3 surprising reasons why the 2024 NBA Finals are the Celtics to lose

3) The Celtics role players will step up

Derrick White and Al Horford have been nothing short of spectacular for the Celtics during their deep playoff run. White is averaging 17.8 points per game with 4.1 rebounds per game and 4.6 assists per game.

White's offensive numbers alone have taken a pretty big jump from just 2 years ago. In 2022, White scored only 8.5 points per game. Then in 2023, he managed to increase his scoring a bit and reached 13.4 points per game. So it is fair to say that White has only gotten better for the Celtics each time they have made the postseason.

Besides White, Horford has filled in nicely for Kristaps Porzingis while he has been dealing with a calf strain that he sustained in the first round. He has been averaging 9.9 points per game and grabbing 7.3 rebounds per game as well. He has contributed to the Celtics success and has had some great games for them this postseason as well. This will just add fuel to the fire if the Celtics are able to get Porzingis back for Game 1, because it would just add to the depth they already have.

The Mavericks have a tough task ahead of them if and when they are able to solidify their spot in the NBA Finals. They will surely be the underdogs once again against a fully rested Celtics lineup but one thing that I have learned about this team is to never doubt the duo of Doncic and Irving.