Ranking the 15 best players in the Celtics-Mavs NBA finals

Rankings of the Top 15 Celtics-Mavs NBA Finals players originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

With superstars on both sides, the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks could come down to which team has the better supporting cast.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown should shine for Boston, just like Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are for Dallas. Everyone will have their moments, but they’re not the X-factors of this upcoming series.

The Celtics will need Derrick White and Jrue Holiday to step up their offense while continuing to showcase their defensive talents against one of the best duos in the NBA. They also hope to get Kristaps Porzingis back at full strength to add a rim protector as well as another dimension to the offense.

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Dallas will need Derek Lively II and Daniel Gafford to dominate Boston in the paint. Meanwhile, PJ Washington will be counted on to provide consistent scoring, and Derrick Jones Jr.’s defense against Tatum and Brown will be crucial.

There’s no shortage of notable players in this series, so how do they all stack up? Here are 15 of the best players set to take the field in the finals, ranked:

Hauser made significant progress on both ends of the court during the regular season, but remained ice cold in the postseason. The 26-year-old shot an 0-for-10 3-point shooting skid in Game 4 against Indiana and finished the series a dismal 1-for-14 from deep. This would be a great time for him to return to his 42% 3-point shooting form.

Green, 23, has been a solid 3-and-D bench wing for Dallas over the past two seasons. The 18th overall pick in the 2020 draft has consistently improved over his first four years in the league, particularly as a playmaker.

Don’t let this ranking fool you. Pritchard can swing games in Boston’s favor with his shooting and uncanny ability to grab rebounds despite his size. The Oregon product provides an instant spark with his energy off the bench and can be a difference maker in this series.

12. Daniel Gafford, Mavericks

When you hear pundits say the Celtics need a healthy Kristaps Porzingis to win this series, Gafford is one of them. The 25-year-old big man can dominate the paint on both ends with his ferocious dunks and exceptional rim protection. Boston was exposed in the paint at points during the Indiana series, and Dallas poses the same potential problem in the Finals if Porzingis isn’t at his best.

11. Derrick Jones Jr., Mavericks

Jones signed a one-year minimum contract with Dallas during the offseason. He turned out to be one of the best deals as a free agent.

The 27-year-old forward has been an unsung hero for the Mavs this postseason. In 17 playoff games, he averaged 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in 31.2 minutes. As an outstanding defender, he will play a crucial role for Dallas against Celtics superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

10. P.J. Washington, Mavericks

Aside from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Washington is the only Mavs player averaging double figures in the postseason. The former Kentucky star has also been significantly better defensively since arriving from Charlotte. This series could very well come down to the supporting cast, making Washington a key piece for Dallas as it looks to pull off an upset.

9. Derek Lively II, Mavericks

Lively has flown under the radar this season as the sixth-place finisher in NBA Rookie of the Year voting, but his presence has been impossible to ignore this postseason. The 20-year-old gave Dallas an added threat in the paint with his rim protection and ability to finish on the offensive end. He and Gafford could pose some problems for the Celtics during this series.

Horford, who turns 38 on Monday, will likely return to his role as sixth man if Porzingis returns. He stepped up in Porzingis’ absence in the conference finals, averaging 12.8 points while shooting 46.2 percent from the floor (39.3 percent from 3). When he’s shooting lights out from deep, it’s nearly impossible to keep up with this elite Celtics offense.

7. Holiday Jrue, Celtics

Holiday is a six-time All-Defensive guard (a second-team selection this year) and won an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. Boston’s prized offseason addition has taken a step back offensively with so many other scorers on the roster, but he continued to be a relentless force on the defensive end. The soon-to-be 34-year-old made several defensive plays against Indiana while averaging 18.5 points per game in the series. He will face his toughest test yet in keeping Doncic and Irving in check.

6. Derrick White, Celtics

White, selected to the All-Defense Second Team for consecutive seasons, has become one of Boston’s best all-around players since arriving in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs in 2022. The 29-year-old is the team’s leading blocker shots. league guard in addition to being a sensational 3-point shooter. All eyes will be on Tatum, Brown, Doncic and Irving, but White is an X-factor in this series.

5. Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics

Speaking of X-Factors, Porzingis’ impending return from a calf injury is one of the show’s biggest storylines. While Boston hasn’t missed a beat in his absence, there’s no doubt they’re a different team when he’s in the starting lineup. The 7-foot-3 Latvian’s rim protection will be essential, and if he picks up where he left off on the offensive end, the Mavs will have their work cut out for them.

4. Kyrie Irving, Mavericks

Celtics fans are all too familiar with Irving, who spent two tumultuous seasons in Boston from 2017 to 2019. It didn’t work out with the C’s or the Brooklyn Nets, but the eight-time All-Star appears revitalized by the opportunity to play as Luka Doncic’s sidekick in Dallas.

Irving averaged 22.8 points per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor (42.1 percent from 3) in the playoffs. His embrace on the defensive end of the court is one of the main reasons the Mavs have gotten to this point. He’ll be booed loudly when he returns to TD Garden on Thursday, but C fans may want to err on the side of caution and avoid poking the bear.

3. Jaylen Brown, Celtics

Brown earned Eastern Conference MVP honors by averaging 29.8 points on 51.7 percent shooting. His superb performance was the perfect response to his All-NBA snub, and you can be sure he’ll carry that extra motivation with him all the way to the Finals. Brown is also playing the best defense of his career, making him one of the best two-way players in this series. His latest defensive test against Doncic will be his toughest yet.

2. Jayson Tatum, Celtics

The Boston superstar averaged 26.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game during these postseasons. A four-time All-NBA selection and five-time All-Star, Tatum will look to bounce back from his lackluster performance in the 2022 Finals against Golden State when he shot just 36.7% from the floor. He’s at his best when aggressively attacking the rim, so if he does that while shooting at a better clip from beyond the arc (29 percent in these playoffs), he’ll be the heavy favorite for the Finals MVP title.

1. Luka Doncic, Mavericks

Doncic was unquestionably the best player in the playoffs and there’s an argument to be made that he deserved the 2023-24 NBA MVP award. The Slovenian star averaged 33.9 points per game during the regular season and 28.8 points per game in the playoffs.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves had no answer for Doncic. Boston has two of the league’s best defensive guards in Holiday and White, and Brown prides himself on guarding the opposition’s best player all season, but even that might not be enough to limit the league’s deadliest scorer.