2024 NBA FINALS: #1 Boston Celtics vs #5 Dallas Mavericks (Game 1: Thursday June 6th)

[zeebneeb]

Why is there so much arrogance on the part of Celtics fans? Is it perhaps a sign of insecurity? Losing that final against the Warriors or last year against the Heat with everything in their favor, it really hurt them.

I think it's blustering to be honest. You know the saying;

"The loudest guy in the room is usually the weakest."

Dallas getting to the finals is gravy this early after the mid-season trade. Luka is only 25. Next year they'll have home-court. e.t.c

Boston has Absolutely zero excuses if they don't win the title. KP being banged up won't cut it. Boston fans know it, Celtics players know it.

They lose, a shakeup is coming. Mavs lose, not that big of a deal. They "weren't ready."

The series, the way I see it, is that Boston has to build big leads, and hold them. If they get in a situation where its tight during the fourth quarter, they are in deep crap.

I posted a stat a few days ago, that the Celtics are running a +10.1 in the playoffs, except the 4th quarter where they are -0.5.

Doing that against these Mavs, and Luka/Kyrie who are absolute killers at the end of games will spell disaster for the Celtics.

Boston has a simple mission;

Go into the 4th quarter, with a decent(10 points)lead.

[Bob8]

Arrogance on our part?
No comments

No, Mavs fans, who are saying that Mavs have a chance are arrogant.

[Celts17Pride]

Boston has the all defensive players. But there is a reason Dallas has been the best defensive team in the NBA since March.

Dallas completely eliminated the paint against OKC, and largely did the same thing against Minnesota.

The questions are:

1. Can Bostons 5 out open the paint better then OKCs 5 out did?

2. Can Tatum/Brown be effective enough in the mid range to out score the onslaught of Luka and Kyrie?

You do realize the Celtics are the #1 three point shooting team in the NBA

We all **** know that. You do realized Boston can’t ONLY shoot 3s right?

Someone find me one single intelligent Celtics fan and I’ll eat a **** shoe.

Celtics not worried about getting to the basket. They will get there.

[Cricket23]

Celtics fan here and I think they take it. I'm not a fan of predicting how many games but just to get my vote in I went with 6.

I know there are storylines revolving around Kyrie and KP playing their former teams, but I don't care about that stuff. Kyrie seems like a bit of a quirky guy but I have nothing against him at all. I don't blame people for being who they are or making the choices that they're allowed. I just care about what happens on the court.

A lot being made about Boston's playoff path. It's true that they've played teams that weren't whole, perhaps fortunately since they haven't been whole either. Winning those 3 series are not particularly impressive, but some people are acting like that's a criticism of the team. I think that would only be the case if they had lost. They did not get the opportunity to have an impressive playoff run, but they have been the most dominant team since day one.

I picked Dallas to win each of their first 3 series, and because of that, I wasn't impressed that they won any of those series. How could I be if I expected it? However it is impressive that they won all 3. There are things that I don't like about the teams they beat and that's why I didn't pick them. Either way, being the last team standing in a tournament of similarly talented teams is an accomplishment. Much credit to them.

Not of that has anything to do with who will win the final series. Dallas has had a nice defensive run, but that has nothing to do with how they will defend Boston. Likewise, I don't think Boston's season long D tells us all that much about how they'll defend Dallas.

Luka is probably the best player going into the series. I think he is, but I'm just not that cocky when it comes to opinions. I don't know if there's much from previous meetings that can make it easier to predict future meetings, but there is stuff to monitor. The last meeting between the two teams, Luka and Tatum both had very good stat lines, with Luka's being a bit better. There was a stat which I don't have in front of me of me right now, so it'll be a close approximation. Players guarded by Tatum scored 8 pts on 33% shooting, while players guarded by Doncic scored 30 points on 73% shooting. I think all stats are somewhat misleading but that is startling. Who was the better player that game? It's something to monitor at the very least. Again, I believe that Doncic is the best player going into the series. I also believe that Tatum could be the player who has the best series. I also believe that Luka has to be for Dallas to win, and that Tatum doesn't have to be for Boston to win.

I just think Dallas is up against it in this matchup like others have said. Would it be fair to say that Luka or Kyrie are involved in about 80% of the Mavs offense when taking into account scoring, playmaking, and handling the ball? I don't know the number but it's a lot, and it's a lot to ask. It's even more to ask when they will often be the two weakest defenders on the court and will be targeted relentlessly. There will be nowhere to hide and no breaks. The Mavs will get theirs too but there are weak links.

I think the notion that Boston is mentally weak or prone to choking is ludicrous. When someone says that it tells me more about the person saying it. They've won an awful lot of playoff games and series so I don't see anything like that being a factor.

