A Slightly Last Minute NBA Finals Preview
Well, it's been a minute since we've all reconvened. I recognize there have been some irregularities in terms of writing consistently. I appreciate everybody hanging in there with me.
It's also been a while since I've done a preview as I mostly reserve them for big matchups. Folks, if it's all the same with you I'm going to keep this kind of simple and maybe a little shorter. We'll talk about what these teams do well, what they need to watch out for, and the all important prediction. Let's break it all down.
OKC
The Thunder are coming in as the favorites and rightfully so. Of course they have the scoring champion and the MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA joins Steve Nash as the only Canadians to win the MVP award. They are so deep and it's crazy. This is some of the best team defense we've seen in the league in a long time.
Does the name Isaiah Joe mean anything to anybody? It should since he's leading the team in made three point field goals. Personally I was a little surprised to find that out. No real reason why, just sometimes he gets buried when we talk about some of the other guys. Don’t let him get hot. Chet Holmgren needs to be at his best in this series, the two Jalen Ws need to pick up where they left off, and Lou Dort I think will be an even bigger x-factor then people realize. And yes, Isaiah Hartenstein will need need to lock it down in the paint. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention Alex Caruso who is the only player on the roster with a title to his name when he won in the 2020 bubble with the Lakers. His experience on this stage will be imperative and I am sure the younger players are leaning on him.
The team is so connected on and off the court. It is a breath of fresh air. Earlier in the playoffs that connectivity maybe got the better of them. Against Denver, they sold out to stop Nikola Jokic and you understand why. He is the best player in the world. But it got them a bit discombobulated and there were moments where they just looked out of sorts. OKC needs to have a balanced approach against everybody and lean on that strong defense.
Indy
Whoever participated in the most overrated NBA player poll across the league and picked Tyrese Haliburton as majority vote getter, this is turning into a really funny joke. He is playing like a man possessed. I think he got robbed of the conference finals MVP but that’s nothing against Pascal Siakam, who is one of my favorite players.
Haliburton’s offense plus the defense of Miles Turner has been a one two punch that has been hard to stop. Turner is leading the playoffs in blocked shots. I could not be happier for Aaron Nesmith who has found a home and has carved out a role for himself. It didn’t work out in Boston coming in as a shooter, but he bulked and became a more complete player.
Where the Pacers can run into trouble is if Hailburton starts slow. That’s when we need to see if the other guys can step up. This will be the best defense Indy has played against and they know OKC will be focused on Hailburton. TJ McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, Thomas Bryant, Obi Toppin, can they win you a make or break series if the alpha is being shut down? I’m somewhat optimistic that they can, but it will not be an easy feat. Could it be possible that Bennedict Mathurin comes out of nowhere and makes his presence felt? Crazier things have happened.
Wrap Up
I think this series will be a lot of fun. We will have a new champion for the first time in a long time in a league where we don’t always have a lot of parody. OKC won a title when they were the Seattle Supersonics (which will hopefully be resurrected soon) and the Pacers are somehow only playing in their second finals, and the first appearance since 2000 when they lost to the Lakers. You can make a compelling case for either of these teams. But I have to go with my gut here and echo some of the other sentiments that have been shared. I like the Thunder winning this series in six games.
But this is no disrespect towards the Pacers. Everyone thought they were dead to rights when they started out so slow during the regular season and they continued to prove everybody wrong. Regardless, they should be proud. If somehow the Pacers can force a game seven I think they can win this. I just don’t think they’ll get there. In terms of finals MVP predictions I am going straight chalk. SGA if the Thunder win, and Haliburton if the Pacers win. Usually I try to go with a dark horse for these situations to be different, but the evidence is too compelling to go against them.