When glancing at the rosters of the teams in this year’s NBA Finals, a few things become immediately clear. Both the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks boast big-name stars and strong role players. But what happens when you examine the teams more closely?
For example, when ranking the rosters together in one big mishmash, who has more guys in the top-five? Who has more in the top-15? And what does this all mean for the upcoming NBA Finals matchup that begins on Thursday? Well, let’s dive in, ranking the players in this series 1-through-15.
15. Payton Pritchard
The 6-foot-1 guard will likely play a big role off the bench for the Celtics in the series. He is the third guard in the team’s rotation, spelling Derrick White and Jrue Holiday. During the regular season, he’s the perfect long-range-shooting, change-of-pace player to help out when the starters rest. But will he be big enough to hold up against a stout Mavericks team? As of now, that is unclear.
14. Tim Hardaway Jr.
The streaky shooting guard had a big game for the Mavs against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals. In Game 2 of that series, Hardaway Jr. scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, going 2-of-4 from three-point range. If the son of former NBA star Tim Hardaway can have another performance like that in the NBA Finals, that would be huge for the Mavs.
13. Jaden Hardy
Jaden Hardy has been one of the biggest surprises for the Mavs in the playoffs, giving his team huge minutes when they need it most. The second-year player has been a terrific backup guard, giving Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić brief breaks during the games. With a nice floater game and a stalwart edge, Hardy will assuredly be a factor in the Finals.
12. Derrick Jones Jr.
Even more than Hardy, the springy Derrick Jones Jr. has been a revelation for the Mavs this year. Before the season, Jones bet on himself and took a veteran’s minimum salary. Now, after shooting nearly 40% from three-point range throughout the 2024 playoffs while also providing lockdown defense, Jones is in line for a big offseason deal and perhaps a championship ring for his efforts.
11. Daniel Gafford
Acquired prior to the NBA trade deadline, Daniel Gafford has made explosive plays all throughout the 2024 postseason. From finishing Luka lobs to blocking shots, it’s as if everything he does comes with a bit of dynamite. Gafford is part of an important two-man center rotation for Dallas with rookie Dereck Lively II that will be tested in the Finals against Boston’s stretch bigs. But so far, he’s met every challenge with energy and force.
10. Al Horford
The veteran. Al Horford has been there, done that. He’s seen it all. The 38-year-old has done everything there is to do in the league, except win a ring. This year is his best chance. And in the 2024 playoffs, Horford has been essential to the Celtics’ winning ways, playing center on defense and spreading the floor with his outside shooting on offense. It’s a minor miracle that he’s been able to hold up so well this late in his career. He’ll need to do it for upwards of seven more pressure-packed games.
9. P.J. Washington
The other main player acquired by Dallas at this year’s trade deadline, the former Charlotte Hornet has been as reliable as it gets for the Mavs. For a team with two bona fide stars in Luka and Kyrie, P.J. Washington has often served as the necessary third scorer for the team, hitting outside shots and providing excellent defense. Making his first playoff run in his five-year NBA career, Washington is averaging 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting over 36% from three-point range.
8. Dereck Lively II
A lot was made when Dallas tanked the end of last season to get the draft pick that would become Dereck Lively II. The NBA even fined the franchise $750,000 for its dubious maneuver. But given how well Lively has been playing this postseason, even as a rookie, the Mavericks would do it all over again 100 times out of 100. He is the quintessential lob finisher, a monster shot-blocker, and a presence that few can match down low. The only thing that has taken him out of the game so far was an errant knee to the head. Now, he will be a huge factor in the Finals. Can he guard Celtics center Kristaps Porziņģis on the perimeter? That will be a big test throughout the series.
7. Kristaps Porziņģis
Speaking of the 7-foot-2 center with three-point range, Porziņģis hasn’t played in more than a month and his health will go a long way in determining this series. If he can suit up and stay in the games, Boston will have a big advantage. He can stretch the floor and keep the lane unclogged while the Celtics are on offense. And he can protect the rim on the other end. The former Maverick, who is also often injured, Porziņģis can prove a lot if he and the guys in green take home the trophy this year.
6. Derrick White
Acquired two seasons ago from San Antonio, Derrick White has blossomed into perhaps the most important Celtic. He is a knock-down shooter, an excellent defender, and a team leader who just makes winning plays. But he’s also the slightest starter on a team going against Luka, who will likely look to hunt White on defense. But if he can hold up on defense and shoot a high percentage beyond the arc on offense, White could even win Finals MVP. If not, the Celtics may lack that all-important third star and fall to the pressurizing Mavs.
5. Jrue Holiday
Another recent acquisition for the Celtics (indeed, this series is full of recently traded players!), Jrue Holiday, like his counterpart Kyrie Irving, has won a ring before (in 2021 with the Bucks). And he will assuredly lean on that championship experience in this series. Holiday will be tasked with guarding Luka, Kyrie, and maybe even P.J. Washington at different times and he will be given his fair share of open jumpers from the outside. Will he knock them down? Can he stay out of foul trouble and get the timely steal? Time will tell. But we would bet on it, given his long resume and playoff pedigree.
4. Kyrie Irving
The former Boston Celtic, Kyrie Irving was last seen in Beantown stomping on the center-court mascot and flipping the bird to Boston fans. Now, the point guard seems to be in a different state of mind, more at peace, more Zen. He’ll need that to stave off the likely rowdy crowd in Boston. Irving can do things with the ball that few people have ever been able to, and he’s been the perfect No. 2 player alongside Luka. He can score almost at will from the outside or at the basket and he knows just when to attack or lay in wait. Will Boston’s cadre of talented wing defenders be able to slow him down? That could be the key to the whole series.
3. Jaylen Brown
Fresh off signing a $300-plus million-dollar contract last summer, Jaylen Brown might be the Celtics’ best player. Sure, Jayson Tatum gets most of the headlines, but Brown hit the biggest shot for Boston this postseason (in Game 1 against Indiana to force overtime) and he remains the team’s best two-way player. He scores, he defends, and he plays with a chip on his shoulder that might just create enough urgency for the Celtics to win. They certainly can’t do it without him. Brown was the team’s best player in the 2022 NBA Finals. Can he do it again? Can he and Tatum match Luka and Irving on offense? Boston fans hope so.
2. Jayson Tatum
A lot is on his broad shoulders this series. If the Celtics win, Tatum will vault into the Best-Player-in-the-World conversation. If they don’t, he could be part of the Biggest-Disappointments banter. For all his talent, for all his accomplishments to date, there has always been something passive about Tatum’s game on the biggest of stages. But he can quiet all of that over the next four-to-seven games. He can become the dominant, snatch-the-win-from-the-other-team guy everyone wants him to be. Is now the time for the 26-year-old star?
1. Luka Dončić
A top-three MVP candidate this year, Luka Dončić could become the unquestioned best player in the world with an NBA Finals win over the next two weeks. The guy can do it all on offense. He can shoot the three, hit game-winners, put a defender on his hip, and pick apart a defense. He is cagey, cerebral, and nasty. Even the refs seem to fear him. But will it be enough? If Boston shuts down Irving and the Dallas role players, can Dončić win the series on his own? Can he will his team to win against a juggernaut that has gone 76-20 this season and has homecourt advantage? He’s the best player in this series and he’ll have to play like it each and every game for his team to have a chance to win.
Conclusion
Boston has five players in the top-seven, but Dallas boasts eight in the top-15. Will the stars matter more than the role players? Will a top-heavy team outdo one that’s more balanced? Those are the questions that will be answered when the NBA Finals begin on Thursday.