Why Brad Stevens is the Celtics’ NBA Finals MVP so far, as Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis lead path to title

After the Boston Celtics dispatched the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals, the post-game TV broadcast team went around the table naming their MVP of the series thus far. There were a couple of Jaylen Brown votes, along with one for Jrue Holiday. Then, Bob Myers, architect of four Golden State Warriors championships, went in a different direction with his pick.

Brad Stevens.

A former front-office whiz himself, it makes sense that Myers would stick up for the Celtics’ president of basketball operations. Stevens has attempted to fill the large shoes left by Danny Ainge as the head decision-maker in 2021 after eight seasons as Boston’s head coach. And with two Finals games in the books, it’s difficult to argue against Myers’ point.

Kristaps Porzingis, whom Stevens acquired last June, was arguably the Celtics’ best player in their Game 1 blowout win. Coming off the bench for the first time in his career after missing 38 days with a calf injury, Porzingis was absolutely everywhere — shooting over smaller defenders, knocking down deep 3-pointers and repeatedly rejecting Dallas’ attempts at the rim. He was one of the main reasons the Celtics put the game out of reach in the second quarter, and he finished with 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 20 minutes.

He wasn’t quite as prolific in Game 2, but he still put his stamp on the win with 12 points, four rebounds and two blocks in 23 minutes. It’s safe to say that the Celtics don’t win either game as handily were it not for Porzingis’ presence on both ends of the floor.

But he wasn’t Stevens’ only prized pickup.

When the Celtics acquired Porzingis, the cost was parting ways with Marcus Smart — a passionate bulldog who was the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year. With the shooting and rim protection they gained with Porzingis, they would also lose perimeter defense and toughness. Or so we thought.

Just before the season started, Damian Lillard’s trade to the Milwaukee Bucks preempted a bidding war for Holiday during his brief tenure with the Trail…

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Author : Colin Ward-Henninger

Publish date : 2024-06-10 04:39:21

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