The NBA Finals is slowly meeting its most important point after the Boston Celtics took a convincing Game 3 victory over Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. With the 2-1 series lead in their favor, Boston has a massive chance to go up 3-1 at home in Game 4. So far, the stars have shown up on both ends of the floor while also role players have been just as effective in their own capacity. Thanks to the brilliance of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart, the Celtics captured a vastly important Game 3 victory.
- Honorable Mention
- Klay Thompson
- 5. Marcus Smart
- 4. Al Horford
- 3. Stephen Curry
- 2. Jaylen Brown
- 1. Jayson Tatum
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Tatum dropped 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Brown chipped in 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Marcus Smart, despite being an inconsistent offensive player, chipped in 24 points while also adding 7 rebounds and 5 assists. The big three showed up, with Al Horford also adding 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists while spearheading an elite paint defense. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 56 points, but nobody else was consistent on both ends of the floor.
With Game 3 over and Game 4 on Friday night, it is time to uncover the Finals MVP power rankings. The winners of the NBA Finals are normally in pole contention to win the Finals MVP award, although Jerry West is the only player to win the valuable individual award in a losing effort. Could this series be a case where the loser in the Finals earns the Finals MVP award? Or is there a player on the Warriors in pole position to win the award? With Boston leading the series, it could be expected that one of their two stars is leading the race for Finals MVP. Here are the Finals MVP power rankings.
Honorable Mention
Klay Thompson
Finals Statistics: 17.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Klay Thompson is clearly not the same player he used to be, but he is still an offensive presence with the ability to make shots from the perimeter and also play some elite-level defense. Through 3 games in the Finals, Klay is averaging 17.0 PPG on only 34.0% from the field and 32.1% from three. Clearly subpar numbers for a player of Klay’s caliber, his presence as a shooter has still helped the Warriors play excellent team basketball.
Even with Klay shooting under 40% from the field, the Boston Celtics defenders need to be aware of his movement and are scrambling to contest his shots because he always has the tendency to stroke it from deep. Without Klay in the lineup putting pressure on the defense with his movement, the Warriors likely lose the series in 5 games because there is no other major All-Star talent alongside Stephen Curry.
5. Marcus Smart
Finals Statistics: 14.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.0 BPG
Marcus Smart can be a game-changer on defense and also a clutch shooter from three, but he can also be a frustrating figure to watch because of his ill-timed turnovers and tendency to take bad shots instead of feeding Tatum and Brown. No matter what, Smart is an invaluable presence for the Boston Celtics because he is their best defender who scraps for loose balls better than anyone on the court not named Draymond Green. Over the first 3 games of the Finals, Smart is averaging 14.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 4.7 APG.
Smart is also nailing 47.1% from the field and 41.2% from three, elite numbers from a player who is not known for his offensive consistency. Thanks to his large frame and powerful shoulders, Smart is capable of taking the smaller Stephen Curry inside the paint and finishing around the rim. Thanks to Smart’s elite defense and leadership, the Celtics find themselves up 2-1 after 3 games. If Smart keeps this level of play up, the Celtics could be in a very favorable position to close the series in under 7 games.
4. Al Horford
Finals Statistics: 13.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Al Horford’s numbers do not leap off the page for a player competing for the Finals MVP award, his leadership and presence as a paint-protector and inside scorer have been invaluable. Horford is averaging 13.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 3.3 APG while shooting 65.2% from the field and 70.0% from the three-point line. The big man is a unique player because he can handle the ball and also space the floor despite bringing his size against a smaller Warriors frontline.
Without Al Horford, the Celtics do not have a big man who can punish the smaller Golden State Warriors players inside and also defend the rim as Robert Williams III is clearly banged up while Grant Williams is not a large player at 6’6”. Al is invaluable to the Celtics’ game plan on both ends of the floor, and his play has rewarded him with a top-5 Finals MVP ranking. If Horford can continue stroking the three-point shot and using his size inside, the Warriors will struggle to own the interior as the likes of Williams III and Williams follow his lead.
3. Stephen Curry
Finals Statistics: 31.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.7 SPG, 0.0 BPG
No question, Stephen Curry has held his own in the NBA Finals, at least on the offensive end. The superstar point guard is averaging 31.3 PPG on 48.5% from the field, 48.6% from the three-point line, and 83.3% from the foul line. Stephen is shooting abnormally low from the stripe because he gets close to 90% throughout his career. It is also interesting that Stephen is averaging less APG than Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Draymond Green. The reason? Curry needs to be a score-first guard for the Warriors to have a chance to win the series.
Stephen has been sensational on offense nonetheless because he has had massive quarters where his three-point shots have been falling consistently. Curry sets the tone for his team when his shots fall because he gives confidence to guys like Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole who are both still finding their footing. The reason Steph has not cracked the top-two in the Finals MVP ranking is that he has proven to be a target on the defensive end, mainly in Game 3, because he lacks the size and lateral quickness to deal with Tatum and Brown. Still, Curry has done a great job playing the passing lanes and taking advantage of Boston’s silly turnovers because he is putting up 2.7 SPG. If the Warriors take Game 4 convincingly, Curry could be the Finals MVP favorite.
2. Jaylen Brown
Finals Statistics: 22.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Jaylen Brown is leading the Boston Celtics in scoring and has been arguably their most consistent player on both ends of the floor. Brown is playing with a type of relaxed confidence that is infectious for the Celtics because he is an excellent bail-out option with his ability to make tough contested jumpers. His three-point shooting has been consistent when he is open, as he is draining 36.0% from deep and 42.9% from the field. His willingness to take and make difficult shots has hurt Brown’s field-goal percentage.
With Brown making up for Tatum’s inconsistent shooting (33.9%), the Celtics have managed to stay afloat at times when their best player has not been making his shots. Brown has been invaluable on offense with his tough shot-making but has been equally as impressive with his defense. Standing 6’6” and weighing 223 lbs, Brown has a strong case for winning Finals MVP due to his big-time performances, although he can be considered currently interchangeable with Jayson Tatum.
1. Jayson Tatum
Finals Statistics: 22.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.0 BPG
Jayson Tatum has a very slight edge over Jaylen Brown because his scoring in the second half of Game 3 helped the Celtics survive the onslaught from the Golden State Warriors. Due to his height at 6’8”, Tatum is finding it easy to shoot over defenders and has found the most success when attacking the rim. Whenever Stephen Curry was switched onto Tatum, it was almost always a bucket or two free throws. Another reason why Tatum is leading the Finals MVP race, even slightly, is his elite passing.
Tatum is leading all players in assists with 8.3 APG and has set up his teammates exceptionally well even if his own shots have not been falling. The forward is not known for his passing ability but is showing his best feathers as a playmaker when the Warriors’ defense is collapsing on him. During Game 3, Tatum was constantly double-teamed when he had Curry on him, and normally found a way to get his teammates good shots. Tatum’s turnovers have been negative, but he has got the job done so far by leading the Celtics in assists and finishing second in scoring while holding a 2-1 series lead. As the Finals MVP race is a fluid situation as the games get completed in the Finals, things could change, but Jayson Tatum is leading all players right now.
