The 2024 NBA Finals begin June 6th with the Boston Celtics facing off against the Dallas Mavericks. It’s a series that will guarantee at least a few true superstars their first Finals victory. This isn’t the first time that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been on this stage and there is no doubt that Luka Doncic could get to this series at least a few times in his career. Both teams have different strengths and weaknesses that we’ll break down in this Finals preview.
Big Storylines
Jason Kidd has a chance to join a very elite group as he led the Mavs to a Finals victory as a player in 2011. Now serving as their head coach, Kidd would become the 15th person to win a Finals as a player and head coach and just the eighth to do so with the same team.
Kyrie Irving seemed to be written off from the league after his fallout with the Nets. But Kyrie has been one of the leaders of this Mavs team as he and Luka Doncic have been a dynamic duo.
Speaking of Kyrie, he will have to return to Boston where fans are less than pleased with how he left the team years ago and how he has treated the TD Garden since returning in the past. It will also reunite Kristaps Porzingis with his old team as the Mavs traded him last summer.
How They Got Here:
The Celtics were the best team in the Eastern Conference for the entire season. When the regular season ended, the Celtics led the second-place Knicks by 14 games in the standings. This Boston team won 64 games, just four off their record of 68 set back in 1972. They had no issues in the postseason either, taking out the Heat, Cavs, and Pacers with a combined 12-2 record thus far.
The Mavericks had a bit of a different path, finishing fifth in the West with 50 wins and seven games out of first place. They have been fantastic since the beginning of the playoffs, however. They’ve taken out the Clippers, Thunder, and Timberwolves. All those teams finished ahead of them in the standings.
Keys to the Series
Boston, Hit the Threes: Kyrie and Luka are going to score and there is no changing that. There is a reason the Mavs have such a good offense, but Boston can counter that with their three-point shooting which can be lethal. Boston was 66-7 when they made more threes than their opponents this season.
Mavs, Own Your Home Court: Easier said than done against the Celtics who are 6-0 on the road during the playoffs. Boston feeds off that energy and it has been the difference in their previous three series to this point. Dallas must protect their arena and get the wins they’re supposed to get.
Prediction
I am all in on Boston to finish the job as they’ve been the best team in the NBA all year long. For me, the big key will be a major performance from Jayson Tatum who will be the Finals MVP.