Why the 2024 NBA Finals MVP So Far Is… Brad Stevens originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
After two games of what increasingly feels like a coronation, it’s impossible to pick an NBA Finals MVP.
Could it be Kristaps Porzingis for the ride he gave the Celtics in Game 1. Could it be Jrue Holiday for your opportunistic paint performance in Game 2. Maybe it’s Jayson Tatum for playing facilitator in the face of constant double teams. Once again, Jaylen Brown embraced the two-way challenge of scoring on one side and defending Luka Doncic on the other.
They’re all good choices, but the biggest impact on this series belongs to someone who hasn’t laced up his sneakers in 25 years – Brad Stevens.
NBA Executive of the Year has built a juggernaut that is in the process of overcoming the top-seeded Mavericks as the series shifts to Dallas with the Celtics holding a 2-0 lead.
The Celtics are the envy of the NBA and have Stevens to thank. They dominated the regular season en route to 64 wins, and there’s a chance they finish this postseason at 16-2. They’re so good that it’s easy to lose sight of how many home runs Stevens has hit since he moved from the sideline to the big chair after a disappointing 2021 season.
Did you like that Derrick White block with the Mavericks about to cut Boston’s lead to three points in the fourth quarter? Stevens acquired the relatively anonymous guard from the Spurs at the 2022 trade deadline for veterans and a future first-round pick.
“The Derrick White trade is a disaster,” shouted an instant analysis, and it was difficult to find anyone particularly enthusiastic about the business. This may have something to do with the fact that James Harden went to the Nets in a blockbuster the same week, but all White did was fit in perfectly with the roster. as an NBA defenseman with a 3-point deathblow. It could be one of the 10 best trades of the last decade.
Or how about Al Horford controlling Kyrie Irving and Doncic on switches while providing leadership, experience, and a decent 3-point stroke? Stevens rescued Horford from purgatory in Oklahoma City, waiving Kemba Walker and including a first-round pick to reunite with the All-Star big man.
It seems like an obvious move now — Walker was cooked — but at the time it barely moved the needle. The Thunder shut down Horford to get a look at their younger players, and neither Horford nor Walker seemed like candidates to play central roles on a championship team. Instead, Ageless Al, who turned 38 last week, is playing big minutes in search of his first ring. The Celtics wouldn’t be here without him.
Then there’s the boost Sam Hauser provided with three 3-pointers in Game 1. The Celtics signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia, beating the Heat to land the sharpshooter. He developed in the G League and became a capable defender and rebounder. Not every contributor needs to be at the top of the draft.
That includes Payton Pritchard. The guard nailed what the head coach Joe Mazzulla made the most important play of Game 2, a logo buzzer at the end of the third quarter. Danny Ainge drafted Pritchard, but Stevens resisted the temptation to trade him after Pritchard felt buried behind 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. Stevens traded away Brogdon and Marcus Smart last summer and extended Pritchard, who played significant minutes during all season.
Speaking of Smart, that brings us to the two most obviously impactful moves of Stevens’ tenure. It took a lot of audacity to remake the top of the roster in support of Tatum and Brown. Stevens traded Smart to acquire Porzingis and shipped Brogdon to Portland to acquire Holiday.
The two represented the final pieces of the puzzle – Porzingis for his ability to score with his elbow, thus diversifying the attack, and Holiday for playing the role of Smart without any histrionics. They are a pair of All-Stars willing to defer to the team’s two stars, and the Celtics continue to reap the benefits.
So while Tatum, Brown or Holiday are the most likely MVPs if the Celtics win, don’t discount the contributions of Div. III point guard DePauw, Class of 1999. Stevens may not have had a future as an NBA player, but he did better – he’s the guy who picks players as well as anyone in the game.
