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Why the 2024 NBA Finals MVP so far is… Brad Stevens originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Two games into what looks increasingly like a coronation, it’s impossible to pick a NBA Finals MVP.
It could be Kristaps Porzingis for the lift he gave the Celtics in Game 1. It could be Jrue Holiday for his opportunistic paint performance in Game 2. Maybe it’s Jayson Tatum for playing facilitator in the face of constant double teams. Then again, Jaylen Brown has embraced the two-way challenge of scoring on one end and guarding 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.
The NBA’s Executive of the Year has built a juggernaut that’s in the process of outclassing the top-heavy Mavericks as the series shifts to Dallas with the Celtics in a commanding 2-0 lead.
The Celtics are the envy of the NBA, and they have Stevens to thank. They dominated the regular season en route to 64 victories, and there’s a chance they finish this postseason 16-2. They’re so good, it’s easy to lose sight of how many home runs Stevens has hit since ascending from the sidelines to the big chair following a disappointing 2021 season.
Did you like that chase-down block by Derrick White with the Mavericks on the verge of cutting 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,” blared one instant analysis, and it was hard to find anyone particularly jazzed about the deal. That might’ve had something to do with the fact that James Harden went to the Nets in a blockbuster the same week, but all White has done is fit seamlessly into the roster as an all-NBA defender with a deadly 3-point stroke. It might 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 of his own? Stevens rescued Horford from purgatory in Oklahoma City,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-2024-nba-finals-mvp-145259370.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-06-10 15:02:02
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