Ranking the Top 15 Players in the Celtics-Mavs NBA Finals originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
With stars on both sides, the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks could come down to which team has the better supporting cast.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are expected to shine for Boston, just as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving shine for Dallas. Each will have their moments, but they are not the X-factors of this upcoming series.
The Celtics will need Derrick White and Jrue Holiday to step up offensively as they continue to showcase their defensive talents against one of the best duos in the NBA. They also hope to get Kristaps Porzingis back at full strength to add a rim protector as well as another dimension to the offense.
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Dallas will need Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford to dominate Boston in the paint. Meanwhile, PJ Washington will rely on consistent scoring, and Derrick Jones Jr.’s defense on Tatum and Brown will be crucial.
There’s no shortage of impactful players in this series, so how do they all stack up? Here are 15 of the best players who will take the court in the finals, ranked:
Hauser made significant strides on both ends of the court during the regular season but went ice cold in the playoffs. The 26-year-old shot an 0-of-10 3-point skid in Game 4 against Indiana and finished the series a woeful 1-of-14 from deep. Now would be a good time for him to get back to his 42 percent 3-point shooting form.
Green, 23, has been a solid bench 3-and-D wing for Dallas the past two seasons. The 18th overall pick in the 2020 draft has steadily improved over his first four years in the league, especially as a playmaker.
Don’t be fooled by this rating. Pritchard can swing games in Boston’s favor with his shooting ability and his incredible ability to grab rebounds despite his size. The Oregon product provides an instant spark with his energy off the bench and could make the difference in this series.
12. Daniel Gafford, Mavericks
When you hear pundits say the Celtics need a healthy Kristaps Porzingis to win this series, Gafford is among the reasons why. The 25-year-old big man can dominate the paint on both ends with his ferocious dunks and excellent rim protection. Boston was exposed in the paint at points during the Indiana series, and Dallas poses the same potential problem in the Finals if Porzingis isn’t at his best.
11. Derrick Jones Jr., Mavericks
Jones signed a one-year minimum contract with Dallas during the offseason. He ended up being one of the best free agent bargains.
The 27-year-old forward has been an unsung hero for the Mavs in these playoffs. In 17 postseason games, he averaged 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in 31.2 minutes. As a stellar defender, he will play a crucial role for Dallas against Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
10. PJ Washington, Mavericks
Other than Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Washington is the only Mavs player averaging double figures this postseason. The former Kentucky standout has also been noticeably better defensively since arriving from Charlotte. This series could very well come down to the supporting casts, making Washington a key player for Dallas as they attempt to pull off the upset.
9Dereck Lively II, Mavericks
Lively has flown under the radar this season as the No. 6 seed in NBA Rookie of the Year voting, but his presence has been impossible to ignore in these playoffs. The 20-year-old gave Dallas an added threat in the paint with his rim protection and ability to finish on the offensive end. He and Gafford could cause the Celtics some problems during this series.
Horford, who turns 38 on Monday, will likely return to his sixth man role if Porzingis returns. He excelled in Porzingis’ absence during the conference finals, averaging 12.8 points and shooting 46.2 percent from the floor (39.3 percent from 3). When he’s shooting from distance, it’s almost impossible to keep up with this elite Celtics offense.
7. Jrue Holiday, Celtics
Holiday is a six-time all-defensive guard (a second-team selection this year) and won an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. Boston’s prized offseason addition has taken a step back offensively with so many other scorers on the roster, but he continued to be a relentless force on the defensive end. The soon-to-be 34-year-old made several defensive plays against Indiana, averaging 18.5 points per game in the series. He will face his toughest test yet, keeping Doncic and Irving in check.
6. Derrick White, Celtics
White, a second-team All-Defense selection for consecutive seasons, has become one of Boston’s best all-around players since arriving in a trade from the San Antonio Spurs in 2022. The 29-year-old is their best shot blocker . league guard in addition to being a sensational 3-point shooter. All eyes will be on Tatum, Brown, Doncic and Irving, but White is an X-factor in this series.
5. Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics
Speaking of X-Factors, Porzingis’ impending return from a calf injury is one of the series’ biggest storylines. While Boston hasn’t missed a beat in his absence, there’s no doubt they’re a different team when he’s a starter. The 7-foot Latvian’s rim protection will be much needed, and if he picks up where he left off on the offensive end, the Mavs will have their work cut out for them.
4. Kyrie Irving, Mavericks
Celtics fans know Irving, who spent two tumultuous seasons in Boston from 2017 to 2019. It didn’t work out with the C’s or the Brooklyn Nets, but the eight-time All-Star appears revitalized by the opportunity to play alongside Luka Doncic in Dallas.
Irving averaged 22.8 points per game while shooting 48.5% from the floor (42.1% from 3) in the playoffs. His buy-in on the defensive end of the floor is a big reason why the Mavs have gotten to this point. He will be booed when he returns to TD Garden on Thursday, but C fans may want to tread carefully and avoid poking the bear.
3. Jaylen Brown, Celtics
Brown earned Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors after averaging 29.8 points on 51.7 percent shooting. Excellent performance from him was the perfect response to the All-NBA snub, and you can bet he’ll take that extra motivation with him into the Finals. Brown is also playing the best defense of his career, which makes him one of the best two-way players in this series. His final defensive test against Doncic will be his toughest yet.
2. Jayson Tatum, Celtics
Boston’s superstar averaged 26.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game this postseason. A four-time All-NBA selection and five-time All-Star, Tatum will look to bounce back from his poor performance in the 2022 Finals against Golden State, when he shot just 36.7 percent from the floor. He’s at his best when aggressively attacking the rim, so if he does that while shooting better from beyond the arc (29 percent in these playoffs), he’ll be the heavy favorite for Finals MVP.
1. Luka Doncic, Mavericks
Doncic has been the unquestioned best player in the playoffs and there is an argument that he deserved the 2023-24 NBA MVP award. The Slovenian star averaged 33.9 points per game during the regular season and 28.8 points per game in the postseason.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves had no answer for Doncic. Boston has two of the league’s best defenders in Holiday and White, and Brown prides himself on guarding the opponent’s best player all season, but even that may not be enough to limit the league’s most lethal scorer.
