ARIZONA – Another NBA season has come and gone, and this year, we have a team that was picked in ESPN’s bracket challenge to come out on top in over 25% of brackets. While the Pacers were only picked by 0.7% of NBA fans who filled out a bracket this year. It’s truly been a remarkable run for the Pacers and the Thunder this playoffs. Two superstars who were both acquired in very similar ways, a potential underdog winner, an opportunity for Tyrese Haliburton to prove his haters wrong, and tons more storylines are tied around this Finals series. Let’s break some of them down, have some fun along the way and my prediction on who will win.

Paul George ties this series all together?!

For this one, we are going to need to get in the time traveling machine and go back in time. All the way to 2017, when the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder got together on a trade. This trade marked a new-era for both teams. The Pacers were struggling to find a way to make it work with Paul George, and the Thunder were looking for someone to pair with Russell Westbrook who was just coming off his MVP season.

The Indiana Pacers traded Paul George in return for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. We are gonna come back to this later, so just make a mental note.

Now let’s jump back into the time machine and go to 2019, more specifically in the summer of 2019. The Thunder were just coming off a trip to the NBA playoffs, but that wasn’t enough for Paul George. He formally requested a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder to join Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Thunder and Clippers worked to make a deal, and well was it a deal to remember. While the Clippers may have felt more pressure to get this deal done, with Anthony Davis and Lebron James just down the street. Ready to take in Kawhi with open arms if it were to happen.

The Clippers traded away Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Clippers first round picks in 2022, 2024, 2026, and Miami’s 2021 and 2023 unprotected and protected first rounders. As well as the option to swap picks in 2023 and 2025.

You may be asking, who did some of these draft picks turn out to be, or what did the Thunder do with them? Let me tell you…

In 2022, the Thunder drafted Jalen Williams, who well is looking to be an amazing pairing next to SGA. The young 24 year-old averaged 21-5-5 through 69 games played this season, earning his first All-Star appearance, 24’-25’ All-NBA and All-Defensive honors.

The Thunder also drafted Dillon Jones, which is still early to call but is showing promise very early. As well as Tre Mann, who was traded away but still a product from the Clippers trade.

The Thunder also have the right to pick-swap this upcoming year, which they will most certainly do, and possibly use for trade capital on draft night.

We aren’t done yet, remember when Sabonis was traded to the Pacers? Well in 2022, just a couple of hours before the trade deadline. The Kings were aiming to rebuild around a more established guard like Sabonis. The Pacers were looking to acquire a young-rising star.

It was a perfect trade at first sight. After some negotiation, the full trade just added to the fire that is the NBA trade deadline. The Pacers sent Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round draft pick (Jalen Slawson). In return, the Pacers received Tristan Thompson, Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton.

In a way, you can say that the trades of Paul George, single handily rebuilt the Thunder, and built this Finals brick by brick.

The Emergence of ‘Overrated’ Tyrese Haliburton

Before the NBA playoffs really got kicked off, popular sports news company, The Athletic released their annual poll. They do it for every major sport they cover. Survey questions include multiple things like who they think is an emerging star, the state of the league, etc.

This year’s segment in NBA, had a specific section. It asked players who they thought was the most overrated player in the league.

Tyrese Haliburton led the list with 14.4% of the votes, while Trae Young and Rudy Gobert garnered votes, Haliburton had the most. When asked about the poll, Haliburton expressed that he wasn’t bothered by the poll. He also responded to the criticism he had been receiving at the team, saying that he was just focused on winning and controlling what he can.

“My biggest thing is he tends to disappear in big games. He will go an entire half with two shot attempts. The complete lack of dog prevents him from ever hitting the 1st option ceiling that a lot of people somehow think he already has hit”

I know deep down that all the talk around the league, media and fans wasn’t sitting right with him. It seems like it lit a fire in him, and he spread it like a wildfire to the Pacers.

