NBA Finals Preview: Why You Should Care

Turn on any major sports media outlet the day after the Pacers clinched the series, and you’ll

see why the Knicks blew it before why the Pacers won. I’m not going to get on a soapbox and spend the whole blog speaking on the power of media markets because we understand the ratings allure that is NYC. We aren’t going to do that nor are we going to spelunk down the ever-expanding cave that is current NBA media coverage. (pro tip, see how I said all that while saying I’m not going to get into it? That one’s for free) INSTEAD, I’m going to break down why both these teams deserve to be in the Finals and what they are going to do to win. There’s elite talent and some guaranteed new winners this year; it’s easy to hate but easier to appreciate.

Why the Thunder Will Win 

The Thunder boasted the league's best record and coasted to the one seed in a STACKED

WEST through an elite young core and superstar in SGA who had become fully unleashed. I

have takes like everyone else, but unlike many, I have no issue saying where I was big wrong. Mr. Holmgren… I admit to not believing in the name/ face/ gumby like stature and once he went down immediately year, one really wondered if that pick was going to be anything. Boy was Iwrong. The defensive switching ability, court vision, motor and discipline of a vet are incredibly impressive when on display.

SGA is the obvious X factor to the team's success, but Jalen Williams has soared beyond even the highest expectations in his third year. Although he has shown to go cold in some bigger moments, he was pivotal in close out games and is a key part of a suffocating defense. Rarely do we see a team without a prominent superstar make the finals and even though SGA has just hoisted MVP, it feels like they are still growing together and have only just begun to hit their stride. The next few years are going to be very interesting with the amount of capital they still hold. The second apron bows to no man!

Why the Pacers will Win 

As a fan, there are not many better feelings than having “house money” come playoffs. This is no disrespect to a great team, but going into the year or even postseason, most would have admitted to picking Boston (myself included). The Pacers have built this team with precision and, dare I say, a legitimate plan in place? When it was time for Bruce Brown to be paid after his great finals run, there was skepticism in why Indiana took him on for the price. As it turns out, it was simply a numbers game for contract flexibility, and he was moved later for Siakam. I’m not saying this kind of forward plan always comes to fruition, but this team desperately needed a stretch 4 that is not ball dominant and found maybe the best.

Haliburton is the straw that stirs the drink and I can only applaud the Pacers front office for the litany of moves made to recreate their team following the trade of Sabonis for Haliburton. This team moves so fast and if you hesitate to celebrate a shot or get cute for just a second, they’ve already taken off running for a bucket.

My final thoughts on why I believe the Pacers can pull this off… In 49 other states it’s just

basketball. 

Favorite Matchups/Storylines 

This probably won’t match any real sports writers out there, but my favorite storyline might just be Myles Turner in general. I swear he has been on the trade block the last 5+ years as

everyone talked about who could use him or what the Pacers needed instead of him. He was

almost a Laker how many times? Take out the sports, stats, etc. and think about it from a strictly human perspective. Every year, not knowing if you’re going to be on the team with the guys you grind with, and you have to constantly deal with self-doubt if you’re enough or why they don’t want you. I’m just so glad they stuck with my favorite adult Lego enjoyer another year!

Here's where I find my thoughts going when thinking about the matchup. I don’t care about how many other people are watching a game I’m watching, I just want to watch the game. I do get annoyed with foul baiting, but it’s a sport culture not just basketball. Either way, there is going to be a worthy and well-constructed team hoisting the trophy this year. Sam Presti has done an insanely good job rebuilding the Thunder; when thinking back, they were only bad for TWO years until pulling back to .500 while re-creating their roster.

Now look to Indiana… They have had a plan in place similar to the Thunder but took a starkly different approach. Mathurin in the draft and Siakam in the offseason gave the bully ball identity the team was so close to achieving. Let’s just enjoy the game people!

-Big Bean