In the latest episode of 'Gil's Arena,' the former NBA point guard gave his honest take on the 2024 Finals. According to Arenas, the Celtics only won because they were the better team, not because they played their best basketball.
"[Celtics] were the better team, hands down," said Arenas. "Did they play championship basketball? No. They had an advantage. You're talking about they were bigger than Dallas, Dallas didn't play the defense that could have stopped them. They spent 90% of the time just chucking threes. Tatum is my dude but he was frustrating the sh*t out of me. Max Kleber, you taking side-step jumpers against him? That is a one full flat if I've ever seen one. Like if you're gonna take the side-jumper do it on a smaller guy don't get the big dude on you to shoot the same three. He can challenge this shot. It's just little things that in the basketball world it didn't make sense."
The Celtics have a long history of disappointment. Over the years, with Tatum and Brown, the Cs have consistently wasted their championship opportunities. In 2023, they lost in the Conference Finals after dropping the first three games against the Heat.
This year, the Celtics were finally validated as a group when they won the NBA championship. Many felt that it was long overdue for the Celtics, and guys like Gilbert Arenas believe it would have been impossible for them to lose this time given that they were the much stronger team overall compared to the Mavericks.
As usual, the Finals were highly competitive this year with the Celtics and Mavericks both competing hard for the Larry O'Brien trophy. After series wins over the Heat , Cavaliers, and Pacers, the Celtics cruised into the Finals as massive favorites to win the title.
Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics managed to win the Finals in 5 games and capture the franchise's first championship since 2008. They only lost a few games in the entire postseason and outmatched every team that came their way.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, were a team that nobody thought would even get that far. Even with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the feeling around the league was that the Mavericks still needed some additional depth before they could be favored to win a title.
Going into next season, the Mavericks are mostly the same team except for the addition of Klay Thompson. The 4x champion signed with the Mavericks this summer after leaving the Warriors and his arrival is expected to boost their chances in the spring.
Unfortunately for the Texas team, they might still not have enough to win the Finals next year. With Tatum and Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and others, the Celtics arguably have the best roster in the league with a rotation that goes 10-11 deep.
After going 64-18 last season, the Celtics proved that they are a cut above the teams in the East. And now with most of their starters coming back as Olympic champions, it will only make them that much harder to beat come April, May, and June.
Related: Gilbert Arenas Gives Perfect Explanation Why Jokic, Embiid, And Shaq Can't Sell Shoes
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News . We appreciate your support.
Local News
Comments / 0