

The Mavs have gotten better from round 1 to their bigtime win in the WCF.

The ABC network has to be thrilled with this matchup.  Each team has a pair of stars.

It will be interesting to see how they matchup.  Our primary firepower comes from our pair of Wings/Forwards and the Mavs have a dynamic scoring backcourt.  We should be able to outscore them at center provided KP comes back and is ready to play.  

Their starting frontline includes Gafford (C)  PJ Washington (PF) and Derrick Jones (SF)

They have matchup issues up and down their starting 5.  AH or KP will take Gafford outside and that will open the door for the jays to have their way at the rim.   Washington cannot check Tatum and Jones cannot check Brown.   Kyrie and Luka are both high end scorers so D White and Jrue will have their hands full.  At the same time our backcourt can score at all 3 levels and Luka and Kyrie are not everyday top notch defensive players.  Our backcourt is not going to match their backcourt on offense but our guys will not back off. KI and LD cannot check our guards.

The Celtics are going to win this series because the Mavs cannot match our firepower.   Their 3rd best scorer has been PJ Washington.   PJ has been a good defender and his 3 point shooting has been timely for them but if he is matched up with Tatum he will be sitting on the bench due to foul trouble.  Jones would have to check Jaylen.  Jones is super athletic but Jaylen is a physical specimen and no one has been able to keep him from scoring at the rim.  

The Mavs have 3 double digit scorers during their playoff run and that will not be enough.

Winning on the margins will be critical.  Deciding how you defend their PNR.  To drop or not to drop?  Their bigs cannot score except on allyoops.  50/50 balls...Who wants the ball.  Control the glass.  Push the pace and limit the TOVs

If we got anything out of the Pacers series it would have to be playing faster.  The Mavs are a relatively slow team.  Luka pounds the ball more than Tatum.  Kyrie is lightning quick and has an innate skill level off of the bounce.  We will see him defended by White, Holiday, Brown, Tatum and PP.  They will try to find mismatches in the post if one of our guards is on one of their bigs.  It will happen and it will be up to the Celtics to determine when to bring a double team.  

The Celtics will win this series as long as they shoot around 40 3PA per game and make 15-16.  JT has not shot the 3 ball well.  He has done everything else really well  but we need to shoot the 3 ball better and that begins with him.  Sam off the bench struggled to make wide open threes.  Some of that may be related to the speed of the game.  I am not worried about PP.  

The unknown factor will be KP.  It could take time for him to find his rhythm.   However the Celtics may not have the time to let him practice during the game.  He is either going to be ready, or not. CJ should start AH and put KP on playing time restrictions. Their bigs are only playing 21.8 MPG (both of them)

This one looks like a 5 game series win for Boston.

Luka averaged a triple double against the Celtics in 2 regular season games.
35 PPG, 12 assists and 15 rebounds.

Kyrie numbers were good but not great
21 PPG, 2.5 assist and 5 rebounds.

The pair combined for 56 points per game.

Jayson Tatum had great production in his 2 games against them
He averaged 35.5 PPG, 4 assists and 9.5 rebounds

Jaylen Brown had great production as well
He averaged 29.5 PPG along with 4.5 assists and 5 rebound

The pair combined for 65 points per game

The thing that makes great offensive players is their ability to score consistently no matter who the competition is.

One advantage that the Celtics have in this series is our pair of defensive guards who can also score.  They should be able to keep Kyrie under control and wear him down.  

3 point shooting will be a big factor in the outcome.

Luka and Kyrie did not shoot the 3 ball well in both regular season games (both below 30%)   tatum shot 41.2 % and JB went 33.3%.  however JB was the most efficient shooter of all 4 players with a FG  percentage of 57.1%

Of all the remaining players on both teams Daniel Gafford is shooting 61.4% on 5.9 FGA.  I could throw Kornet in there at 68.4% but with only 1.9 FGA per game there would be little comparative value.

The real deal however is Jaylen Brown who is shooting 54.1% on 18.2 FGA per game.  He is 2nd behind Gafford going into the finals.  Going into the finals JB is the top player making FG's.  Great volume and great accuracy.

KP participated in a 5 on 5 scrimmage.

In absence of any setbacks he will play in game 1.

Playing a scrimmage is not game time speed.  Yes, it will take game reps for him to get up to speed.  His return will be a big psychological boost for Boston.

How will CJ manage his return.  Will he start, come off the bench and/or play less minutes.  We will soon find out.

The talking heads have little to no respects for players that are good at both ends of the court.  It is all about offense.  Even if that was a determining factor in evaluating the pairings of the 2 great players on either team, it would be a wash.  Fortunately, that  wash would be soiled because the big difference in JT and JB as compared to LD and KI,  is that our pair can  defend at a high level and do so at multiple positions.  I posted the combined scoring averages of both pairings so far during the playoffs and the Mavs have a .6 point per game advantage.  You really would have to be splitting hairs to call that an advantage.

