2024 NBA Finals: The Stars Match-up (Doncic/Irving vs Tatum/Brown)

[KingofTheClay]

Tatum doesn’t play both sides of the ball?

What the hell is this bs propaganda?


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[KingofTheClay]

Anyone with half a brain should realize that this is a one sided match up. Boston will have counters to most of Dallas’ schemes and Dallas wont theoretically.

Only way Mavs win is if they go ballistic and Celtics go very cold shooting wise for 4/7 games. Is that likely? No. Is that possible, sure.


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[Jaqua92]

The star duo matchup is closer than people think and ultimately comes down to Tatum and Doncic.

Obviously the Dallas duo is better here. But let's really break it down. Brown has been scoring with more volume and effeciency than Kyrie. He's also been elite as an on ball defender. Make no mistake, Brown and Kyrie can go either way.

Tatum and Doncic can't. Doncic will outplay Tatum most of the series. But the gap isn't nearly as big as people make it out to be and there will be games where Tatum outplayed him.

Doncic is giving us 29/10/9 this post season on 56%ts. Tatum is giving us 26/10/6 on 56%ts with elite defense.

The interesting thing is that Tatum is in a 3pt shooting slump, 29% from the field. If he was hitting at his season avg, he's 29/10/6 on 60%ts this post season. Tatum is playing the best playoff basketball of his career and people aren't catching it. The only issue is his 3pt shot. If that returns to the norm this series, it's very likely we see something like 29/10/6 from him on 60%ts with quality defense.

The Dallas duo is going to win the matchup. But the actual impact gap is smaller than people are anticipating and it won't be enough to overcome the Celtics, who have 3 other guys who can give you 20 AND play elite defense on any given night.

I just don't see Dallas winning this unless Kyrie averages 28 on elite effeciency and Doncic has a 93 MJ like scoring series and drops 40ppg

[The Corey's]

Tatum doesn’t play both sides of the ball?

What the hell is this bs propaganda?


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I think it's obvious that Dallas fans don't watch the Celtics.

He probably doesn't rebound either

[Master 8 Hype]

Lewker will probably get his in this series, because it doesn't seem anyone can stop him at this point. But I also expect Tatum and Brown to step up a significant notch compared to their output in the 2022 Finals. And I also expect Kyrea to be contained by White and Holiday and looking differently than against Minisoda and all prior matchups.

[KingofTheClay]

Tatum doesn’t play both sides of the ball?

What the hell is this bs propaganda?


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I think it's obvious that Dallas fans don't watch the Celtics.

He probably doesn't rebound either

Yeah the propaganda is unreallllll.

I can imagine a scenario where Luka and Kyrie go ballistic and steal the series but let’s not pretend that that’s likely. Match-up wise, theoretically, everything swings Bostons way.


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[KamikazeK]

Tatum doesn’t play both sides of the ball?

What the hell is this bs propaganda?


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I think it's obvious that Dallas fans don't watch the Celtics.

He probably doesn't rebound either

Yeah the propaganda is unreallllll.

I can imagine a scenario where Luka and Kyrie go ballistic and steal the series but let’s not pretend that that’s likely. Match-up wise, theoretically, everything swings Bostons way.


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If Durant/Kyrie didn't go ballistic and steal the series in 2022 then I ain't worried about Luka/Kyrie. Our guys score the ball and they play lockdown defense and they don't get tired.

[KingofTheClay]

I think it's obvious that Dallas fans don't watch the Celtics.

He probably doesn't rebound either

Yeah the propaganda is unreallllll.

I can imagine a scenario where Luka and Kyrie go ballistic and steal the series but let’s not pretend that that’s likely. Match-up wise, theoretically, everything swings Bostons way.


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If Durant/Kyrie didn't go ballistic and steal the series in 2022 then I ain't worried about Luka/Kyrie. Our guys score the ball and they play lockdown defense and they don't get tired.

Well I mean, it’s a new, different series. I wouldn’t dismiss it as fiction — it’s possible but unlikely


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[Doranku]

Man, you'd think Tatum and Brown were Pippen and Jordan defensively with the way Celtics fans talk. Neither of these guys has even made a single all-defensive team in 15 combined seasons. These guys are not lockdown defenders lmao

[UglyBugBall]

I think it's obvious that Dallas fans don't watch the Celtics.

He probably doesn't rebound either

Yeah the propaganda is unreallllll.

I can imagine a scenario where Luka and Kyrie go ballistic and steal the series but let’s not pretend that that’s likely. Match-up wise, theoretically, everything swings Bostons way.


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If Durant/Kyrie didn't go ballistic and steal the series in 2022 then I ain't worried about Luka/Kyrie. Our guys score the ball and they play lockdown defense and they don't get tired.

Luka is much better than KD, and Kyrie is playing better than ever. The team around them is also elite.

[Master 8 Hype]

Man, you'd think Tatum and Brown were Pippen and Jordan defensively with the way Celtics fans talk. Neither of these guys has even made a single all-defensive team in 15 combined seasons. These guys are not lockdown defenders lmao

You're obviously not someone who has watched them play in the last couple of seasons. Even two seasons ago, Tatum was literally blocking Kevin "The Snake" Durant's jumpshots. And Brown has been getting lots of strips lately. The problem is that they sometimes take a breather on D, but this is certainly not the time to do that now.

