Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks will tip off Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET (ABC) at TD Garden in Boston.
There’s no shortage of star power in what could prove to be the most tightly contested NBA Finals since 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors in seven games.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the 10 best players in the series, ranked in inverse order.
10. Al Horford | Celtics
Despite being 38, Horford has been instrumental in Boston’s playoff run, serving as a fantastic stand-in for the injured Kristaps Porzingis over the past 10 games. In that span, the five-time All-Star averaged 10.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 44.4% from the floor and 33.8% from beyond the arc.
Horford capturing his first NBA championship would be a monumental achievement, as it’s possible it could lead to a Hall of Fame induction. After all, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame considers a player’s entire resume when selecting an inductee and Horford was a two-time national champion at Florida.
9. Dereck Lively II | Mavericks
Last season, the Mavericks paid a $750,000 fine for tanking to hold onto the selection used to trade for Lively on draft night and there’s no question they’re happy with their investment. The 7-foot-1 center has excelled in the postseason, averaging 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. Lively has been the second-most impactful Maverick behind Kyrie Irving in the playoffs in terms of +/- (+108) and he – along with Daniel Gafford – could prove to be a matchup nightmare for Boston.
8. P.J. Washington | Mavericks
Arguably the best acquisition from this season’s trade deadline, Washington is showing that he is a winning player after rotting in Charlotte to begin his career. Although he is only averaging 13.6 points in the playoffs, the 25-year-old forward has a flare for the dramatic and hit his fair share of clutch shots down the stretch of games this postseason. Don’t be surprised if Washington makes an impact similar to the one Denver’s Aaron Gordon made in the Finals last season, which included a 27-point performance in Game 4 against the Miami Heat.
7. Jrue Holiday | Celtics
One of Boston’s biggest offseason pickups, the three-time All-Defense first-teamer is back in the Finals for the second time in his 15-year career. Holiday’s championship experience with Milwaukee has undoubtedly aided him this postseason, given that his play has elevated in each round.
Holiday is averaging 12.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals during the playoffs. How the 33-year-old fares on defense will be one of the most important factors in determining this season’s title winner.
6. Derrick White | Celtics
There are few, if any, role players in the NBA capable of being more impactful than White. Since being acquired from the San Antonio Spurs in 2022, he has found an ideal role functioning as Boston’s do-everything glue guy.
5. Kristaps Porzingis | Celtics
Porzingis, a former Maverick, has missed the past 10 games with a calf injury, but he is expected to return for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. It’s unclear how close to 100% Porzingis really is, though. The Celtics desperately needs the former All-Star to be an effective shot blocker and scoring option.
Before Porzingis’ injury in Game 4 of the first round against the Heat, the big man averaged 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in the playoffs. While there’s no denying Boston will need more from Porzingis offensively, it’s his defense that might make or break this series. The athletic duo of Lively and Gafford could cause Porzingis problems in pick-and-roll situations, especially if his calf is still hampering him.
4. Kyrie Irving | Mavericks
While Porzingis facing his former team is captivating, Irving taking on the Celtics is the most compelling storyline in this year’s Finals. Irving spent two drama-filled seasons with the Celtics before joining the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. His Nets career was just as embarrassing as his time with the Celtics, but Irving has found a home in Dallas and created (with Luka Doncic) what may be the most talented backcourt in NBA history.
Like Holiday, Irving has championship experience, though his is even greater. Over 13 Finals games, Irving is averaging 27.7 points, 4.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds and shooting 46.8% from the floor and 39.5% from three-point range. However, it’s worth noting that Irving is 0-10 against the Celtics since he stepped on their halfcourt logo, Lucky the Leprechaun, in 2021.
3. Jaylen Brown | Celtics
The five-year, $303.7M supermax extension Brown signed last offseason sparked a bit of controversy at the time, but the three-time All-Star is playing up to his historic price tag. Brown is coming off the best playoff series of his career, which culminated in him winning the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP Award. In the Celtics’ series sweep against the Indiana Pacers, Brown averaged 29.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
Brown must take care of the ball against the Mavericks. His turnover issues (3.3 per game) played a significant role in Boston’s 2022 NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors.
2. Jayson Tatum | Celtics
From a legacy perspective, no player has more at stake in the Finals than Tatum. The 26-year-old averaged 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and seven assists against Golden State during his first trip to the Finals in 2022 but shot a dismal 36.7% from the floor.
Although Tatum is averaging 26 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game during this current playoff run, he has shot inconsistently. The Celtics leader has not had consecutive games in this year’s playoffs in which he shot at least 50% from the field. Additionally, Tatum has shot under 40% in more games (four) than he has made at least 50% of his field-goal attempts (three).
1. Luka Doncic | Mavericks
A generational talent and by far the top performer of the playoffs, Doncic has made a case this postseason that he is the best player in the world – even though he didn’t win this season’s MVP Award. In the postseason, Doncic has scored the most points (489), grabbed the most rebounds (164) and dished out the most assists (150) of any player. His 31.1-point scoring average in the playoffs is the second-highest scoring average in NBA history, trailing only Michael Jordan.
When Doncic is on the floor, everyone else is playing his game because of the way he controls the tempo at a slow, methodical pace and reacts to every obstacle thrown his way. If he can earn his first ring against a stacked Celtics team, the 25-year-old could be on the fast track to being included in G.O.A.T. discussions.
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