7 Biggest Threats to the Celtics' Chances to Repeat as NBA Champions

7. Dallas Mavericks

It might be somewhat surprising to see Dallas this low on the list. The Mavericks are the defending Western Conference champions and added four-time champion Klay Thompson following their five-game defeat in the Finals.

They also still boast two superstars in Luka Doncic, and the all too familiar Kyrie Irving. Doncic led the league in 17 playoff statistical categories, including points (635), rebounds (208), and assists (178). He averaged 29.2 points against Boston in the Finals, proving to be the single biggest problem for the Celtics throughout the series.

While Kyrie Irving was kept quiet for much of the series, he scored 35 points in a losing effort in Game 3 and scored 21 the following game for his first victory against Team Green since he scorned them in 2019. He also had a knack for stepping up in the biggest moments, good enough for seventh place in the Clutch Player of the Year award voting.

Despite these strengths, the Mavericks feature many of the same defects that plagued them in June. Beyond the elite Doncic-Irving duo, Dallas lacked the depth to match Boston's roster. Looking beyond the top pairs in the starting lineups from the Finals, Derrick Jones Jr, Daniel Gafford, and PJ Washington could not compete with Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, or even Al Horford.

Adding Klay Thompson, who is clearly past his prime, does not change that fact. It is always difficult for teams to return to the Finals after their first trip, but as Boston fans remember, the Celtics came up just short in the 2022 Finals, grew through the experience, and came back stronger two years later. Luka Doncic will be back in the Finals, even if not this season.