Should be a fun series.

[Bob8]

Its so obvious you haven't watched many Celtic games this year. I have watched 79 of the 82 regular season games this year and I can make a case that the Celtics have 5 players that are better on defense than anything the Mav's have. Kyrie and especially Luca doesn't even know what defense is. I find Luca a total stiff on defense which will be exposed in this series. I don't think Luca is going like getting attacked by who ever he is guarding this series which will take away from his offense.

I think you're not getting what he is trying to say. He is refering to the defenders the Mavs faced, not the Mavs player themselves.

That being said: I think the Celtics are the favorite for a reason, but this series is really hard to project in my eyes.
Just hoping for some great games.

Celtics were the 2nd best defense in the league this year. Only one team above them was Minnesota. Unlike the Wolves, we don't play stupid. Mav's have no idea what is about to happen to them.

Defend that,

https://youtu.be/rXSPTxb1i1E?si=xBiUJTfMZuBhQ26n

[Green89]

Hate to say it Celtics in 6.

Celtics have so many defenders to throw at Luka and Kyrie. Mavericks don't have a lot of size to bother the Celts.

The mismatch in this series is on the other end, Celtics offense, there is nothing about Celtics defense that makes better than OKC or Wolves and Luka on off days handled them fine, and destroyed them on good days.

OKC and Minny had no one in their back court make all NBA Defensive team. Celtics have 2 players that did, who they can put on Kyrie and Luka, not to mention the Jays who are both strong defenders. The only advantage will be when we have Pritchard on the floor, as I'm sure Kidd will be targeting him.

[Green89]

That logic doesn't always apply. Just speaking from Boston's experience, look at 2008. The way they struggled against the East would lead you to believe Kobe's Lakers would dominate. Light-years, idk. I'd expect OKC to run through Boston's postseason competition in similar fashion.

For sure.

Id also expect for the Celtics to run through the West too.

Everyone is dissing on them and their path but don't really acknowledge that the Celtics pace against the West had them on course for the same record they ended up with anyway.

I don't think it's a hot take to say the Celtics would of beat the suns, OKC and wolves or that because the Mavs did it and the Celtics didn't that the Celtics are unequipped and unprepared for the finals like others have suggested.

Luka is gonna get his. Irving will maybe sometimes get his. Tatum and Brown will cancel that out. Expecting for them to fall off from their pace and not Luka and Irving screams a bias to me that doesn't ring true with the facts.

I'll take Jrue, White and KP over the Mavs next 3.

Luka is a class better than Tatum/Brown.

You must mean that class called Turnstile Defense 101.

[Bob8]

For sure.

Id also expect for the Celtics to run through the West too.

Everyone is dissing on them and their path but don't really acknowledge that the Celtics pace against the West had them on course for the same record they ended up with anyway.

I don't think it's a hot take to say the Celtics would of beat the suns, OKC and wolves or that because the Mavs did it and the Celtics didn't that the Celtics are unequipped and unprepared for the finals like others have suggested.

Luka is gonna get his. Irving will maybe sometimes get his. Tatum and Brown will cancel that out. Expecting for them to fall off from their pace and not Luka and Irving screams a bias to me that doesn't ring true with the facts.

I'll take Jrue, White and KP over the Mavs next 3.

Luka is a class better than Tatum/Brown.

You must mean that class called Turnstile Defense 101.

You should check Luka's defensive stats. Though I don't expect that you know how.

[Mavrelous]

Hate to say it Celtics in 6.

Celtics have so many defenders to throw at Luka and Kyrie. Mavericks don't have a lot of size to bother the Celts.

The mismatch in this series is on the other end, Celtics offense, there is nothing about Celtics defense that makes better than OKC or Wolves and Luka on off days handled them fine, and destroyed them on good days.

OKC and Minny had no one in their back court make all NBA Defensive team. Celtics have 2 players that did, who they can put on Kyrie and Luka, not to mention the Jays who are both strong defenders. The only advantage will be when we have Pritchard on the floor, as I'm sure Kidd will be targeting him.

Wolvea had the DPOY and another 2nd team all NBA guy.
Look, Celtics have historical SRS rating, a finals loss will be the biggest upset in terms of RS rating vs results in league history, but their ability to defend isn't the major factor in that, the Jays aren't better than McDaniels or Mikal Bridges who got cooked.

[Green89]

In fact let me go further. PJ, DJJ and lively are the three best defenders in the series. Kleber number 5, because I have a lot of respect for Jrue.

You’re not going to be taken very seriously with comments like this mate.

You'll take me plenty serious after the finals are over.

