Top Five NBA Finals MVP Candidates After Game Two

Game Two of the NBA Finals took place on Sunday, with the Boston Celtics defeating the Dallas Mavericks once again 105-98 to take a 2-0 series lead. The story of the series so far has been the Celtics committee approach against the Mavericks’ all-or-nothing approach with their star players. The Celtics won on the back of a team effort at both ends of the floor yet again. The Mavs were leading for a lot of the game, but despite rough shooting numbers, the Celtics were able to pull away late with their defense and timely offense.

After two games, it still isn’t obvious who the Finals MVP should be, as the best player in the series has been on the losing team. If the Celtics go on to win in convincing fashion, it might just take one big game from a player to take the MVP trophy home. It will be interesting to see how things change as the series goes on. Here are my top five MVP rankings after Game Two.

Jaylen Brown - SF, Boston Celtics (Prev. Rank: One)

Jaylen Brown once again put up 20+ points with 21 points in Game Two and added seven assists and three steals. His three-point shooting hasn’t been great, and he had six turnovers, but in a close race, Brown has stood out slightly above the rest of the team with his reliable offense and pestering defense. If he keeps playing like he has been, a big game from other guys on this list could lead to Brown falling in the ranks, but as of now, he remains in the top spot. A 30+ point performance or an even better all-around game could be enough to help Brown pull away from the rest of the pack.

Jrue Holiday - PG, Boston Celtics (Prev. Rank: Five)

Jrue Holiday had a big Game Two to vault him up the ranks, putting up 26 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists. Holiday is playing some of the best basketball of his career at an opportune time. In a series where a lot of Celtics players are struggling shooting-wise, Holiday’s 11 of 14 shooting from the field and 50% from three was much needed. Add on to that his hounding defense on the Mavs ball handlers, and he’s putting up a great case to be Finals MVP so far, especially if he continues to play like he did in Game Two.

Jayson Tatum - PF, Boston Celtics (Prev. Rank: Three)

Jayson Tatum once again showed he is much more than a scorer, putting up nine rebounds and 12 assists to go with his 18 points. He has struggled to hit shots in the first two games. However, his defense and winning mentality to allow his teammates to shine have been great for the team. All the people expecting Tatum to go off for 30+ points each game and make up for his poor 2022 NBA Finals are disappointed so far, but it may just take one of those games for the Celtics to win and give Tatum his first Finals MVP.

Luka Doncic - PG, Dallas Mavericks (Prev. Rank: Four)

Luka Doncic is once again fourth on the list and would certainly be first if the Mavs came back and won the series. Another rough Kyrie Irving game and not much help offensively from the rest of his teammates have meant great statistical outputs in losing efforts so far. Doncic put up a triple-double of 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, improving on his measly one assist from Game One. Two 30+ point games have not been enough for Doncic and the Mavs to win. However, as the saying goes, a series doesn’t start until a team wins on the road, so if the Mavs can take care of business at home, they still have a chance. Either way, Doncic will seemingly always be in the top five, and the more games the Mavs win, the closer he will be to the top.

Derrick White - SG, Boston Celtics (Prev. Rank: Unranked)

Derrick White replaces Kristaps Porzingis on the list, which isn’t due to Porzingis not playing well, but more to White playing really well in Game Two. Porzingis, who had 12 points in 23 minutes and was under a minute restriction, is not helping his case either. White put up a cool 18 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks. He made timely steals, blocks, and shots to help the Celtics keep the lead at the end. He was a bit overshadowed by his teammates, but he is still in the running for Finals MVP for sure, which I would say goes for Porzingis as well.