[Handlez]

There's far less pressure on Tatum and Brown.

They know they can have bad games and win with all that help.

[Jaqua92]

Sarcasm asside, DJJ should be able to contain one of Tatum/Brown in stretches. So that's the key defender for me.

OK. But who will defend the other Jay? Who will defend White?

More to the point -- who will Dallas leave open from 3, if anybody?

Good question, I have one for you, if Nembhard burned down Boston, what would happen to Lukai? (PJ will defend the other Jay, Kai will be with White)

He didn't. Celtics were able to lock him up when they played with defensive intensity. They coasted on the defensive end because their offense was good enough to stay in it.

There were stints in games 2, 3 and 4 when there was a very obvious defensive switch flipped and the Pacers got locked up.

Celtics won't defend the Mavs like they did the Pacers.

[Jaqua92]

The Celtics defense is ideally suited to limit Doncic.

It isn't particularly suited to stopping Kyrie, but he also hasn't beaten them in any game in the past 3 years.

I'd be willing to bet not only would Luka tell you he'd rather face the Celtics defense than OKC's with Dort, but he will also perform much better vs the Celtics than OKC. The Celtics have a better rotation cast for Luka, but not one of the Celtics defenders will bother him as much as Dort did. I think Kyrie can still cook, but I think he will have more trouble than Luka will.

The Celtics are a much better defensive team than OKC and they absolutely have the defenders to match Dorts impact.


This thread is in bad faith lol

[Larry_Russell]

Tatum doesn’t play both sides of the ball?

What the hell is this bs propaganda?


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Look who posted it.

[Larry_Russell]

Yeah the propaganda is unreallllll.

I can imagine a scenario where Luka and Kyrie go ballistic and steal the series but let’s not pretend that that’s likely. Match-up wise, theoretically, everything swings Bostons way.


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If Durant/Kyrie didn't go ballistic and steal the series in 2022 then I ain't worried about Luka/Kyrie. Our guys score the ball and they play lockdown defense and they don't get tired.

Luka is much better than KD, and Kyrie is playing better than ever. The team around them is also elite.

1) No to Luka much better than KD
2) Kyrie is the same as always
3) NOPE

[Larry_Russell]

OK. But who will defend the other Jay? Who will defend White?

More to the point -- who will Dallas leave open from 3, if anybody?

Good question, I have one for you, if Nembhard burned down Boston, what would happen to Lukai? (PJ will defend the other Jay, Kai will be with White)

He didn't. Celtics were able to lock him up when they played with defensive intensity. They coasted on the defensive end because their offense was good enough to stay in it.

There were stints in games 2, 3 and 4 when there was a very obvious defensive switch flipped and the Pacers got locked up.

Celtics won't defend the Mavs like they did the Pacers.

The Celtics allowed it to happen.

Force a team that gets theirs from a point guard setting the table, to be a team where that point guard now needs to be a scorer.
Its one of the oldest defensive schemes the game has ever had.

Celtics will single coverage Luka, let him get his 35 points, Celtics will instead shut down everyone else. Kyrie will struggle facing Jrue and White all series, DJJ, Washington and the bigmen bring nothing of note.

Luka gonna have to average 60 to have a chance, or some other player is going to have to turn into a 70% 3pt shooter on volume and under contestation.

[brackdan70]

Yeah the propaganda is unreallllll.

I can imagine a scenario where Luka and Kyrie go ballistic and steal the series but let’s not pretend that that’s likely. Match-up wise, theoretically, everything swings Bostons way.


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If Durant/Kyrie didn't go ballistic and steal the series in 2022 then I ain't worried about Luka/Kyrie. Our guys score the ball and they play lockdown defense and they don't get tired.

Luka is much better than KD, and Kyrie is playing better than ever. The team around them is also elite.

He is better than 2021-22 Durrant but “much” is not accurate. Look at Kyrie that year as well.
Washington, Lively, Jones Jr , gafford, Kleiber are elite? I wish we could just discuss things with accuracy and level heads. Loving you team is great but some of these takes are laughable.

[Fencer reregistered]

If Durant/Kyrie didn't go ballistic and steal the series in 2022 then I ain't worried about Luka/Kyrie. Our guys score the ball and they play lockdown defense and they don't get tired.

Luka is much better than KD, and Kyrie is playing better than ever. The team around them is also elite.

He is better than 2021-22 Durrant but “much” is not accurate. Look at Kyrie that year as well.
Washington, Lively, Jones Jr , gafford, Kleiber are elite? I wish we could just discuss things with accuracy and level heads. Loving you team is great but some of these takes are laughable.

Let him have his fun. Soon, bragging about his team could be harder.

[Fencer reregistered]

Also please note that Luka has an injured knee. So any loss won't count, while any accomplishments will just prove his greatness.

Tatum's injuries, by way of contrast, are irrelevant to any discussion.