Why Jaylen Brown vs. Luka Doncic matchup could be pivotal in NBA Finals

Why Jaylen Brown vs. Luka Doncic matchup could be pivotal in NBA Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

There are many exciting matchups to watch when the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks square off in the 2024 NBA Finals next Thursday.

But there’s one matchup in particular that could help determine which team is hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the series.

It’s Celtics guard Jaylen Brown versus Mavericks guard Luke Doncic. Both guys are All-NBA caliber players. Doncic has made first team All-NBA five consecutive seasons, while Brown made the second team last year and is a two-way force.

Although these players don’t guard each other for the entire game, the possessions where they do go head-to-head might play a pivotal role in the outcome.

Doncic is a generational offensive player. He can hit 3-pointers from anywhere. He can do damage off the dribble in the mid-range. He attacks the basket and finishes well at the rim. And he’s one of the best at drawing fouls. He shot 10.6 free throws per game in the Western Conference Finals.

He’s going to score 25-35 points per game in the Finals. What the Celtics need to do is make him inefficient. Be physical with Doncic, contest everything, double-team when needed, etc.

The Celtics have four really good perimeter defenders in Brown, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday. All of them are likely to get minutes defending Doncic. Brown, at 6-foot-7 and 223 pounds with elite athleticism, could potentially see a lot of Doncic in this series. Brown is a very good defender, and he even received three votes for All-Defensive first team this season.

Here’s a look at how Doncic fared versus Brown in their previous four meetings, including two matchups during the 2023-24 regular season, per the NBA’s tracking data. Brown was the primary defender on Doncic for 15 minutes and 24 seconds over the course of these four games.

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Doncic fared OK, but not…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-jaylen-brown-vs-luka-174355385.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-05-31 17:43:55

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