The NBA’s final four is here.
In the East, the Boston Celtics stole a thriller against the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, winning 133-128 in overtime on Tuesday.
The Western Conference finals get underway on Wednesday, with the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves lining up for Game 1.
As the playoff field whittles down to four, Colin Cowherd ranked the top 10 players left in the postseason on “The Herd.” Here’s Cowherd’s top 10, with NBA Finals MVP odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
10. Boston Celtics G Jrue Holiday
Playoff stats: 12 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.4 steals per game, .480/.429/.833 shooting splits
“You get IQ, you get experience. He’s one of four players left with championship experience. You get defense, he’s a great attack defender. He can give you points, but isn’t needy offensively. Again, this is a guy who’s played in big games. He’s one of the most respected, well-liked players in the league.”
Finals MVP odds: +10000
9. Minnesota Timberwolves C Rudy Gobert
Playoff stats: 12.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 1.0 steals per game, .609/.000/.704 shooting splits
“Often maligned, but outside of [Nikola] Jokic, Rudy Gobert gives a lot of people trouble. Jokic eats him up. Jokic eats everyone up, including Anthony Davis. He’s a highly efficient offensive player. His length creates trouble. He hit some big shots in Game 7 against Denver. He’s a four-time Defensive Player of the Year. Laugh all you want, but he’s the ninth-best player remaining in the playoffs.”
Finals MVP odds: +9000
8. Indiana Pacers F Pascal Siakam
Playoff stats: 21.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.9 steals per game, .536/.308/.593 shooting splits
Colin’s thoughts: “Pascal Siakam was good in Toronto, and he’s good in Indiana. You’re going to get 21 [points] and eight [rebounds] from him every time. He’s important for Indiana because they play fast and finesse basketball. He gives some length and physicality to a team that’s going to need every ounce of that against the Celtics. He’s an efficient offensive player.”
Finals MVP odds: +8000
7. Minnesota Timberwolves F/C Karl-Anthony Towns
Playoff stats: 18.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.7 steals per game, .517/.440/.833 shooting splits
Colin’s thoughts: “A bit inconsistent, but actually shoots a really nice 3 for a guy that’s 7 feet. He’s often a physical size mismatch because they’ve got two bigs. You can always tell if somebody’s talented because of the market, and he’s got a market. I could see the Knicks making a run at him. I could see several teams making a run at him.”
Finals MVP odds: +3500
6. Indiana Pacers G Tyrese Haliburton
Playoff stats: 19.3 points, 8.2 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals per game, .488/.381/.850 shooting splits
Colin’s thoughts: “Tyrese Haliburton led the league in assists per game this season at almost 11. He got his shooting touch in Game 7 [against the Knicks]. So, he had an injury, was great early [in the season], pulled back and was excellent in the Knicks series. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. So, you get speed, quickness, a lot of assists, points and very few turnovers. He’s mostly an error-free, ascending young player.”
Finals MVP odds: +5000
5. Dallas Mavericks G Kyrie Irving
Playoff stats: 21.1 points, 5.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals per game, .482/.440/.842 shooting splits
Colin’s thoughts: “Kyrie Irving is playing more like a shooting guard than a point guard role in this series. So, I pulled him down a little. I also don’t know exactly what’s in his head game to game. He can be a little hot and cold, but he’s actually playing defense. He’s been a remarkable defender.”
Finals MVP odds: +3500
4. Boston Celtics F Jaylen Brown
Playoff stats: 23.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.9 steals per game, .548/.358/.615 shooting splits
Colin’s thoughts: “I think Jaylen Brown is the same guy every game. Excellent wing versatility as a defender. He’s got a strong body. He’s shooting 55% in the playoffs. Again, I know exactly what I’m going to get with him. Sometimes, he wants the ball more than Jayson Tatum down the stretch. He’s getting slightly better every year. I think he’s an underrated, efficient player.”
Finals MVP odds: +800
3. Boston Celtics F Jayson Tatum
Playoff stats: 25.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, .434/.278/.862 shooting splits
Colin’s thoughts: “Jayson Tatum is the best player on the No. 1 team all season. He’s a true three-level scorer — transition, jumper, down low. Sometimes, I wish he was more aggressive. But he’s the most offensively gifted player, that’s indisputable, on a dominant team in the regular season.”
Finals MVP odds: +105
2. Minnesota Timberwolves G Anthony Edwards
Playoff stats: 28.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.7 steals per game, .504/.398/.843 shooting splits
Colin’s thoughts: “Arguably the best two-way player remaining. He’s got an unlimited ceiling. He still needs some refinement. He can be a little hot and cold with his shooting. But he’s developing as a passer and a facilitator, which is great self-awareness. He has an ability to step back and let others shoot. Mike Conley has been so valuable for his growth.”
Finals MVP odds: +320
1. Dallas Mavericks G Luka Doncic
Playoff stats: 27.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.4 steals per game, .423/.301/.788 shooting splits
Colin’s thoughts: “Got to give it to Luka. He can be a dominant scorer. He’s virtually impossible to stop when he’s in a zone. He led the regular season in scoring (33.9 points per game) and is now leading the playoffs in assists. There’s not much I don’t like. Sometimes he can be difficult to play with and a tad selfish. But that was an argument you could make about [Michael Jordan], Kobe [Bryant] and a lot of great scorers.”
Finals MVP odds: +600