I'll take our pair over their pair every day of the week and twice on Sunday.  And I will take our supporting cast over theirs because our supporting cast can all be the leading man on any given game.

I’m going to take the Celtics in six. I really hope they take it, I like them a lot. Some of the daily sports shows have guys and gals to some extent, taking the Mavericks and some the Celtics. That’s the way it goes because it’s a guess and an opinion. Last I heard was the Celtics by 6 1/2 for game 1, but that was two days ago.

Alright, I'm a little surprised the original old timers on this site have not figured this out yet.  It just hit me working out and being away in Houston this weekend for my son's high school graduation.  

This whole "Who's the better duo" debate should bring EVERYONE on this site great comfort.  Kryrie/Luka vs Tatum/Brown.  The funny thing is, in its infinite wisdom, as much as the media HATES EVERYTHING CELTIC, the media is literally digging their own grave with this debate.  

Seriously, does any of this look even vaguely familiar?!  Well, drop it from duo vs. duo to mano a mano and you have Wilt vs. Russell.  Russell NEVER, EVER said he was better than Wilt.  Actually, those words of praise to Wilt and his individual accolades were the first words out of his mouth.  Russell handed his pinball crown to Wilt.  Wilt gladly and greedily took what Bill was offering because that's what Wilt wanted.  All the records and all the glory that comes with those stats.  What Wilt gave up to Russell was all the championships.  11-2 overall for championships between the two if I recall.  "I'll take the hardware."  Nothing has changed.  TEAM beats ME every time.  

Like I said, though, the beauty of all this is the media is so dumb, they don't even know they are going down the exact same path to their demise and giving the team they HATE the championship on a silver platter!!  You have to be LYAO!  Relax.  Enjoy.  

A few have tried to defend Tatum/Brown vs. Kryrie/Luka.  Our two are not better than their two.  Give it up.  Give that to them.  Let them have it.  Do as Russell did and take the titles.  Which is exactly what they are going to do.  And again I repeat, BOS in 4.

db

dbrown,

There is way too much time between the end of the conference finals and the first game of the finals on Thursday. The media has to fill that time with something, anything, and it often ends up being silly exercises about "best pair" and the like.

We know better, as you say.

Thursday PM cannot come soon enough!!

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40265510/nba-finals-2024-boston-celtics-dallas-mavericks-twists-turns-led-jrue-holiday-back-finals

As Kristaps gears up to return to the fold for game 1, our rotation will get a big boost.

The center matchups now swings favorably to Boston.

db

Just to set the record straight Bill Russell did not go 11-2 vs Wilt during championship play.

Wilt never beat Bill Russell in championship play.  In 1958 the Celtics lost to the St Louis Hawks and in 1967 the Celtics lost in the Eastern conference to Wilt and the Sixers.

The other thing that you may not know is that Wilt played for the Philadelphia Warriors for 3 years before they moved to Frisco and became the San Francisco Warriors.    3 years later he went back to Philadelphia to play for the Sixers.  Wilt went to LAL after 4 years in Philly with the Sixers. Beginning in the 1968-69 season which was Russell's last year when he went out with a bang by beating the Lakers with Wilt in the finals.

Wilt and Russell only played against each other one time during a championship with Russell winning.

Their matchups happened in the Eastern Conference except for the one 68-69 season finals.

Sorry, dboss, I was a little loose with the pen.  Thank you for the corrections and the history refresher. Being 60, that era was just slightly out of my reach of cognizance.  It is true that Russell has 11 and Wilt has 2.  Should have stopped there!

db

Not a problem. The storied history of the Boston Celtics runs deep and the best part is that we are in the midst of Celtics history this very second.

Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
now
Kristaps Porziņģis was asked if he is playing pain-free at this point. He smirked and started stroking his beard for a minute. "Ummmm...yes."


Bob


.

With game 1 now just 2 days out, the news about KP is positive.

It almost seems like the ECF sweep is ancient history.  You best believe that both teams are chomping at the bit to play.  I expect to see a high energy game.

It is going to take a while for these teams to settle in.  

The Celtic must focus on the defensive side of the ball by coining out early and putting tremendous pressure on the Mavs.  If you let a guy get easy looks that he makes, it is that much harder to shut him down later.

The Mavs have 2 players that can create their own shot and also find their teammates.  

The Celtics defense on the other guys will be critical in winning this series.  The single biggest problem that the Celtics face on defense will be in defending the PNR.  That however is no different than playing against any other team however LD and KI as a pair are on another level as compared to the teams that we already sent fishing.

I suspect that CJ  will throw some zones at them.  

The most important thing is that the Celtics must win the 3 point shooting contest.  It is all about volume as the Mavs have averaged 33.9 3PA per game and the Celtics 39.8

Having KP back should push our attempts up.  Remember that the Celtics lost game 2 in both the Heat and Cavs series because those teams won the 3 point shooting battle  (Heat 23/43 and Celts 12/32...Cavs 13/28 and Celts 8/35).    

