{"id":79977,"date":"2024-06-03T13:26:26","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T17:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=79977"},"modified":"2024-06-05T01:04:26","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T05:04:26","slug":"5-keys-for-the-celtics-to-win-the-nba-finals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/06\/03\/5-keys-for-the-celtics-to-win-the-nba-finals\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Keys For The Celtics to Win The NBA Finals\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the NBA Finals<\/a> tipping off this Thursday it’s time to start breaking down the matchup from all angles. The Celtics have been dominant<\/a> throughout the season highlighted by the fourth-best net rating<\/a> of all time and a 64-18 season record. As a result, DraftKings<\/a> lists the Celtics as -210 favorites to win the series. Let’s dive into five keys for the Celtics to win the title.<\/p>\n

5 Keys For The Celtics to Win The NBA Finals<\/h2>\n

1. Porzingis\u2019<\/span> Health\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Kristaps Porzingis<\/a> has been out<\/a> with a calf soleus since late April. <\/span>This<\/span> has given Porzingis five weeks off <\/span>allowing<\/span> him <\/span>to fully recover<\/span>. Ultimately, Porzingis’ health and production could make or break their success in the finals. Porzingis has been a vital part of <\/span>Boston’s<\/span> success on both ends of the floor all season long. <\/span>Giving<\/span> the Celtics an efficient interior scorer and lob threat <\/span>as well as<\/span> a versatile rim protector. <\/span>In this series,<\/span> Porzingis will be particularly important in defending the <\/span>Mavericks\u2019<\/span> pick-n-roll and containing their lob threats Dereck Lively<\/a> and Daniel Gafford<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Porzingis\u2019<\/span> return will also slide Al Horford<\/a> back to the bench <\/span>giving<\/span> the <\/span>Celtics\u2019<\/span> bench a much-needed boost. Notably, the Celtics have struggled with their bench all season ranking<\/a> 26th in bench points in the regular season and 11th in the playoffs<\/a>. Getting quality production out of their bench would be a massive difference-maker for the Celtics.\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s<\/span> worth noting in<\/span> four playoff <\/span>games<\/span> Porzingis is averaging<\/a> 12 points,<\/span> 5 <\/span>rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and<\/span> 1.3 steals on .389, .400, .929 shooting spilts. While these numbers are a significant departure from his regular season <\/span>stats<\/span> Porzingis\u2019<\/span> impact and court presence will still be vital for the Celtics. Furthermore, these numbers are likely to improve if Porzingis is fully healthy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Find an Answer to Luka and Kyrie\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

It might be impossible <\/span>to truly stop Luka and Kyrie<\/span>. This elite backcourt is the best in the league and one of the best backcourts <\/span>of all time<\/span>. However, the Celtics’ ability to contain them will be central to their success in this series. <\/span>Crucially <\/span>the<\/span> Celtics have the best defensive backcourt in the league with White and Holiday. The Celtics could also use Brown or Tatum on Luka for extra size. <\/span><\/p>\n

In the regular season, <\/span>Brown<\/a> spent the most time guarding Luka <\/span>and held<\/span> him to 40 percent shooting from the field.<\/span> Tatum <\/span>didn\u2019t<\/span> spend much time on Luka but was similarly effective in the limited time he guarded<\/a> Doncic. L<\/span>ook for the Js to spend a lot of time guarding Luka. <\/span>While<\/span> Holiday and White will mostly guard Kyrie as they are more equipped to contain his speed. Holiday will likely guard Luka more than White due to his elite strength.\u00a0<\/span>Consistently giving<\/span> both Luka and Kyrie different looks will be essential for the Celtics’ defensive success.<\/span><\/p>\n