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The stage is set! We have reached the final dance. The big one. Celtics. Mavericks. Winner gets to hoist the Larry O. We are in for one helluva dance. You can cut the tension in the room with a knife. Two hungry and driven squads, each ready to end their decade long championship droughts. I have a feeling floatin' deep that we will witness one of the better Finals of the past five years. Who’s ready? I know I am ready, cha heard.
What a great matchup of contenders for this year’s NBA Finals. The Celtics and Mavericks matchup nicely! We have a ton of storylines that add even more fuel to the championship fire. Kyrie Irving and Kristaps Porziņģis are both on redemption tours. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum get a second crack at winning a title together. Mavericks look to ride a Kidd and an international superstar to a title- just like they did when they won their lone championship in 2010-11… just in different circumstances. The stove is hot!
I truly believe the comp’ bar will be ultra-high; I expect that we will get the best Finals since at least 2019 (Raptors/Warriors). Luka and Kyrie are playing at their peak as a duo for Dallas, while Boston’s star duo of Brown and Tatum feel like this could be the last crack at a title together. Both duos have added power and resources around them that has helped them reach the dance. Something will have to give. It’s tough to bet on what that something will be. All we can do is look at the championship cases and decipher a prediction from there. The rest will just have to play out… oh-oh-oh am I excited to watch it all play out! Let the madness begin.
Mavericks return to the big dance for the first time since they won their lone title with Dirk Nowitzki in 2011, marking the third Finals appearance in the franchise’s 44-year existence (lost in 2005-06). With the trade-deadline acquisitions (F) P.J. Washington and (C) Daniel Gafford fully adjusted, the squad is playing at it’s very highest level this season. More importantly, Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić are playing at the highest level as a duo. Which has resulted in nothing but dangerously good results. This team is going to be a very tough team for the regular-season wins champion Boston to beat. Mavericks ran through the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals; filling up the momentum meter to full capacity. Slayed the Clippers. Slayed the Thunder. Slayed the ‘Wolves. These cats are playing with nothing but nasty-nasty intentions. A perfect monster to go head on with the Celtics.
Mavericks have a strong case to become world champions once again. Uper duper strong if they can continue to get the production that they got from the forwards Washington, Gafford, and Derrick Jones Jr. in the previous rounds. Dallas needs that production (and perhaps then some) with how weak the bench is. The biggest need is for Luka to continue to be playing like one of the best players on the planet. Mavericks need that scoring at will monster who crushes a team’s best player like this:
… to be unleashed on Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Psychological warfare can go a long way; I think they need to play that card to win. Suck the confidence out of Brown and Tatum. When those two are rattled, the chances of beating Boston go up rapidly. If Luka does that stare to Brown- Jaylen’s left hand will turn into butter. Tatum will turn into a glacier from the field. It’s the only way. Get in their head while heat-waving in the process. Then you have Kyrie on the side as the silent killer ready to hit the dagger being the final card to play. It’s a perfect hand for Kidd. Crazy cool fact: Jason Kidd has a chance to bring the Mavs their first title as an active player, and their second title as the active head coach. I am confident I don’t need to do research to prove that to be a first. Kidd was the orchestrator and voice as point-guard for the 2010 Mavs; which means the Mavericks look to ride the leadership of Kidd and the play of an international superstar once again to win a NBA championship. It’s like the story is being written up perfectly. Now that’s a strong case.
Celtics failed to win the title in 2021-22, but look to have their puzzle complete with the additions of Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday after an ultra successful regular-season and a successful road in the playoffs up to the big dance. This Celtics team is very difficult to bet against. It’s a much better all-around team than the team that lost to the Warriors the last time they had this dance. The kicker? This opp, may be a better team than the Golden State team that beat Boston in six games. It's close; I just think Boston will have more difficulty stopping Kyrie/Luka than they had facing an aging Klay Thompson and Steph Curry. Mavericks' forward play has more a chance to cause fits on the defensive as well. Gafford has thrived of late and rookie Dereck Lively II has game-breaking ability. Lively also helps space the floor well for Dallas and gives them the rebounding they will need against the Cs.
Dallas may be a difficult task, but the case is strong for Boston to win their 18th championship, and first in sixteen years. The mission to get Al Horford his ring! Look for Big Al to put it all on the floor (like he always does) in efforts to reach the wonderland. The team will need his spark on the defensive and in the trench to slow down the hot rookie and a Dallas front that feeds off high-octane energy. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White will surely need to be gamebreakers on the defensive for Boston to win as well- they are tasked with slowing down Luka and Kyrie. There is no stopping them; you can only hope to contain 'em.
Celtics will ride the defense and Tatum/Brown on the offensive. If the tandem can keep their confidence and focus; then I can visualize them holding up the Larry O. They must keep their confidence. Can't afford to allow Luka to take the flow and energy of the game. Mavericks will hit big shots; all Boston has to do is respond. Something they have done all season long to secure 76-wins thus far.
This is a real tough prediction. It really is. Mavericks are a team that can get hot and run away with games. Stopping Luka and Kyrie will be no easy task. I roll with Boston here in six games mostly due to the fact they have just been here. They since have elevated, adding the missing pieces that I think are enough to win a title. That's not the case for the Mavericks. Only five players on the Finals roster for Dallas was on the WCF roster the last time the Mavs went in 2021-22. Outside of Luka and Kyrie, the rest of the Mavericks have little-to-no big game experience. The bench is also extremely weak compared to Boston's rotation. Irving and Dončić will need to put some minutes in. I think big-game experience will matter in the result of this series. That goes for either result.
People forget Luka has been a professional basketball player since he was 14. That cat had big-game experience before even entering the NBA. Those international crowds and atmospheres are no joke. Plus the Olympic and FIBA experience. Luka was born and bred for the moment. That scares me for my prediction. Not only will Luka step up in the moment, he will use his confidence to sway the Celtics off path. We all know about what Kyrie Irving can do in the moment. Ask the city of Cleveland about his clutch demeanor; they will give a shiny answer. Asking the city of Oakland will get you a different answer, but leave you with the same understanding. Brown and Tatum will have to buckle up; they can't choke. This is it fellas. It's right there. The matchup is nice; all ya gotta do is respond to the big shots. Respond in the moment; then take the moment.
I personally will be rocking with Dallas. I think Luka can throw off Brown and Tatum and take the moment. Kyrie is also locked in; which is scary for the Celtics' plan. Look for him to find brilliance in the clutch. I rock with Boston on here for my credibility, simply because they SHOULD win. I selected them in my playoff challenge as well at the beginning of the tournament. The puzzle needs to be complete. If the Celtics stay true to what they have done this season- they will be the new NBA champions. These Finals will tell us a lot. We will have clarity on Brown/Tatum. We will have clarity on Luka's place atop the mountain. We will have clarity on who can coach. I for one absolutely adore the writing to this story. Just one more sleep and it's time to watch the story play out in visuals. Hey Siri, play "Sirius" by The Alan Parsons Project. Run it up!
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