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

[blueberrysticky]

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.

Since trade deadline and Kyries return from injury there was every inclination that the mavs had a strong chance. Or you’re busy looking at a record that doesn’t equate to the team the mavs are putting on the court.

Especially in the playoffs when the bench shortens and you can eliminate the THJ and Powell minutes. More half court and more star oriented


Start of the year as a mavs fan I would agree. I felt the team had no chance everytime I saw Powell minutes or Grant Williams act like a moron.

But since the trade deadline any of us with eyes who went to the game would talk about how much better this team feels and liked the chances. It is the tough west so no guarantees but Luka/Kyrie were closers when it mattered

[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.

Since trade deadline and Kyries return from injury there was every inclination that the mavs had a strong chance. Or you’re busy looking at a record that doesn’t equate to the team the mavs are putting on the court.

Especially in the playoffs when the bench shortens and you can eliminate the THJ and Powell minutes. More half court and more star oriented


Start of the year as a mavs fan I would agree. I felt the team had no chance everytime I saw Powell minutes or Grant Williams act like a moron.

But since the trade deadline any of us with eyes who went to the game would talk about how much better this team feels and liked the chances. It is the tough west so no guarantees but Luka/Kyrie were closers when it mattered

Yeah. I'm mainly talking about pre ASB and in November/December. Nobody was seriously talking about the Mavs as even a remotely deep playoff team and some people still thought the Kyrie move was stupid.

[KingofTheClay]

Can we appreciate the fact that if you sub out Prime Tatum for prime Paul Pierce we sweep these Mavs guaranteed?

Because then the Celtics have a true closer and a top 5 clutch player in history. We’d probably be favored in clutch moments down the stretch.


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[chrisab123]

Just go back and rewatch the Dallas playoffs this year. You’ll see all the top defenders in the NBA before they went home.

Sooo theres no substance to saying that Dallas has the three best defenders in the series. Just making sure I wasn't missing anything. Saying that Dallas could play better defense in this series isn't the same comment.

There's substance. You're just not familiar with it yet. While you keep pointing at past all NBA selections and more, I'll just point you to the next few weeks. They'll provide all the evidence you'll need. Book it.

So where are the awards for All NBA Defense? Again, theres a difference between the Mavericks could out defend the Celtics and definitively saying they have the 3 best defenders in the series.

[Sweet Serenity]

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.

You better hope your Mavs win mate. Being confident is one thing but arrogance over something you have no control over is just asking for trouble.

[bb22]

It’s Boston against the rest of the country. The Celtics are due, but Dallas has the 2 best players in the series.

[Sweet Serenity]

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.

But we'll win. Maybe in 5, maybe in 7, probably in 6. Celtics have a bright future ahead. Once Luka retires.

[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.

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.

But we'll win. Maybe in 5, maybe in 7, probably in 6. Celtics have a bright future ahead. Once Luka retires.

Yeah lol UglyBugBall treated the Celtics board to 8 straight hours of him telling us we don't know anything about the Mavs but he knows all about the Celtics and PJ Washington is about to lock up both Jays simultaneously. Good times.

[Sweet Serenity]

It’s Boston against the rest of the country. The Celtics are due, but Dallas has the 2 of the 4 best players in the series.

No need to thank me but i fixed it for you.

[Sweet Serenity]

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.

But we'll win. Maybe in 5, maybe in 7, probably in 6. Celtics have a bright future ahead. Once Luka retires.

Yeah lol UglyBugBall treated the Celtics board to 8 straight hours of him telling us we don't know anything about the Mavs but he knows all about the Celtics and PJ Washington is about to lock up both Jays simultaneously. Good times.

You mean the same Jayson Tatum that has averaged 31 points on 65 true shooting percentage against PJ Washington his whole career ?

[Deivork]

This thread's been taken by stupid back and forth

[bisme37]

...

[ITYSL]

WCF:
Jaden w/ Doncic defending: 35 points, 59% FG, 80% TS
Doncic w/ Jaden defending: 49 points, 46% FG, 53% TS

Celtics should rush to trade for McDaniels.....

Haha, yeah. I think the Celtics have some decent perimeter defenders who can also make Luka work at the other end.

[Bob8]

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.

But we'll win. Maybe in 5, maybe in 7, probably in 6. Celtics have a bright future ahead. Once Luka retires.

