Today we're going to talk about the NBA champions of this season, the Celtics, and their opponents in the Finals, the Mavericks. It has to be said that the Celtics were able to lift the championship trophy thanks to their almost perfect squad framework, both offensive and defensive, both inside and outside. And when we look at their opponents, the Mavericks, a powerhouse in the West, who stood out in the West, but were swept by the Celtics in the Finals, there are many stories in this.
Let's start with the core of the Mavericks, Doncic. The young player's stats are nothing short of spectacular, averaging 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game in the regular season and still showing an impressive 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists in the playoffs. But behind the data, some of his problems are also exposed. For example, he often complained about the referee during the game, which made many fans and experts frown. Speaking of his running distance, Doncic does run less than other top players, which also limits the team's tactical diversity to a certain extent.
What's more, Doncic's style of play seems to have touched the team's ceiling. His style of play with a big core of the ball can indeed lead the team to good results in the regular season, but in the playoffs, especially in the high-intensity confrontation like the finals, it seems a little inadequate. His style of play is a bit like Harden during the Rockets, and it is best to have a group of teammates around him who can defend, shoot, and not possess the ball, so as to maximize his role. But the problem is that such teammates are not so easy to find.
Looking at the Celtics, their success is not just about one or two stars, it's more about the strength of the team. Tatum and Brown, the twin stars, worked together for 7 years and finally led the team to win the championship, which is behind countless tacit cooperation and team basketball victories. They don't have an absolute ball-handling core, but everyone can play a central role at different times, depending on the needs of the game.
When it comes to team basketball, we have to mention some other teams in the league right now. For example, the Timberwolves, they have the best defense in the league, but the offense is just too poor, which also causes them to not go far in the playoffs. Another example is the Thunder, both offense and defense are in the top five in the league, but the interior frame protection and confrontation are extremely poor, which has also become a major weakness for them.
Now, Doncic is about to face an important choice. Because he has been named to the All-Star team for five consecutive years, he is eligible to sign a super-max contract with a super maximum salary of $346 million over five years, which is enough to make anyone's heart flutter. But after signing a big contract, whether he can change his style of play and pay more attention to team basketball will determine the future fate of the Mavericks.
Finally, we can't help but ask, will Doncic choose to change? Will he be able to lead the Mavericks far in the coming seasons? Or will he become a star with flashy stats but a hard time leading the team to breakthrough results? All of this is worth waiting for.
So, what do you think? Do you think Doncic should change his style of play? Or do you think his current style of play is good enough and just needs better teammates to match? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment area and discuss with us!