It’s Luka Doncic versus Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum against Tyrese Haliburton as the NBA season nears its climax. Two of these new breed of stars will step forward to the centerstage. And whosoever wins it all next month will have the distinction of having won the crown at a younger age than such basketball luminaries as Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Steph Curry or Kevin Durant. Jayson is the oldest among the four (at 26), with Luka (25 yrs of age), Tyrese (24 yrs old) and the Ant-Man (barely 22) not far behind. Indeed, we are now witnessing the changing of the guards in the NBA.
As of this writing, the Eastern conference top-seed Boston Celtics have jumped to a 2-0 lead over a luckless 6th-seed Indiana Pacers; while the Western conference 5th-seed Dallas Mavericks have taken away the much-maligned homecourt advantage from the 3rd-seed Minnesota Timberwolves for a 1-0 lead in their own best-of-seven series. This year’s playoffs have been nothing short of fantastic, with 2 face-offs reaching an epic Game 7 in their quarterfinal series. Both the Mavs and the Pacers have had to take the difficult route, with both needing to trounce 2 better-placed squads to reach their respective Conference Finals.
The Mavs dropped the 4th-seed LA Clippers led by multi-titled Kawhi Leonard in the opening round of the playoffs 4-2, before masterfully kicking out Shae Gilgeous Alexander and the West’s top-seed Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2, in the biggest upset by far in this year’s playoffs. The Pacers, on the other hand, turned back the 3rd-seed Milwaukee Bucks 4-2, taking advantage of the absence of an injured Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the next round, the Pacers would once again be dealt a lucky card as they finished off a game but woefully-undermanned 2nd seed New York Knicks 4-3.
In this round of the four however, it looks like the 2 underdogs will soon be parting ways with the Mavs looking to reach the NBA Finals with a 1-0 lead; while the Pacers stare at a 0-2 black hole, after having lost a golden opportunity to steal 1 game in the Boston Garden. Note that both the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavs reached the 2022 season Final Four as underdogs. This year, both teams look like they’ve learned their lessons from the past playoffs well, and are poised to reach the coveted NBA Finals.
What then were the key factors that have brought these 4 teams to the Conference Finals? What key elements have made them survive 2 grueling rounds of the 2024 playoffs?
For the Pacers, perhaps the most significant event that transpired during the year was the arrival of Paskal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors. Paskal brought in his championship experience, plus he solidified the power forward position in the Pacers’ first team. Paskal is the perfect complement to center Myles Turner, who takes care of the defensive end under the paint. Paskal’s arrival has made the Pacers’ offense more multi-dimensional, and he loves to run the floor, making him fit right into the Pacers’ fast-paced offensive mindset.
For the Celtics, the key factor leading to the team’s vast improvement in the East will have to be the trade for Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. The addition of these 2 provided a significant upgrade in the Celtics’ first 5. Jrue, in particular, is a kingmaker and a lucky charm. He joined the USA Olympic team in 2020, and the team promptly won the gold medal as well. This was after the US National team was humiliated convincingly in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, placing a shocking 7th against the world’s best cagers. He then joined the Bucks in 2020, and the team promptly took the 2021 NBA crown. Jrue’s arrival in Boston then augurs well for the team. He could be the straw that will finally break the camel’s back. Porzingis, on the other hand, has made the Celtic frontcourt even more deadly. Porzingis presence is important, particularly as Al Horford’s age (he’s 37) begins to show.
As for the Mavs, it is their vastly-improved cohesion that has reversed the disastrous results of last year’s playoff run. When the enigmatic Kyrie Irving joined the Mavs, everyone worried about how he and Luka Doncic would be able to play together. With 2 of the best point guards in the league, fans thought that it would be difficult to provide both with an equitable number of ball touches, hence last year’s big debacle-of-a-season. But with Kyrie finally acknowledging that he was A-Ok being Luka’s wingman and second-in-command, the Mavs have acquired a positive karma. And it could finally lift this team to basketball’s holy grail. It is the team’s cohesiveness that is helping the team weather the storm despite the lack of notable bigs. In Game 1 of the Mavs-Twolves series, the biggest surprise was how the taller, bigger, more experienced, more talented and more credentialed bigs of the Twolves were outrebounded and outclassed by the Mavs’ band of merry brothers. The basketball gods, at this point, seem to be smiling at the Mavs, for demonstrating a ‘team first’ mentality that is a big boon – and a fresh respite if you will – to this year’s insane humanity.
And then there’s Ant’s maturity for the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards is showing the confidence, the swagger, and the basketball maturity that reminds millions of that flying cager of decades back, the great Michael Jordan. Ant’s emergence as the teams main man, after toiling under the shadows of their resident Alpha-male, Karl Anthony Towns, has been a big factor in the team’s transformation into a deep-playoff squad. Ant’s confidence has rubbed off on every member of the team, enabling them to finally break loose of the team’s image as a 1st round playoff entry at best. Of the 4 teams that have survived so far, all 3 other teams (the Celtics, the Pacers and the Mavs) have a stabilizing player who has a championship ring in his finger. The Celtics have Jrue, the Pacers have Paskal, and the Mavs have Kyrie. Only the Twolves do not have such a stabilizing player, but the Ant-man is not fazed by all that. He has the skill, the basketball IQ and the supreme confidence and mindset that could bring his team to the championship.
The Conference Finals are in full swing. In a battle pitting Luka and the Ant Man; Jayson versus Tyrese, who do you think will make it to the very top? Your guess is as good as mine.
For a closer look, just click on the pics. Cover photo courtesy of EuroSport, Sports Illustrated, Essentially Sports. Other photos courtesy of USA Today, Athlon Sports, Salem News, UPI, SkySports and Mavs Moneyball.
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