So 4 Dallas players where none of them received a single All Defensive vote are better than the 4 Celtics who received votes and 2 of them who made All NBA Defensive Team???

Don't let the door of ridiculously unfounded posts hit you on the way out.

[Green89]

The mismatch in this series is on the other end, Celtics offense, there is nothing about Celtics defense that makes better than OKC or Wolves and Luka on off days handled them fine, and destroyed them on good days.

OKC and Minny had no one in their back court make all NBA Defensive team. Celtics have 2 players that did, who they can put on Kyrie and Luka, not to mention the Jays who are both strong defenders. The only advantage will be when we have Pritchard on the floor, as I'm sure Kidd will be targeting him.

Wolvea had the DPOY and another 2nd team all NBA guy.
Look, Celtics have historical SRS rating, a finals loss will be the biggest upset in terms of RS rating vs results in league history, but their ability to defend isn't the major factor in that, the Jays aren't better than McDaniels or Mikal Bridges who got cooked.

Minny's best defenders are in the front court, while Dallas' 2 best players play back court. We're much better equipped to guard Luka and Kyrie than Minny was. Especially Kyrie, who only averaged 20ppg in his previous playoff games vs. Boston. He torched Minny for 27ppg in the WCF.

[The Corey's]

Luka is a class better than Tatum/Brown.

You must mean that class called Turnstile Defense 101.

You should check Luka's defensive stats. Though I don't expect that you know how.

I don't think you seen the Celtics! They're deep and ever since Joe got the rotations right they been a different beast.

They might actually be better than the Celtics that beat the Mavs by 30.

[bisme37]

The cool thing is how when 2 fanbases compete to puff their chests out the most and win online arguments it always impacts the actual games being played on the court and makes your preferred team win.

[UglyBugBall]

Ahh. Disregard my last post then. You obviously don't know what you're talking about then.

Miami and Cleveland combined for ONE win the entire season against the Celtics when fully healthy but by all means buy into the narrative the Celtics backed their way in instead of dominating start to finish.

You mean the regular season, right? We already know Miami don't care about the regular season.

Got it. Celtics get zero credit for destroying Miami and Dallas in the regular season and they get zero credit for being in the finals with only 2 loses and undefeated on the road.

I'll give the Celtics credit if they beat Dallas in the finals. This is the only test that matters.

[UglyBugBall]

You’re not going to be taken very seriously with comments like this mate.

You'll take me plenty serious after the finals are over.

You better keep that same energy if the Mavs lose

My energy will take a hit if they lose. Just keepin' it real. But we'll win. Maybe in 5, maybe in 7, probably in 6. Celtics have a bright future ahead. Once Luka retires.

[UglyBugBall]

You’re not going to be taken very seriously with comments like this mate.

You'll take me plenty serious after the finals are over.

So 4 Dallas players where none of them received a single All Defensive vote are better than the 4 Celtics who received votes and 2 of them who made All NBA Defensive Team???

Don't let the door of ridiculously unfounded posts hit you on the way out.

PJ and Gafford didn't start defending until they got traded to Dallas in Kidds scheme. Lively didn't become what he is until later in the season after a lot of work with Chandler. Kyrie didn't buy in on defense until he saw PJ, Gafford and DJJ locking down.

Your guys were great all season. Ours were all-time great for half a season. Problem for Celtics is that it's the second half.

[UglyBugBall]

I gotta give Celtics mods credit here though. They letting Mavs fans jaw in here within reason. That deserves respect.

And to be fair I respect the Celtics as a team too. There's no shame in being the second best team in the NBA.

[blueberrysticky]

I gotta give Celtics mods credit here though. They letting Mavs fans jaw in here within reason. That deserves respect.

And to be fair I respect the Celtics as a team too. There's no shame in being the second best team in the NBA.

I wanna jaw but then I see that it’s Saturday and the finals doesnt begin till Thursday.

Need to save my energy

[Bob8]

The cool thing is how when 2 fanbases compete to puff their chests out the most and win online arguments it always impacts the actual games being played on the court and makes your preferred team win.

Conversation goes like this,

Celtics fan, Celtics in 5. Mavs fan, I believe Mavs have a chance. Celtics fan, you're delusional, we're far the best team in the league and we beat by 30 in RS.

The 3rd fanbase, who is 100% sure in destroying Mavs.

[VFX]

I mean... there were multiple threads started in Nov/Dec asking if anyone is stopping Boston from at least reaching the Finals and some saying championship.

Don't get me wrong though... It's entirely understandable they would feel that way, especially coming out of the east.

I just dont recall Mavs fans, or a majority of the board, feeling like this year was THEIR YEAR for winning it all at the beginning of the season.