Top Five MVP Candidates After Game One of the NBA Finals
The NBA Finals kicked off on Thursday, with the Boston Celtics defeating the Dallas Mavericks 107-89. The Celtics won on the back of a good team effort at both ends of the floor. The Mavericks struggled for most of the game, going down early, and were unable to complete a comeback after trimming the lead to eight in the second half. The Celtics regained their composure and pulled away, earning an 18-point win.
With that being said, it has only been one game, and the race for NBA Finals MVP is wide open. Jaylen Brown and Luka Doncic won their respective Conference Finals MVPs, but after Game One, neither stood out as obvious frontrunners, meaning numerous guys are still in the running. With the Celtics winning Game One, more of their players made a case than players from the Mavs. Here are what I believe to be the current standings in the NBA Finals MVP race.
Jaylen Brown - SF, Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown put up 22 points, six rebounds, and three steals and blocks in Game One. Brown’s 22-point performance isn’t a crazy point total, and he also only put up two assists, but his energy on both ends of the floor led the Celtics to the big win. Carrying over his play from the last series, he had big dunks, great defense, and rebounding, and overall was efficient from the field, besides free throw shooting. While the Celtics employed a committee approach on both ends, Jaylen Brown stood out the most on the night.
Kristaps Porzingis - C, Boston Celtics
Kristaps Porzingis had 20 points, six rebounds, and three blocks in just 21 minutes off the bench. He was a big reason why the Celtics led 37-20 after the first quarter. His size and efficient shooting both from mid-range and from three was an X-factor for the Celtics that the Mavs seemed ill-prepared for given he was coming off of injury. Porzingis is just behind Brown for me as of now, but with more minutes, he could very easily move to first on this list.
Jayson Tatum - PF, Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum had a solid game, using his gravity and versatility to help orchestrate a winning effort out of his Celtics teammates. Tatum was just one vote shy of winning Eastern Conference Finals MVP despite averaging 30 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, so he has to meet the high expectations set for him to win Finals MVP. His talent is clearly there to win it, so if he cleans up the turnovers and continues to lead the team in scoring, rebounding, and assisting as he has for most of the season, then he should win his first Finals MVP.
Luka Doncic - PG, Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic is fourth on this list but would be first if the Mavs won, especially after a rough Kyrie Irving game. He put up 30 points, 10 rebounds, and only one assist after averaging nearly 10 per game during the regular season. He will need to get his teammates more involved for the Mavs to win the series and for him to win Finals MVP. It’s crazy to say a bounce-back game is in order after a 30-point performance, but Doncic will need to be his usual incredible self to be higher on this list. The fact of the matter is Doncic seems destined to be the leading scorer in the series, so he will need to step up the rest of his game for the Mavs to overcome the juggernaut Celtics.
Jrue Holiday - PG, Boston Celtics
Picking a fifth player was hard as there were multiple worthy candidates, but Jrue Holiday got the edge for me due to his rebounding and having the highest plus-minus in the game of +20. Holiday won’t wow you on the score sheet, especially on this loaded Celtics team, but he is a great veteran presence for the Celtics at the point guard position and does a little bit of everything. He guarded both Doncic and Irving throughout the game, doing a good job of limiting both of them. If Jrue continues to play elite defense and show off his all-around game, he could be a surprise Finals MVP in his second career NBA Championship.
