The 2025 NBA Finals are underway!
The Pacers and Thunder are both looking to win their first ring, and several players want to make a name for themselves among the all-time greats of their franchise and the league.
With a 1-1 series tie headed to Indiana, what would a championship mean for the Pacers or Thunder?
Indiana Pacers
The team that will gain the most from a Larry O’Brien trophy will, without a doubt, be the Pacers.
As mentioned, it will be the franchise’s first title. Veterans like Myles Turner and T.J. McConnell will finally get their first ring.
Haliburton Looks to Finally Silence the Haters
However, most importantly, it will finally show Tyrese Haliburton some of the respect he deserves. The narrative of Haliburton being “overrated” and “not a true star” is so far from the truth that it is laughable.
Perhaps winning a ring will finally silence some of the hate targeted towards the 25-year-old. He has quickly proved that he is one of the better clutch-time players in the league. He recorded one of the more ridiculous stats of this season— an astonishing 12-of-14 shooting to win or tie in the clutch.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, he also delivered one of the greatest offensive performances physically possible in Game 4, where he recorded an unbelievable 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists with zero turnovers in 38 minutes played while shooting 62% from the field.
Siakam, Carlisle Deserving of Recognition, Too
Another player to look at is Pacers forward, Pascal Siakam.
The 31-year-old is looking for his second ring after being awarded the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy. A second ring, coupled with his other accolades, which include being a three-time All-Star, pushes him closer to Hall of Fame status.
Finally, it will almost certainly send Rick Carlisle to the Hall of Fame. He has proven himself to be one of the best coaches in the league this season.
He has led this Pacers team to dismantle All-Star lineups in the postseason over the past two years by deploying a lineup most would consider not to be one of the best within the Eastern Conference. The Pacers utilize such a creative and masterful style of play, breaking down opponents with blinding offensive pace and suffocating them with their shocking efficiency.
Most of this is to the credit of Rick Carlisle.
Oklahoma City Thunder
For the Thunder, this could mark the start of a potential dynasty.
They would be the second youngest team to win a championship. OKC also has a stockpile of draft picks, giving them the flexibility to stay young or trade for a superstar. Capping off his MVP season and incredible playoff efficiency with a championship would put SGA in the conversation among the best individual seasons in NBA history.
Much like his Eastern Conference All-Star counterpart, Tyrese Haliburton, SGA looks to continue a monster playoff run, averaging 30.4 points, 6.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game (all team highs).
Daigneault, SGA Could Be Placed Among the NBA’s All-Time Elite
Also, for head coach Mark Daigneault, it will propel him into the spotlight as one of the better coaches in the association and erase any thought of OKC’s upset loss to the Mavs last season. What Daigneault has done with the Thunder since taking over in 2020 has been remarkable. The Thunder won a combined 46 games across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Compare that to this season alone, where the Thunder won a league-high 68 games and trampled their way to the NBA Finals.
Along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a championship will also be the perfect end to many Thunder players’ “breakout” seasons. These players include Isaiah Hartenstein, who averaged career highs in points, rebounds, and assists, and Jalen Williams, whose monster season led him to earning an All-NBA Third Team selection as well as averaging career highs in all major statistical categories.
This doesn’t even include other studs like Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren, and Cason Wallace. With all these players, the message can be summarized into one short phrase.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are scary and will be for years to come.
Leave a comment