The NBA Finals are finally almost here! After a long layoff, Game 1 between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks will tip-off on Thursday. Here are ten of the top players in the series, ranked in top-ten fashion.
The Ten Best Players In The 2024 NBA Finals
#10-6
- 10. Al Horford, Celtics
- 9. Dereck Lively II, Mavericks
- 8. P.J. Washington, Mavericks
- 7. Jrue Holiday, Celtics
- 6. Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics
The 38-year-old Horford did a superb job replacing the injured Porzingis in the starting lineup in this postseason run. He has had two playoff games scoring more than 20 points. Horford has the third-most postseason outings without a ring, only behind Karl Malone and John Stockton.
After missing Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals with a sprained neck, Lively II returned in Game 5 to help guide Dallas to the NBA Finals. He went an incredible 16-16 from the field in his four outings against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Acquired at the trade deadline, Washington made his largest impact in the Western Conference Semifinals. From Games 2-4 of that series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he averaged 25.7 points and 9.7 rebounds while making half of his 34 three-point attempts.
In his first season with Boston, Holiday sacrificed some of his offensive numbers for the betterment of the team. The soon-to-be 34-year-old is still an absolute pest on the defensive side. The 6-4” guard was named to the All-Defensive Second Team and finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Porzingis hasn’t played since Game 4 of the opening round due to a calf injury but is expected back for the start of the NBA Finals. The 7-2” center is a threat from deep, even multiple feet behind the arc. He shot a career-best 51.6% from the field in his first season with the Celtics.
#5-1
- 5. Derrick White, Celtics
- 4. Jaylen Brown, Celtics
- 3. Kyrie Irving, Mavericks
- 2. Jayson Tatum, Celtics
- 1. Luka Doncic, Mavericks
The 29-year-old White is truly becoming a household name this postseason. He has upped his scoring average by 2.6 points from the regular season to 17.8, and he has been even more efficient in doing so. Just like Holiday, White gives opposing backcourt fits, and he finished eighth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Now in his eighth season, Brown was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. In the four-game series against the Indiana Pacers, Brown nearly averaged 30 points while shooting 51.7% from the field and 37.0% from deep. He also shot just shy of 50% from the field in the regular season, a career-best.
A champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, Irving has spent the season silencing his many detractors this season. The perfect complement to Doncic this season, Irving has been a marksman connecting on 41.1% of his threes in the regular season and 42.1% in the playoffs. The 32-year-old averaged more than 25 points for the fifth straight season.
Still just 26 years old, Tatum’s sixth-place MVP finish this season was the third-straight season he has finished at least that high. While his efficiency has dipped a bit in the playoffs especially from beyond the arc (29.0%), he is still putting up stellar averages of 26.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists.
Even younger than Tatum at 25 years old, Doncic is entering his name into the short list of the best player in the league conversation. He won the scoring title this season while finishing third in MVP voting. The 6-7” guard is fairly close to averaging a triple-double in the playoffs at 28.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.8 assists.
