The Dallas Mavericks have much to be proud of, but the Boston Celtics put a bow on the 2023-23 NBA season by earning their 18th title banner. Now the entire league will become hyper-focused on the 2024 NBA Draft and the upcoming free agency frenzy. However, that's not to suggest the recent NBA Finals tilt should be forgotten immediately. There are many things up-and-coming teams like the New Orleans Pelicans can learn from the last two squads standing as the new CBA kicks in.
Everything in New Orleans of course revolves around Zion Williamson and the relative health of the roster going into the NBA Playoffs. That has been the case for years, but the Pelicans are betting Williamson will hit a few benchmarks over the next 365 days. The fate of the next regular season cannot rest solely on the two-time NBA All-Star's shoulders though. Williamson's Pelicans can learn a lot from the Celtics and Mavericks about a steady NBA Finals-caliber team-building process.
Stars can take a step back
Again, getting through the regular season and qualifying for the NBA Playoffs does not require Zion Williamson to go supernova for 82 games. Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic adjusted their games to be more accommodating to each other while finding a way to create an NBA Finals-level offense. Jaylen Brown won the NBA Finals MVP award while Jayson Tatum talked about being a great supporting teammate throughout the series.
There are ways to take a step back without facing backlash too. Williamson was under fire for talking about “taking a back seat” early in the season. Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum have been pegged as great second or third options for title contenders by the national media's debate personalities. Winning is not about the hierarchy when it comes to seven-game sample sizes, it's about finding a way to advance.
Having the ability to take over but also allow others to exploit better matchups is just one characteristic of a champion. Just ask Tatum or Jrue Holiday. The former All-Star is now Hall of Fame-bound due to bringing that attitude to multiple championship teams in the NBA and Olympics. Likewise, Kyrie Irving's only ring came after being empowered by LeBron James to take crucial shots in clutch moments. Stars can take a step back when others are ready to step up.
Defense alone does NOT win championships
Boston's defense was not the sole deciding factor in the 2024 NBA Finals. A focus on team principles when it comes to creating quality shots outlasted the Mavericks. Dallas kept Boston to 101.6 points per game in the five-game series and just 106 when excluding a Game 4 dud. That is pretty decent defense against the NBA's best team. Dallas had the fourth-best Opponent Effective Field Goal percentage through the playoffs.
The problem was that the Mavericks could not keep up, and that was more about missing open shots. Luka Doncic caught a lot of flak for telling the truth after Game 4. Dallas had been fine on defense but was not matching the quality or quantity of Boston on offense. The Mavericks shot 71.9% from the free-throw line during their NBA Finals run, the worst mark of any postseason qualifier.
Jason Kidd's squad was even worse in clutch moments while the Celtics did not miss a single shot from the charity stripe late in any close games. All the defense in the world will not help a team that cannot buy a bucket while relying on a one-track offense.
Trust the 3-point shooting
The Mavericks had the second-highest dependency on unassisted field goals largely due to Irving and Doncic's isolation style of play. Dallas made only 33% of their wide-open (closest defender within 4-6 feet) 3-pointers through, making the math problem posed by the Celtics hard to equal. They were at 37% when the defender was further than six feet away and generated 15 attempts per game. The problem was Boston was at 41% and putting up 16 of those shots per game.
New Orleans shot a paltry 26.3% on wide-open shots. The Pelicans were 28.2% in 9.8 open-shot situations per game in the postseason. The team has to trust in the process and hope the results are at least respectable next season if not above average.
Bold trades make a big difference
The Pelicans have been patient when it comes to big trades since acquiring CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. Boston and Dallas doubled down on their franchise cornerstones to upgrade the supporting casts and it paid off in a big way for both organizations.
Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis were not working out. The Mavericks needed a change in culture and Porzingis needed a change of scenery. Well, so did Kyrie Irving after tough seasons with the Celtics and Brooklyn Nets. Porzingis had to suffer through a few months with the Washington Wizards but everyone wound up in a better situation eventually.
Boston bought low on Porzingis then pulled off a heist for Jrue Holiday. Dallas gambled on an out-of-favor Irving then acquired P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford at the trade deadline. The Pelicans have to act with a sense of urgency or risk getting left behind in a highly competitive Western Conference.
Coaches create culture
EVP David Griffin inherited Alvin Gentry, who was jettisoned after Zion Williamon's rookie season. Stan Van Gundy only got one season with Williamson and the Pelicans before being run out of town. The locker room rallied around first-time head coach Willie Green though, surviving a 1-12 start to make an NBA Playoffs run. Green has only grown more confident in the job and closer to the players over the past three successful seasons.
Joe Mazzulla and Jason Kidd have the freedom to speak their mind in public. They also command respect from their locker rooms by keeping what needs to stay private from prying eyes. Both teams came into the season with question marks and loose threads that the media loves to tug at, especially in Boston and Dallas.
New Orleans is not quite the same pressure cooker media market but Green is in a similar situation as those other two coaches. He has helped build the culture around what many consider a championship core. How much longer Green gets to lead this group is largely dependent on learning a few lessons from the past season and applying them toward a top-six seed in the 2024-25 campaign.
Follow Us
Subscribe