Kyrie Irving vs Jaylen Brown NBA Playoffs Stats, Records and More Explored
While most of the attention is on Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum in the 2024 NBA Finals, Jaylen Brown and Kyrie Irving play a very integral role in their respective teams' success and are critical in their drive to capture the NBA championship. Irving and Brown are expected to perform as they are widely perceived as the second-biggest scoring threats to their opponents aside from Doncic and Tatum.
Kyrie Irving's career had been in turmoil since leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers. From off-court issues and injuries, the eight-time NBA All-Star has gained quite a following with his recent performance in the playoffs for the Dallas Mavericks.
On the other hand, Jaylen Brown signed a lucrative 5-year, $286 million and he is set to earn more than his teammate, Jayson Tatum, starting in the 2024-25 season. The Celtics need him to be on top of his game in order to avoid an upset from the Mavs.
Kyrie Irving vs Jaylen Brown NBA Playoffs Stats and Records explored
The Boston Celtics have only lost two playoff games in their run to the 2024 NBA Finals and Jaylen Brown has been the second-leading scorer for the team. He has been picking up the slack since Kristaps Porzingis has been out for most of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs.
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving had been perceived as a diminished player because of his injuries at 32 years old. But after helping the Mavs eliminate the star-stacked LA Clippers, the up-and-coming OKC Thunder and the gritty Minnesota Timberwolves, the Dallas Mavericks have gained quite some attention and Irving has been a major factor.
Below are the stats of both players in the playoffs leading up to the 2024 NBA Finals:
Why Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics should be wary about Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have been a tale of two teams, the regular season version and the playoff contenders. The Mavs finished with the fifth seed in the West during the regular season, but that doesn't do justice to their actual ability as they enter this 2024 NBA Finals posing a threat to the league-leading Boston Celtics.
Having played only 58 games during the regular season, it has been clear that the Mavs are better with Kyrie Irving on the active roster. Meanwhile, the emergence of rookie Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford manning the paint gives their opponents some hesitation in getting easy layups and dunks.
The arrival of PJ Washington during the trade deadline has also been a huge factor as the Mavs now have a legitimate third scorer.
Overall, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum may need the team's full force in beating the Mavs and a healthy Kristaps Prozingis should be a major component to help their chances of capturing the franchises' 18th NBA title.