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

[Mr B]

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.

The Celtics haven’t faced anyone as good as this Mavs team.

[KamikazeK]

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.

C's are about as disciplined on defense as it gets. I wouldn't count on the refs to save you in this one.

[Mr B]

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

As long as you keep the same energy when the Mavs win.

[Mr B]

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.

You can almost smell the fear and envy coming from Celtics fans.

[Mr B]

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.

They hate Luka, because everyone knows Tatum isn't in the same convo as him as a player. It's always about how his defense makes up the clear gap Luka has in scoring and the huge gap he has in playmaking. You'd have thought Tatum would have made 5 all nba defensive teams, rather than zero. Kyrie also plays here, and no one from Boston ever wants to see him do well at anything.

Not only is Luka better than Tatum but Kyrie is actually also playing better than Tatum.

[Texas Chuck]

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.

.

That's my bad

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[KingofTheClay]

Luka and Kyrie have ostensibly been playing decent defense but the Wolves offense never even remotely challenged them in any fashion.

JDub looked really subpar for his standards and the only guy that really threatened Luka or Kyrie in OKC was SGA.

I’m not sold that Luka can guard either Tatum or Brown, it’s barbecue chicken.


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[Mr B]

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.

If any game in this series is within 5 points with less than 5 min to go it’s a Dallas win. If the Celtics want to win they are going to have to blow out the Mavs and I just don’t see that happening.

[JustBuzzin]

This break was much needed for both teams. Everyone should be healthy by Thursday.

[Mr B]

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 are the type of Celtics fan I’m going to enjoy reading after this series gets started. “Mavs play no defense, Kyrie sucks”. I look forward to yours posts after you actually see the Mavs play.

[Sweet Serenity]

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.

They hate Luka, because everyone knows Tatum isn't in the same convo as him as a player. It's always about how his defense makes up the clear gap Luka has in scoring and the huge gap he has in playmaking. You'd have thought Tatum would have made 5 all nba defensive teams, rather than zero. Kyrie also plays here, and no one from Boston ever wants to see him do well at anything.

Not only is Luka better than Tatum but Kyrie is actually also playing better than Tatum.

Oh can we stop this nonsense. Kyrie gets nowhere near the defensive attention as Tatum.
Oh & don’t bother bringing shooting percentages as your argument of Kyrie over Tatum. Tatum has a better FG & TS % these than Luka these playoffs.

[Mr B]

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.

C's are about as disciplined on defense as it gets. I wouldn't count on the refs to save you in this one.

We will see, their discipline is going to be seriously tested in this series.

[Sweet Serenity]

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.

If any game in this series is within 5 points with less than 5 min to go it’s a Dallas win. If the Celtics want to win they are going to have to blow out the Mavs and I just don’t see that happening.

We’re 4-0 in the clutch these playoffs.

[Mr B]

They hate Luka, because everyone knows Tatum isn't in the same convo as him as a player. It's always about how his defense makes up the clear gap Luka has in scoring and the huge gap he has in playmaking. You'd have thought Tatum would have made 5 all nba defensive teams, rather than zero. Kyrie also plays here, and no one from Boston ever wants to see him do well at anything.

Not only is Luka better than Tatum but Kyrie is actually also playing better than Tatum.

Oh can we stop this nonsense. Kyrie gets nowhere near the defensive attention as Tatum.
Oh & don’t bother bringing shooting percentages as your argument of Kyrie over Tatum. Tatum has a better FG & TS % these than Luka these playoffs.

Someone got their feelings hurt. Don’t get mad at me because Kyrie is playing better than Tatum.

[chrisab123]

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.

Thats honestly all well and good however you can't sit here and say that PJ Washington is a better defender than Jrue Holiday or Derrick White like one of the posters has claimed. Unless you believe that then please show me one single stat that backs up PJ Washington being a better defender than Jrue.

[Sweet Serenity]

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

You better keep that same energy if the Mavs lose

As long as you keep the same energy when the Mavs win.

I’m not the one making proclamations already on the how the series is going to go. I’m responding to certain Mavs fans that think we’re no better than the Wolves.

[Sweet Serenity]

Not only is Luka better than Tatum but Kyrie is actually also playing better than Tatum.

Oh can we stop this nonsense. Kyrie gets nowhere near the defensive attention as Tatum.
Oh & don’t bother bringing shooting percentages as your argument of Kyrie over Tatum. Tatum has a better FG & TS % these than Luka these playoffs.

Someone got their feelings hurt. Don’t get mad at me because Kyrie is playing better than Tatum.

Based on what exactly ?

[Bob8]

Luka and Kyrie have ostensibly been playing decent defense but the Wolves offense never even remotely challenged them in any fashion.

JDub looked really subpar for his standards and the only guy that really threatened Luka or Kyrie in OKC was SGA.

I’m not sold that Luka can guard either Tatum or Brown, it’s barbecue chicken.


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Where will Luka guard Tatum, on the perimeter or in the paint? Or we will see Tatum shooting midrange shots like Shai?

[The Corey's]

Luka is a class better than Tatum/Brown.

You must mean that class called Turnstile Defense 101.

You are the type of Celtics fan I’m going to enjoy reading after this series gets started. “Mavs play no defense, Kyrie sucks”. I look forward to yours posts after you actually see the Mavs play.

I'm gonna enjoy these Mavs fans getting that sticker shock when they run into a real team baby.

They actually think they have a shot which is hilarious.

[Green89]

Luka is a class better than Tatum/Brown.

You must mean that class called Turnstile Defense 101.

You are the type of Celtics fan I’m going to enjoy reading after this series gets started. “Mavs play no defense, Kyrie sucks”. I look forward to yours posts after you actually see the Mavs play.

Luka looked great on D here.

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