With the Conference Semifinals ending, now only two teams remain in the championship race: Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. Obviously, since the Celtics are a clear favorite to win the title basically from the start of the season, we are posed with the following question: Are the Dallas Mavericks capable of an upset, becoming the 2024 NBA Champions?
Strengths
It is clear that these are two very different teams. When it comes to the Mavericks, they are a highly-skilled, offensive team in most cases, despite them having improved their defense throughout these playoffs. The Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving duo is undoubtedly one of the best in the entire association, and they have responded excellently so far in this postseason series. In terms of shot selection, playmaking, clutch shots, and overall chemistry between them, they have managed to take GIGANTIC steps to achieve a massive improvement that is likely to get even better.
Fortunately, Dallas’ near-perfect duo is not the only factor in their recipe for success. Pieces such as P.J. Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., Daniel Gafford, and even Derek Lively have played a crucial role in the previous series in the Western Conference, and we expect them to continue doing so in this Finals series. However, they need to play the best basketball they have ever played to have a shot at winning.
2024 Playoff Stats:
- Luka Doncic – 28.8 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 8.8 APG, 43.8 FG%, 34.2 3P%
- Kyrie Irving – 22.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.2 APG, 48.5 FG%, 42.1 3P%
- P.J. Washington – 13.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 43.2 FG%, 36.3 3P%
- Derrick Jones Jr. – 9.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 49.2 FG%, 39.6 3P%
- Daniel Gafford – 9.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 0.8 APG, 61.4 FG%
- Derek Likely – 8.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.6 APG, 66.7 FG%
Weaknesses?
Even though there are always pros and cons in any situation we have ever analyzed, these may be concerning if they are not tackled properly by Dallas. First and foremost, and perhaps the most important aspect is that the Celtics’ defense has been superior, for the most part, when compared to the Dallas Mavericks.
A piece like Jrue Holiday is likely to be a huge factor when defending either Kyrie or Luka. Furthermore, the return of Kristaps Porzingis can harm Dallas, as their roster depth will now be at a disadvantage. Lastly, it goes without saying that the Brown-Tatum duo can be a real problem for the Mavs across the board, as well as Derrick White.
Overall, the Mavericks have a chance of winning it all in this NBA Finals. Evidently, these NBA finals will definitely be captivating to watch. Either the Celtics will end up winning the title for the first time in 16 YEARS, or the Mavericks will match the historic run to win a championship after 13 YEARS. We could not be more excited about it. The NBA Finals are starting June 6th.
text sources: nba.com
