This series looks great on paper and could be even better in practice.
Dallas didn't quite have the season Boston did, but the Mavericks were scorching-hot down the stretch, have been mostly awesome in the playoffs and boast a truly terrifying late-game combo in Luka Dončić and Kryie Irving.
If the late-game lethargy that has previously plagued the Shamrocks resurfaces, it could prove a fatal flaw.
And yet, there aren't good reasons to go against Boston beyond the fact that its recent postseason trips—with not identical personnel, by the way—have tended to produce disappointment.
This season, though, the Celtics were the best team over the 82-game marathon and have maintained that dominance while needing just 14 games to traverse the Eastern Conference's side of the bracket. They have star power and depth, offensive efficiency and defensive resistance, a horde of scoring threats and multiple stingy defenders to throw at both of the Mavericks' stars.
If Kristaps Porziņģis appears rust-free despite being sidelined since the first round by a calf injury, there's a non-zero chance Boston finishes this in a hurry. It's more likely, though, that the Mavs get a game or two based on their improved defense and great-under-the-spotlight stars, forcing Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to perform under pressure in ways they haven't always before, finally bringing banner No. 18 to Boston.
Going with the obvious choice should feel more comfortable than it does, but this stage has gotten the better of Tatum before. Still, he's older now, plus more efficient and surrounded by more help than ever, so he'll be up to the test this time around.
Plus, he'll have no shortage of chances to impress as Boston's likeliest leading scorer and someone who will spend a not-insignificant amount of time defending or at least switching onto both Dončić and Irving.
Champion: Celtics in 6
Finals MVP: Jayson Tatum
—Zach Buckley
