With the NBA conference finals kicking off today it’s time to think about possible NBA finals matchups. Many of the remaining teams are surprising and the four possible finals matchups all offer different levels of intrigue. Let’s dive into ranking these four possible matchups from worst to best based on potential entertainment, competition, and overall intrigue.
The Four Possible NBA Finals Matchups Ranked
4. Timberwolves-Pacers
Given the Timberwolves’ dominance in the playoffs and how the Pacers haven’t stood out even against injury-riddled squads this would likely be the least competitive of all the possible matchups. The Timberwolves would in all likelihood handle the Pacers in four to five games with plenty of blowout wins. Minnesota’s top-ranked defense is crafted to stop the Pacers even though they have a top-three offense. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels are perfectly suited to contain Tyrese Haliburton.
The Timberwolves frontcourt size highlighted by Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid off the bench would also provide plenty of challenges to the undersized Pacers. Minnesota’s size would also allow them to contain Pascal Siakam who has been brilliant in the playoffs. This matchup does feature some intrigue on paper as Edwards and Haliburton are considered the best two players from the 2020 draft class. Both teams have notably never won a championship so it would be a great story. Additionally, the idea of an elite offense and an elite defense squaring off is interesting. However, based on what we’ve seen in the playoffs and how these teams truly match up, these finals would be very uncompetitive.
3. Mavericks-Pacers
According to odds from FanDuel, this is the most unlikely finals matchup. It would also be perhaps the most unlikely finals matchup in NBA history as it would feature a fifth versus sixth seed. However, the chances of this being a more competitive series than the Timberwolves-Pacers are very high. The matchup features two of the league’s top-ten offenses and two below-average defenses, which would result in plenty of high-scoring games.
Furthermore, both teams are toward the top of the league in three-point attempts and three-point percentage. The three-point variance adds an element of unpredictability. Ultimately the star backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving gives the Mavs a clear advantage, especially against the league’s 24th-ranked defense. Regardless, this surprising matchup would have some potential to be entertaining and competitive.
2. Celtics-Mavericks
The Celtics and Mavericks always seem to have competitive matchups. The elite backcourt of Luka and Kyrie against the Celtics’ historic offense is incredibly intriguing. As is the matchup between Jayson Tatum and Luka competing for their first-ever ring. Furthermore, both Kyrie and Kristaps Porzingis would be going against their former teammates.
Basketball-wise both teams’ reliance on the three-point shot adds to the entertainment and unpredictability of this potential matchup. Watching how the Celtics would defend Luka and Kyrie would also be incredibly interesting. With Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, the Celtics have the best defensive backcourt in the league. They also could throw Jaylen Brown or Tatum, on one of the Mavs’ guards, for some extra size. Of course, the Celtics would have to double Luka and Kyrie at some points. At the same time closing out on the Mavericks’ shooters would be essential for the Celtics.
As the second-ranked defense in the league, this is all very doable for Boston nonetheless it’s complicated. Additionally, Porzingis’ health will be important as he would have to contain the Mavs’ lob threats in Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford while providing a similar interior presence on offense. Ultimately this series projects to be a six to seven-game thriller and a possible finals classic.
1. Celtics-Timberwolves
The most probable NBA finals matchup is also the most exciting possibility. In the regular season, these teams delivered two incredible overtime games with the two teams splitting the series. Notably, this matchup would pair the top offense against the top defense. Both the possibility of the Celtics finally breaking through and winning a title or Edwards leading the Timberwolves to a surprising title at just 22 years old is very exciting. Matchup-wise seeing Edwards and McDaniels defend the Js is very intriguing as the two had solid success defending the elite wing duo in the regular season.
Porzingis’ health will be even more crucial in this series considering Minnesota’s elite frontcourt size. This could ultimately make or break the season for Boston. Additionally, seeing how the Timberwolves’ defense would react to the Celtics’ elite floor spacing would be fascinating. Can the Celtics neutralize Minnesota’s defense by forcing the bigs, especially Gobert, to defend the perimeter more? Conventional wisdom suggests yes, however, this wasn’t the case against the shooting and perimeter play of the Suns and Nuggets.
On the flip side, how will the Celtics defend Ant and Kat? In the regular season, Brown was the most effective on Edwards. However, White, Holiday, and even Tatum will likely all spend time defending him. The Celtics will also need Tatum’s size and physical strength to defend Towns however, throwing the smaller yet masterful defender Holiday on him is something to keep an eye on. Overall, these two dominant teams would have the potential to produce an ultra six to seven-game series and an NBA finals classic.
