The Dallas Mavericks put in a stellar effort in the 2023-24 NBA season, earning their way to the NBA playoffs. Despite giving tough competition, they ultimately lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals. However, a former NBA player believes that the Mavericks were not a worthy matchup against the Celtics in the finals.
During a recent interview with Scoop B Radio, Brian Scalabrine explained that the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Denver Nuggets could have been better opponents for the Celtics instead of the Mavericks.
“I don’t know why they thought that matchup was close. I didn’t see it that way. I think [the Minnesota Timberwolves] would’ve been a good matchup. I think [the Denver Nuggets] would’ve been a good matchup.” Brian Scalabrine said.
The Mavericks faced the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round and won the series 4-2. They played against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round and secured victory with a 4-2 lead.
In the conference finals, the Mavericks, who had recently signed Klay Thompson in the offseason, impressed fans by winning three straight games at the start. They ultimately secured their spot in the NBA finals by winning the series with a 4-1 lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Brian Scalabrine Had Complete Confidence in the Celtics During the NBA Finals
Scalabrine, who is currently a television analyst for SiriusXM and NBC, won the NBA Championship in 2008 while playing for the Celtics. During a conversation with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, the former NBA champion, mentioned that although many people at ESPN picked the Mavericks to win the NBA championship, he was very confident that the Celtics would dominate the series.
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“It’s just really hard when you have six guys that can guard the isolation, for them to play isolation basketball.….They picked Dallas to win that. Everyone doesn’t watch the Celtics like I do.” Scalabrine added.
Scalabrine’s bold statements can ignite debates among NBA analysts, and it will be interesting to see the reactions.