The guy on the Mavs that no one seems to find the time to cover is PJ Washington.  He is 2nd on the Mavs with 6.6 3PA per game and has a respectable 36.3%  His sweet spot is in the corners but he has also made them left side away from the corner.  The Celtics need to pick a player or two to take away.  PJ is the 3rd best player on the Mavs and probably the only player on the team that plays both sides of the ball effectively.

CJ will have his team prepared to play to win along the margins.

Which player will get booed the most by their former teams, Kyrie or Kristaps?

dboss wrote:Which player will get booed the most by their former teams, Kyrie or Kristaps?

Which player said all the right things upon arrival, but did all the wrong things on the way out the door?

I know that one of these two guys did that.  I don't know anything about the latter's actions when leaving.  I certainly don't remember any center-court pony stomping by Z.  

I do know that Porzingis reinvented his game when he got to Washington.  Prior to Washington, his numbers on the floor suggested that he was best in the corner or on the bench.  He got private coaching to accentuate what was working in the paint and eliminate the rather horrible habits he had there.  Over time, he got positive results.

bobheckler wrote:Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
now
Kristaps Porziņģis was asked if he is playing pain-free at this point. He smirked and started stroking his beard for a minute. "Ummmm...yes."


Bob


.

Bob


.

My goodness, you would think that the NBA championship is about Tatum vs  Doncic.

Regardless of how each of them play this series will be decided by the quality of play from all the other participants.

The KP interview was a verbal cat and mouse game.

He will play tomorrow night.   If his calf was not 100% he would not be playing.  The question that most fans are  asking is how will he look?  How long will he play?  Will he be in the starting lineup.

The answer to those questions  cannot be answered until after game 1.  However we have seen circumstances in the past when a player is out for an extended period of time.

While some players who are top end athletes can hit the floor running, other players will get winded early.

It is impossible to practice at a speed and intensity level of an actual game.  Throw in the significance of the game (NBA Finals Game 1)  and you can bet that these teams will be going hard at each other.

There is no reason why KP cannot come off the bench in his first game back.  There is no reason why he will be playing 30 minutes in game one.

Other thoughts 

If JT and SH can find their 3 point shot in this series there is no way the Celtics will not win.

Kornet is likely to see his minutes go down but he is going to play.  He will need to make the most of his reduced playing time.

The other guy that should get some court time is Oshae Brissett.  I can see him matching up with Derrick Jones.

The Celtics have so much firepower that any any given night guys not named Jayson or Jaylen can be our top guy on the floor or at the very least our 2nd or 3rd scorer in the game.

If there is anything that defines the quality of these teams it has to be that.

dboss, 

Celtic championship teams have never fallen for the who's the best player bait.  Clearly DAL is lapping all that up like a dog over a water bowl in 100 degree weather.  Their slack and ours.  This current team of ours will not fall for it either.  If I had to give one reason and one reason only for my love of the Celtics and why they won ALL the championships they have, it would be that they play as a team with 5 above average players and with laser-like precision, some more above average than others, but above average nonetheless.  Superstars welcome but not necessary typically.  At least not in those moments.  That was enough to win the first 17 Championships and will be the reason why they will win Banner 18 here in 10 days.  

db

P.S.  BTW, Steven A. made it official today stepping onto his last ship loaded with hand grenades and landmines...The Titanic DAL.  Clearly, he had no choice.  He wasn't coming back to Boston.  Not welcome here after the snub.  First Boston to win it all, then maybe the Knicks, then MIN to win it all, now DAL.  His legs must be tired with all that jumping!!

This wait has been way too long, this series should be well on it's way to a finish by now. I cannot stand the way they have dragged this out completely. $$$$$ talks, no doubt about that. There are more ship jumpers than you can count. Everyone jumping on the Dallas ship, Good, I love to be an underdog and beat the hell out of them

I believe tomorrow Boston will take care of itself and play their game.  The only thing we need to watch with a critical eye for G1 is the somewhat tenuous KP situation.  If he comes out, guns a-blazin' smokin' 3's, zone busting and blocking the crap out of Luka and Kryrie, we're going to roll.  Initially, DAL will try initially to test KP and put him in the PNR Spin Cycle.  When that blows up in their faces, they will have nothing else in their bag.  Doogie is another subplot we need to keep an eye on.  He needs to come out and hit his first 20 in a row.  

I'll predict this with great accuracy.  All the recent add-ons for DAL since the trade deadline including rookie Lively are going to freeze up faster than a vacation at the North Pole in the summer.  Finals pressure and stage will simply be too much.  The rest of our team will pummel them.    

Also, Jason Kidd is about to be torched by Mazulla with an AW like never before.  Jason Kidd is coming to a Fat Man and Little Boy nuclear weapon fight with a 6-minute cooked al dente noodle.  Yeah, no way he's the better coach.  Where does the media come up with this?!!  dboss's paycheck on that ridiculousness.  

Finals Eve.  Here we come!!  

db