Every player making their NBA Finals Debut in 2024
By Lior Lampert
Only two teams are left standing in pursuit of the Larry O'Brien Trophy now that the dust has settled. The Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics will face off in an epic best-of-seven clash on basketball's biggest stage -- the NBA Finals.
The Mavs and Celtics have been two of the three winningest teams in the Association post-trade deadline. So, it is only fitting for them to face off with a title at stake. Game 1 of their matchup begins on Thursday, June 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET, with Boston holding homecourt advantage.
Boston has reached the Eastern Conference Finals in six of the past eight seasons (including this year). After sweeping the Indiana Pacers, this marks the second time they've made it to the NBA Finals in that span. In other words, this is familiar territory for the core players of the Celtics.
Conversely, this is the first time Dallas has reached the finals in a long time -- since 2010-11, to be exact. So, unless members of the current Mavericks roster represented another team in the championship, they are presumably making their first appearance in this setting.
Regardless, plenty of players are making their NBA Finals debut on both sides. Without further ado, here is a list of every player getting their first taste of action under the bright lights.
Every Celtics player making their NBA Finals debut in 2024
- Kristaps Porzingis
- Oshae Brissett
- Svi Mykhailiuk
- Neemias Queta
- Xavier Tillman Sr.
- Jaden Springer
- Jordan Walsh
Aside from star big man Kristaps Porzingis, none of the players mentioned are part of Boston's postseason rotation. The 7-foot-2 Latvian suffered a right calf strain early in the postseason, which has kept him sidelined for much of the team's march to the finals. But he appears to be on track to suit up for the Celtics despite dealing with a right calf strain for much of the postseason.
Every Mavericks player making their NBA Finals debut in 2024
- Luka Doncic
- Dereck Lively II
- Tim Hardaway Jr.
- Dante Exum
- Jaden Hardy
- Dwight Powell
- Josh Green
- Daniel Gafford
- P.J. Washington
- Olivier-Maxence Prosper
- A.J. Lawson
- Maxi Kleber
Only two players on Dallas' depth chart have played in an NBA Finals: dynamic combo guard Kyrie Irving and 3-and-D wing Derrick Jones Jr.
Unanimous Western Conference Finals MVP Luka Doncic will make the first championship appearance of his already illustrious career at age 25. Moreover, exciting rookie center Dereck Lively II has been a critical contributor for Dallas and a massive reason they've made it this far. He will be making his inaugural title performance along with prized deadline acquisitions Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington.
The Celtics have the edge when it comes to experience. Nevertheless, they will have their hands full against a red-hot Mavs team that arguably boasts the best two players in this series (Doncic and Irving). But Boston has been the most dominant team in the league virtually since the beginning of the season.
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