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The latest NBA Championship will conclude in June, with one of either the Dallas Mavericks or the Boston Celtics set to win the biggest basketball competition in the world.
The rosters of both teams are stacked with league-leading talent and some of the greatest role players in the sport, making the matchup incredibly intriguing.
Here we will look at which team is most likely to emerge as the winner from the seven-game series, the potential MVP candidates, and the most effective star from the bench.
Boston are big favorites
The Celtics have been favourites to win the championship throughout much of the regular season, and they began the post-season as clear frontrunners.
That stance has not altered following their dominant playoff run so far. Many bookmakers view them as comfortable favourites heading into the Mavericks matchup including Fanatics Sportsbook who are offering markets on the NBA finals for the first time this year.
Fanatics is a reputable sportswear brand that has recently broken into the sports betting industry. Its NBA odds markets are currently available in 17 states in the United States of America, and they also cover a wide range of sports alongside basketball including ice hockey – with the NHL also approaching its overall post-season finals.
FOUR WINS FROM GLORY#DifferentHere pic.twitter.com/XkgHGlgBme
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 28, 2024
A big month awaits for sports in general with numerous captivating playoff ties set to take place across several sports. Focusing solely on the NBA though, the Celtics are without doubt heading into their series with huge expectations on their backs – they cannot afford to fall short in the post-season again.
The MVP candidates
The finals MVP award is arguably the greatest individual accolade on offer in the NBA. While the regular season award recognises exceptional consistency, the finals honour symbolises that a player has turned up in the highest-pressure moments to deliver glory.
With the Celtics being the favourites to win the championship, their key stars will have the greatest chance of winning the award this year.
Jayson Tatum is their standout player and he has averaged 26 points and 5.9 assists per game this post-season. He will be the pick of the majority when it comes to predicting the finals MVP winner, although Eastern Conference Finals MVP winner Jaylen Brown should not be ruled out.
Larry Bird Trophy recipient Jaylen Brown in the ECF:
29.8 PPG
5.0 RPG
3.0 APG
51.7 FG% pic.twitter.com/vy7Iu4Sguw— Celtics Stats (@celtics_stats) May 28, 2024
The Mavericks however boast arguably the greatest player on the planet in Luka Doncic and he would surely be the most decisive factor behind a potential upset of the Celtics.
With an average of 28.3 points and nine assists per game this post-season, it is tough to imagine him not being the starring factor if Dallas does topple Boston. Kyrie Irving makes up the other half of an elite duo for the Mavs but it would be a huge surprise for him to outperform the star man.
Leading bench star
When predicting the leading star from the bench in the series, it is impossible to stray away from the idea of Kristaps Porzingis making a huge impact as a non-starter.
Across his playoff performances this year he has averaged 12.3 points per game and an impressive three-point shooting percentage of 40%. Dallas simply doesn’t have a bench option that could rival that level of offensive threat.
Ultimately, the NBA championship is likely to return to the East following a two-year stretch in which the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets became champions.
Boston’s position as favourites means their biggest stars are expected to be standouts in the finals too. It should be Jayson Tatum’s time to be the face of success for a remarkably strong Celtics team.
