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Message: [QUOTE="nelsonmuntz, post: 5013018, member: 833"] The Celtics' path to the NBA Finals was easy. The Cavaliers and Pacers were both without their best players for multiple games in those series, and the Celtics didn't have to play any of the other three best teams in the East (Bucks, Knicks, 76ers), who all had their own injury issues. That said, I don't think the Knicks or 76ers could have beaten the Celtics at full strength, and the Bucks were a long-shot at best if they had everyone healthy. This Celtics team is really good, and I am not a Celtics fan. I am surprised by the Mavericks run, and it is a credit to Doncic growing up as a player and Jason Kidd growing up as a coach. Kidd could always coach, but he was such a jerk on the Bucks that they had to get rid of him. He seems to have settled down in his middle age. Kyrie is one of the most over-rated players of his generation. He gets treated like he is a Tier 1 talent, but he is mediocre defensively and all of his success comes from being on great teams. There have been some recent NBA Champions that were subpar by historical standards. I think that three of the last four NBA Champions (2020 Lakers, 2022 Warriors, 2023 Nuggets) are among the worst NBA Champions of the modern era (starting with Bird/Johnson). But the Mavericks are even a big step down from those teams, and I just don't see how a team as flawed as the Mavs wins or even really challenges in the Finals. The Celtics are much better than the Mavericks without Porzingis. With Porzingis, it should be no contest. Unless Tatum or Brown gets hurt, this shouldn't be much of an NBA Finals. [/QUOTE]

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