Ranking the top 15 players in Celtics-Mavs NBA Finals

Ranking the top 15 players in Celtics-Mavs NBA Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

With superstars on both sides, the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks could come down to which team has the best supporting cast.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are expected to shine for Boston just as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are for Dallas. Each will have their moments, but they aren’t the X-factors in this upcoming series.

The Celtics will need Derrick White and Jrue Holiday to step up offensively while continuing to showcase their All-Defensive talents against one of the NBA’s best duos. They’ll also hope to get Kristaps Porzingis back at full strength to add a rim protector as well as another dimension to the offense.

Dallas will need Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford to dominate Boston in the paint. Meanwhile, P.J. Washington will be counted on to provide consistent scoring, and Derrick Jones Jr.’s defense on Tatum and Brown will be crucial.

There is no shortage of impactful players in this series, so how do they all stack up? Here’s 15 of the top players set to take the court in the Finals, ranked:

Hauser made significant strides on both ends of the floor during the regular season but has gone ice-cold in the playoffs. The 26-year-old snapped an 0-for-10 3-point shooting skid in Game 4 against Indiana and finished the series a woeful 1-for-14 from deep. Now would be a nice time for him to revert to his 42-percent 3-point-shooting form.

Green, 23, has been a solid 3-and-D bench wing for Dallas over the last 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 let this ranking fool you. Pritchard can swing games in Boston’s favor with his shot-making and his uncanny ability to haul in rebounds despite his size. The Oregon product provides an instant spark with his energy off the bench and can be a difference-maker in this series.

Payton Pritchard has provided a big spark off the bench for Boston.

12. Daniel Gafford, Mavericks

When you hear pundits say the Celtics need a healthy Kristaps…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ranking-top-15-players-celtics-205911648.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-05-31 21:36:57

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