What to know about the Celtics’ NBA Finals foe, Mavericks

Celtics

The Celtics defense will have their hands full against Dallas’ talented backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.

The 2024 NBA Finals are finally set.

And if Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics want to raise Banner 18 to the rafters next month, they’ll have to go through Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks.

After Boston punched its ticket to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years following a sweep over the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, Dallas took care of business in the Western Conference Finals – the fifth-seeded Mavs beat the Timberwolves in five. Games.

The NBA Finals won’t officially begin at TD Garden until June 6, but here’s a look at what’s in store for Boston with a championship on the line against Dallas.

A familiar enemy

There will be no shortage of gripping storylines to analyze now that the 2024 NBA Finals are set.

There’s Tatum and Brown’s latest attempt at that coveted ring, Kristaps Porzingis’ health and a matchup against his former team, and Luka Doncic’s first trip to the NBA Finals.

But all the storylines and arcs are about to take a backseat to the anticipated drama of Kyrie Irving and his return to Causeway Street.

In a city with no shortage of sports villains on whom to focus their fury, Irving is arguably the leading conduit for criticism in recent memory.

Once considered a savior of the franchise during his time in the Celtics green, the ultra-skilled guard quickly transformed into the scourge of the collective psyche of Boston sports fans – putting the team’s future in jeopardy with his white flag performance against the Bucks in the 2019 playoffs. before walking into free agency.

Irving adopted a heel personality during his bouts against Boston while playing for the Nets, with two playoff encounters in 2021 and 2022 in which the guard stomped on the face of the Celtics mascot on the floor, initiating the bird to fans and other skirmishes. at the TD Garden.

Boston has managed to get the better of Irving lately; the Celtics won their last 10 games against Irving during his time in Brooklyn and Dallas.

But Irving will look to have the last laugh on basketball’s highest stage against Boston, with the Celtics set to be tested against one of the most dynamic scorers and ball handlers in league history.

“A lot of the attention is on me, fandom-wise,” Irving said after Boston’s 138-110 win over Dallas on March 2. “It’s been six years. You must love it. But rightly so. They have the right to boo. Based on my career record against them in the last few games, I haven’t won. Until I beat them, they have the right to continue booing. I think that’s what makes the theatricality of sports and competitive sports fun. I just have to accept it. That’s part of it.

Luka Donic is the engine that drives Dallas forward

Irving’s return to Boston is certainly the juiciest storyline to follow in the NBA Finals.

But as intimidating as Irving’s slowdown may be, the Celtics’ toughest test in this series will be the other weapon in Dallas’ backcourt, Luka Doncic.

Doncic might be the league’s best purely offensive threat at this point in his career, with the 25-year-old guard scoring a league-best 33.9 points per game during the regular season while also averaging of 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game.

He followed that up with a dominant playoff run (eight playoff games with over 30 points), with the Slovenian regularly making life miserable for defenses in critical moments – particularly when trading possessions next to another player. elite isolation in Irving.

Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics will have plenty of time to try to come up with a game plan designed to slow Doncic down. But that’s a task easier said than done, given that Doncic has the wherewithal to finish at the rim, launch shots from beyond the arc, and split teams by finding the open man on the other side of the field.

Dallas is one of the best teams since the trade deadline

The Mavericks can take on just about any team when Doncic and Irving produce offensively.

But Dallas’ breakthrough into an intimidating Western Conference field isn’t much of a surprise — at least not if you’ve been following them since the trade deadline.

Just before the Feb. 8 deadline, the Mavericks added a dynamic forward in PJ Washington, returning Grant Williams, Seth Curry and a 2027 first-round pick to get him out of Charlotte. Dallas also added big man Daniel Gafford from Washington in a deal involving Richaun Holmes and a 2024 first-round pick.

After completing those deals, Dallas posted a 21-9 record in the latter part of the regular season – with Washington and Gafford completing a supporting cast designed to win battles in the paint, throw lobs, cut down offensive rebounds and cash out. on the looks generated by Doncic and Irving.

Doncic and Irving may be the reason the Mavericks have squeezed out wins in critical moments, but it’s the work of high-level players like Washington, Gafford, Derrick Jones Jr. and Derek Lively that allow Dallas to always stay within striking distance over 48. minutes.

Don’t sleep on Dallas’ defensive play

The Mavericks’ success can largely be attributed to their backcourt, but Dallas has also developed into a solid defensive unit over the past few months, particularly in the paint.

With Lively and Gafford guarding the hoop, the Mavericks have forced teams into the NBA’s lowest rim shooting percentage (62.0%) since the trade deadline, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic.

Add in Washington and Jones’ ability to defend the wings with their length and athleticism, and the Celtics will have to adapt on the fly when it comes to generating quality looks, Boston’s emphasis on shots beyond the arc constituting a powerful counterattack. Rim protection from Dallas.