NBA Finals Thread - Celtics vs Mavericks

[mcs333]

Scoring defense Celtics 5th, Mav’s 20.
FG defense Celtics 2nd, Mav’s 20.

 

[HooperScooper]

Scoring defense Celtics 5th, Mav’s 20.
FG defense Celtics 2nd, Mav’s 20.

Nobody is more wrong more times on here than @WeAreUCONN. Although he likes to post sarcastic things a lot so maybe that is what he was doing here. It's hard to tell when he is serious.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Nobody is more wrong more times on here than @WeAreUCONN. Although he likes to post sarcastic things a lot so maybe that is what he was doing here. It's hard to tell when he is serious.

I’m not impressed by anything the Celtics do. We will see who is right but I’ll go with the Mavs in 4 or 5. Celtics will choke as usual because their two best players will not shoot well.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Eh, Jokić was deserving.

Jokić: 26.4 ppg, 12.9 rpg, 9 apg with 58/36/82 splits (61.2 eFG%). 31 PER, 17 WS. 57 win team.
Luka: 33.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 9.8 apg on 49/38/79 splits (57.3 eFG%). 28.1 PER, 12 WS. 50 win team.

Luka played 3 more mpg and appeared in 9 fewer games.

Jokic had a great season, but a 34 point triple double leading the league in scoring is an insane year that we’ve never seen.

If it’s about wins then it probably should’ve went to SGA.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Scoring defense Celtics 5th, Mav’s 20.
FG defense Celtics 2nd, Mav’s 20.

In the playoffs:

Scoring defense Celtics 3rd, Mavs 6th
FG defense Celtics 8th, Mavs 4th

 

[HooperScooper]

My eye test says the Mavs play better defense. Edward's was horrible against the Mavs and Kyrie was responsible for that. Luka picks his spots but he gets rebounds and steals. Brown and Tatum are both lousy shooters and that will be their downfall.

You need to see an optometrist ASAP.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I’m not impressed by anything the Celtics do. We will see who is right but I’ll go with the Mavs in 4 or 5. Celtics will choke as usual because their two best players will not shoot well.

Pretty much guarantees #18 for Boston.

 

[AllHusky]

Knicks fan rooting for Celtics betting on Mavs. A little conflicted??

 

[willie99]

In the playoffs:

Scoring defense Celtics 3rd, Mavs 6th
FG defense Celtics 8th, Mavs 4th

Without Porzingas, the rim protector. UConn fans should all appreciate what that means

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I turned on Doncic when he ran Porzingis off from Dallas. To this day, I do not understand Doncic’s decision making, because that move made Doncic look like a stat hog for whom winning was secondary. That said, Dallas has made two Western Conference finals since then, so maybe it was the right move.

 

[JohnFSilver]

I quit betting but I would take the Mavs because they play better defense and have the two best players on either team.

Two points.

Mavs don’t play better defense
Tatum is better than Kyrie .

 

[Mr. French]

I turned on Doncic when he ran Porzingis off from Dallas. To this day, I do not understand Doncic’s decision making, because that move made Doncic look like a stat hog for whom winning was secondary. That said, Dallas has made two Western Conference finals since then, so maybe it was the right move.

Doncic traded him?

 

[UC15]

Don't watch all that much NBA anymore, but hoping for Mavs in 7 so Luka can supplant his legacy as one of the best ever.

Problems? They swept them...

 

[HuskyHawk]

Two points.

Mavs don’t play better defense
Tatum is better than Kyrie .

Brown is probably better than Kyrie as well. He has finally mostly stopped turning the ball over and has become a really good defender.

 

[Matrim55]

My eye test says the Mavs play better defense. Edward's was horrible against the Mavs and Kyrie was responsible for that.

Kyrie guarded Ant on fewer than 10% of possessions as per second spectrum.

 

[gtcam]

Ewing finished in the MVP Top 5 voting 6 times, but never higher than four. He had 1 First Team All-NBA. Never won a title. He was a better defender than Jokic, but never came higher than 5th in DPOY.

Jokić has 4 MVPs in addition to two other Top 5 finishes (4 and 2). He has 4 First Team All-NBA. He was the best player on a title team.