Yeah lol UglyBugBall treated the Celtics board to 8 straight hours of him telling us we don't know anything about the Mavs but he knows all about the Celtics and PJ Washington is about to lock up both Jays simultaneously. Good times.

UglyBugBall is not writing on Mavs board, I'm not convinced he's Mavs fan.

[bluejerseyjinx]

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.

Why not say "Oh, yeah, I think I misunderstood him?"
Why the need to be so arrogant?

I defended the Celtics a lot against the "easiest path to the finals ever" argument.
And I really respect their talent.
But people like you are the reason the team is not well liked around here.
Be better.

I hardly post in here. I spend most of my time in the football forum. Only here because I am a Celtic fan. After spending much time in here the past few weeks I really find it hard to believe that I am the reason for so much hate on the Celtics. Seems its been going on for a long time before I came along.

[bisme37]

Yeah lol UglyBugBall treated the Celtics board to 8 straight hours of him telling us we don't know anything about the Mavs but he knows all about the Celtics and PJ Washington is about to lock up both Jays simultaneously. Good times.

UglyBugBall is not writing on Mavs board, I'm not convinced he's Mavs fan.

Another Mavs fan made a fake burner account last night so he could come on the Celtics board and personally tell me I'm a bitch.

I guess Mavs fans think it's only Celtics fans being jerks atm but that really hasn't been my experience lol.

For me personally, I don't really like getting into arguments that are just going to leave me annoyed and ruin my day. I'm looking forward to the Finals and we're all going to see how it goes then. May the best ream win.

[Bob8]

Yeah lol UglyBugBall treated the Celtics board to 8 straight hours of him telling us we don't know anything about the Mavs but he knows all about the Celtics and PJ Washington is about to lock up both Jays simultaneously. Good times.

You mean the same Jayson Tatum that has averaged 31 points on 65 true shooting percentage against PJ Washington his whole career ?

D isn't working like that. Mavs D and I would imagine any kind of D works only, if first line of D is backup with rim protection and help side D. And Mavs are great in both. That is what Celtics fans can't or won't understand. Even Luka and Kyrie are decent in this system. Mavs play great team D. Lively the most important part of this D.

[Mr B]

Sooo theres no substance to saying that Dallas has the three best defenders in the series. Just making sure I wasn't missing anything. Saying that Dallas could play better defense in this series isn't the same comment.

I never said the Mavs have the 3 best defenders in this series. I’m saying the Mavs have faced better defenders than anyone the Celtics can throw at them. Jrue is their best defender. He alone is not stopping the Mavs especially if they put him on Luka.

Jaylen Brown will most likely guard Luca most of the time and he can handle it. Luca had horrible stats when guarded by Brown in their previous match ups. I admit 2 games is a small sample size, but the numbers reflect it. And I also feel in all your previous posts that you are trying to punish the Celtics for handing there regular season business better than anyone else by far. We earned the right to have the easiest path to where we are today because of the dominating fashion we did it in. And then you talk about all the key and top players that were out throughout our playoff run so far. WE had to do that without KP from almost the very start. KP is not Brown and Tatum level, but he is perhaps the third or fourth best player on the team and almost the most important. He opens up everything for the offense and prevents teams from doubling Tatum and Brown. When KP is sticking his 3's and giving us 20 points a night, I don't think there is a tea in the NBA that can beat us. And damn, I haven't even got to the Derick White effect yet.

Having Jaylin Brown cover Luka is fine if you don’t mind him being in foul trouble.

[brackdan70]

WCF:
Jaden w/ Doncic defending: 35 points, 59% FG, 80% TS
Doncic w/ Jaden defending: 49 points, 46% FG, 53% TS

Celtics should rush to trade for McDaniels.....

Haha, yeah. I think the Celtics have some decent perimeter defenders who can also make Luka work at the other end.

Jaden Springer?

[Mr B]

Sooo theres no substance to saying that Dallas has the three best defenders in the series. Just making sure I wasn't missing anything. Saying that Dallas could play better defense in this series isn't the same comment.

I never said the Mavs have the 3 best defenders in this series. I’m saying the Mavs have faced better defenders than anyone the Celtics can throw at them. Jrue is their best defender. He alone is not stopping the Mavs especially if they put him on Luka.

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.

How do you say you haven’t watched the Mavs in these playoffs without saying you haven’t watch the Mavs in these playoffs.