2024 NBA Finals predictions: Will Celtics or Mavs win it all? And who wins Finals MVP?

Finally! The 2024 NBA Finals tip off Thursday night between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks.

Both Finalists have taken unique paths to the championship stage, where there will be familiar faces, star reunions, intriguing matchups and lots of legacies on the line. Who will be crowned champions? Our staff offers 24 takes on the ’24 Finals.

1. Who has the most at stake in the Finals?

Ben Rohrbach: Jayson Tatum. Win, and he is a certified No. 1 for a title team, one of the three or four best players in the NBA and stamped forever as an all-time great. Lose, and he is not built for the biggest stage, somewhere outside the NBA’s top five and an all-time also-ran. At least until he plays his way back here. Luka Dončić has built-in excuses as an underdog in his first foray into the Finals. Tatum is no longer afforded excuses.

Dan Devine: I was gonna say the NBA, what with the whole “our media deal is coming up!” thing, but it sounds like they’re doing just fine on that score, thank you very much. So let’s go with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — less because they Desperately Need a Ring to Prove They’re Good Enough, and more because I bet they sure would like to, at long last, shut everybody the hell up.

(Gregory Hodge/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Vincent Goodwill: Tatum. The Celtics have had a charmed road to get here with very little attrition and are facing a game 5th seed, but a 5th seed nonetheless. Kinda like the Nuggets last year. Tatum hasn’t played up to expectations offensively but that can change here. If not now, when? If not him, then who? A lot is riding on the man who’ll sign a $300 million deal this offseason. It’s time to step into his destiny.

Tom Haberstroh: Boston’s star duo. Tatum and Brown have gotten so close, and yet it feels so far. Tatum already seems fed up with the scrutiny. It’ll pale in comparison to the ridicule if they fall short of a title again. They’re young enough that they could be back, but that’s what we said about Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

Dan Titus: Kyrie Irving. The most gifted basketball player we’ve ever seen hasn’t reached the NBA…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-06-06 14:17:32

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