After the first two games of the NBA Finals, the series between Boston and Golden State is tied at 1-1. There have been some interesting performances, as well as some highs and lows from each team and their players. Let’s take a look at an updated Finals MVP ranking for both teams.
Warriors: Stephen Curry (+165)
Curry is the obvious choice for Golden State. The Warriors leading man scored 34 points in the Game 1 loss, followed by a 29 point performance in the Game 2 blowout win to even the series. Steph led the Warriors to a masterful game 2 to bounce back in the series, and while the series shifts to Boston for Game 3, Curry has showed he has a very strong grip on the control and pace of each game. The offensive showing that Curry puts on despite all the attention he receives from Boston’s elite level defense is what puts him at the top of this list.
Warriors Wildcard: Andrew Wiggins (+8000)
No player besides Curry has had a consistent first two games of the series, but Wiggins has the most potential to score outside of Stephen Curry for the Warriors. Wiggins is averaging 15.5 ppg so far in the series, but has shown through these playoffs that he’s capable of scoring in high volumes, as well as playing surprisingly good defense.
Celtics: Jayson Tatum (+125)
While Tatum has had an underwhelming start to the finals, it is no secret he’ll have to step up in order for the Celtics to take home the title. The stats are of course a big question for Tatum. In Game 1 he only scored twelve points but dished out thirteen assists. In Game 2 he scored 28 points but had a career worse +/- rating of -36. Tatum is bound to perform better on his home court, and with the next two games being played in Boston he’ll have the chance to boost his case for Finals MVP.
Celtics Wildcard: Jaylen Brown (+550)
Brown’s Game 1 performance, specifically his fourth quarter surge to propel the Celtics to victory is what puts him in this spot. Brown came out hot in Game 2, scoring thirteen first quarter points but only finished with seventeen points on the game. Similar to Tatum, Brown is poised to step up his game back in Boston. He hasn’t had a terrible game per say, but if Jaylen Brown can play his version of top tier basketball he could sneak away with the award.
Game 3 tips off on Wednesday night at 9pm ET on ABC.
