The 2024 NBA Finals features a number of intriguing storylines. Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd might have sparked another topic of debate on Saturday after claiming that Jaylen Brown is the “best player” on the Boston Celtics, via NBA TV.
“Well Jaylen is their best player,” Kidd said while speaking to reporters. “Just looking at what he does defensively, he picked up Luka (Doncic) full court. He got to the free throw line. He did everything. And that's what your best player does… He plays both sides, defense and offense at a high rate. He's been doing that the whole playoffs. When you talk about the Eastern Conference MVP and it seems like he's continued to pick up where he left off. So he's playing at a high rate.
“We just gotta be a little bit more physical with him. Again, we got to keep him off the free throw line and out of the paint because he was finishing at a high rate or he was getting fouled and getting to the free throw line.”
Jayson Tatum has been considered to be the Celtics best player over the past few years. Jaylen Brown, meanwhile, has been regarded as one of the best second options in the entire NBA. Jason Kidd seems to think that Brown has surpassed Tatum, though.
There is no question that Brown has played well in the postseason. However, is he truly the Celtics best player?
Jayson Tatum vs. Jaylen Brown
The Celtics stars will likely refuse to give a direct answer to the question barring an unforeseen response. They will probably say it does not matter and their primary focus is winning. And in all reality, that is probably how they truly feel.
Outside of the Celtics organization, though, there will be no shortage of debates about the topic. Statistics don't reveal the entire story, but Tatum and Brown have both recorded impressive numbers in the postseason so far.
Tatum has averaged 25.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per outing in the 2024 postseason. Brown, meanwhile, is averaging 24.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.
Tatum's surface numbers were also better than Brown's numbers in the regular season. The gap between them clearly is not all that big, though. The Mavericks understand that both stars can carry the Celtics to a victory on any given night.
Of course, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White are also capable of making immense impacts, which is why the Celtics are such a challenging team to play head-to-head.
As for the Tatum vs. Brown debate, you realistically could make a case for either player. Brown's defense is impressive but Tatum can also step up on the defensive end of the floor.
And offensively, as mentioned earlier, both Tatum and Brown can lead the Celtics to a win.
Mavericks preparing for Game 2
The Mavs need a win in Game 2. The last thing they want is to head back to Dallas trailing 0-2 in the series. Dallas will need to make the necessary adjustments in order to pull off the Game 2 upset on the road.
It's going to be a difficult game to win. Boston currently has the momentum after cruising to the Game 1 victory. However, the Mavericks have excelled at bouncing back following forgettable performances all season long. It would not be surprising to see the Mavericks get the job done on Sunday.
Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday night at 8 PM EST in Boston.
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