The 2024 NBA Finals are set after the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, and the Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers 4-0. With the Finals set to kick off on June 6th, the question now shifts to who needs to win the Finals more between the Celtics and Mavericks?
Since 2018, the NBA has seen so much more parody, making the NBA Finals is not as easy, as there has only been one repeat champion in the last six years. That repeat champion was the Golden State Warriors when they won it in 2018 and 2022. This will also be a different matchup for the fifth consecutive year in the Finals.
Who Needs to Win The NBA Finals More: The Boston Celtics or The Dallas Mavericks?
The Case for The Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have a nice blend of young guys and veterans. Their young core consists of Luka Doncic, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and Josh Green who are all 25 or younger. Then they have a mix of veterans with Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dante Exam, Derrick Jones Jr., and Maxi Kleber. With a nice blend like this, there are plenty of chances for growth and improvements.
However, their path to get back to the NBA Finals after this is going to be very challenging. Since 2018, the Western Conference has only seen one repeat team, and that being the Golden State Warriors. It seems like every year there is a new team winning the West with how deep and competitive it is. Another reason is the emergence of younger teams in the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and others. They were able to beat them this year, however that may not be the case next year. Finally, the Mavericks’ second-best player is Kyrie Irving, being 32 years old. How many more good years does Irving have left where he can help change the outcome of a game? With the NBA shifting more and more to a young man’s game.
The Case for The Boston Celtics
Just like the Mavericks, the Celtics have a nice blend of youth and veterans. They have Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Payton Prichard, and Sam Hauser. Their veterans are Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Al Horford. They aren’t as young as the Dallas Mavericks, but they are still young enough in today’s NBA.
Their path to get back to the NBA finals might seem easier than the Mavericks because the East isn’t as deep as the West. However, that is not the case. For one thing, they are not as young as the Mavericks, so their window is shorter than the Mavericks. The Celtics are also tied up to their starting five for the foreseeable future with them all being signed for at least next year. They made two big trades to get Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, making it seem like if they can’t win it this year, will they ever win the title? Finally, the East isn’t as deep as the West however there are still plenty of young and rising teams that can give the Celtics problems in years to come.
The Last Word
There is a case for both teams needing to win the NBA Finals, as both their paths next year to get back will be hard. However, there is one team that seems like they need to win it more, and that is the Boston Celtics. There are three reasons why they need to win this title more than the Dallas Mavericks.
The first reason is that they are tied to this core contractually, and their room for improvement will not come as easy as it could for the Mavericks. The second reason is that they made swings for Holiday and Porzingis, and if they can’t win it this year, will they ever? The third and final reason is that this is their second appearance in the Finals, unlike the Mavericks in it being their first with the cores they have. They are the favorites now and they are supposed to win. No matter who wins this year’s Finals, it is still shaping up to be a great matchup and one that fans should enjoy.