These two are not on the same level, and it's Jokić. He's also ahead of Robinson so far as I can tell. But I can see that being debatable because Robinson won an MVP, had multiple Top 5 finishes, won 2 DPOYs, and was a part of two title teams (though he was diminished in each, and Duncan was the star).

Both Wilt and Russell would give Jokic fits.
The NBA hasn't seen players like Russell and Wilt since Russell and Wilt
Anyone who has seen these two live would understand what I mean - crap, Cornbread Maxwell and McHale would terrorize Jokic and Larry Bird would eat Luka for dinner - he would be in his head so much that Luka would explode - new era NBA players are so fragile

 

[aceboon]

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Brown is probably better than Kyrie as well. He has finally mostly stopped turning the ball over and has become a really good defender.

Overall player, agreed. 4th quarter? I’m taking Kyrie over both Tatum and Brown.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Overall player, agreed. 4th quarter? I’m taking Kyrie over both Tatum and Brown.

Nah. Maybe in a game that doesn't matter. The combo of Holiday and White shut him down pretty well and probably will again.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Nah. Maybe in a game that doesn't matter. The combo of Holiday and White shut him down pretty well and probably will again.

Why do you think this after what Mitchell and Nembhard did?

 

[navery12]

Do they play better defense than the Celtics? I thought everyone says Irving and Doncic aren't good defenders. Are there some stats to show the Mavs are better defensively than the Celtics?

Also, is Irving better than Tatum? I don't think many people would say that, including all the people that vote for the All NBA teams.

Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead 2023-24 Kia All-NBA 1st Team | NBA.com

Kia MVP Nikola Jokic leads the All-NBA 1st Team as the picks for all 3 All-NBA Teams from the 2023-24 season are revealed.

www.nba.com

I still don't know if I'd put them ahead of the Celtics now that they're healthy, but the Mavs have been very good on defense recently

 

[HuskyHawk]

Why do you think this after what Mitchell and Nembhard did?

Because it's what actually happened against Dallas when the teams played. Why do you think what Nembhard did was relevant to anything? He had a Tedy Allen moment in one game. It's no big deal.

Mitchell put up points and except in one game was double figures negative in +/-. Kyrie will probably have a brilliant game too.

Doncic is going to get his. He'll be the guy putting up 30s. Focus is on stopping everyone else.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Because it's what actually happened against Dallas when the teams played. Why do you think what Nembhard did was relevant to anything? He had a Tedy Allen moment in one game. It's no big deal.

Mitchell put up points and except in one game was double figures negative in +/-. Kyrie will probably have a brilliant game too.

Doncic is going to get his. He'll be the guy putting up 30s. Focus is on stopping everyone else.

Nembhard averaged 21 PPG on 54% shooting for the series. He almost shot 47% from 3 too. It wasn’t just one game.

The point is those guys haven’t shown they can stop any guard. Let alone a guard the caliber of Kyrie. Guys have very efficient big scoring nights against that group despite them being one of the very few options on their teams.

 

[HooperScooper]

Nembhard averaged 21 PPG on 54% shooting for the series. He almost shot 47% from 3 too. It wasn’t just one game.

The point is those guys haven’t shown they can stop any guard. Let alone a guard the caliber of Kyrie. Guys have very efficient big scoring nights against that group despite them being one of the very few options on their teams.

You're taking a few games and saying that is the norm. Need to look at the entire season. White and Holliday were both on the NBA All Defensive 2nd team this season (2023-24 NBA Awards: Full list of winners | NBA.com). They're both very good defenders and I think having Porzingis behind them makes a huge difference. I won't go out and say the Celtics will completely stop Irving, but I think they'll do enough to win the series.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

You're taking a few games and saying that is the norm. Need to look at the entire season. White and Holliday were both on the NBA All Defensive 2nd team this season (2023-24 NBA Awards: Full list of winners | NBA.com). They're both very good defenders and I think having Porzingis behind them makes a huge difference. I won't go out and say the Celtics will completely stop Irving, but I think they'll do enough to win the series.

I've said before that the Mavs can absolutely win this series but some of the takes about a team that is 12-2 in the post-season are getting nuts. "Look at what Nembhard did as his team got swept." If the Mavs win the series they will have the second worst record of any championship team in the last 40 years. I'm not saying they can't win but the narrative has become completely divorced from what we saw all season.