This playoffs, Tyrese is very close to averaging a double-double through 16 games played so far in the playoffs (18-9-5). While his stats may not be popping out to you, if you’ve sat down and watched these playoffs, he has been an absolute clutch man. Even bringing out the classic Reggie Miller ‘choke’ celebration after tying up the game VS the Knicks after being down by NINE points with less than a minute remaining.

Over 1400 games in the playoffs had reached that point, and not a single team had lost. Until the Pacers handed the Knicks the loss in overtime. That’s just ONE of the Pacers comebacks this playoffs, they have just been full of magical moments, and the question is. Do they have one more magical moments in them?

Quick Fire Section

Defensive Series?

Defensively, both of these teams on paper look similar. While the Thunder led multiple categories this season, and were undeniably the best team this season. It’s no denying what the Pacers have been able to do as well, now the only question is will the Pacers be able to beat arguably the top defensive team in the NBA this season, or will the Thunder out-shine yet another team?

Thunder Defensive Stats Per Game

10.3 STL, 34.2 DRB, 5.7 BLK, 107.6 OPPTS

Pacers Defensive Stats Per Game

8.5 STL, 32.7 DRB, 5.5 BLK, 115.1 OPPTS

Thunder’s Championship Aspirations

First potential championship since relocation, most dominant Thunder team ever. Will this be the team to do it. Fan reaction, etc

Now the Thunder and Oklahoma City are looking for their first NBA Finals since relocating from Seattle. The main question on everyone’s mind, will SGA and the Thunder be able to bring a championship home?

The best Thunder team since the relocation, finally has a chance to put their name in the history books. Before the games tip-off in Oklahoma City, you will see a prayer. A tradition that started back all the way in 2005, when the New Orleans Hornets at the time, temporarily played in OKC after Hurricane Katrina tore havoc through New Orleans.

“The fans, who later became our [Thunder] fans, got used to it, appreciated it and we made the decision very quickly to continue that” said Thunder VP of broadcasting and corporate communication Dan Mahoney. “It definitely fits into the Thunder culture”

It’s one of the only known pregame invocations of its kind in the NBA.

Canadian Championship Quest

Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, Lugentz Dort, Benedict Mathurin, and Andrew Nembhard will all be looking for their first ring of their careers in this one. There is some very strong Canadian representation, either of them are looking to be first Canadians to win an NBA Finals since Oshae Brissett last season with the Celtics.

Coaching Showdown

Mark Daigneault, who joined the Thunder organization in 2014. He spent five seasons at the head coach for the Thunder’s G-League team. Before being promoted to head coach the NBA team in November 2020. He was named coach of the year in 2024, and the following year led the Thunder to a 68-win season, which is the best in franchise history.

Josh Giddey said Daigneault was a very solid coach. “If i build a coach, it’s Mark”. While he has been described as “open-minded, innovative and unconventional”

It’s no denying that he’s the exact coach that the young Thunder squad need. Dario Šarić said that Mark was the right coach for these young guys.

Rick Carlisle, head coach for the Indiana Pacers, where he previously served as a head coach for the Pistons and the Mavericks. He is one of 14 players to ever win an NBA Finals as a coach and a player.

It’s also important to note, that Carlisle had a role in developing both Dirk Nowitizi and Luka Doncic during his time with the Mavericks.

Then on June 24, 2021, the Pacers hired Carlisle as their head coach, for his third stint with the team and second as a coach. His contract was reported to be 29m over four years. He later signed a multi-year extension with Indiana, extending beyond this season.

Depth Matters

This series is set to be a good one all around, from star players, storylines, celebrities sitting court side and their bench.

The Thunder and Pacers both have at least four players who have averaged 10 or more minutes. But it is not hard to see, that the Thunder built a super-team. Having depth they can go to, all the way down to the 13th guy on the bench.

While the Thunder have the depth, players who can shoot from 3 and defend the court very well. As well as Alex Caruso who was acquired at the deadline and has been trusted to play some huge minutes in crunch time.

But there’s no denying the Pacers versatile play, players like T.J McConnell and Andrew Nembhard can play all around the court and contribute on both sides of the ball. Players like Aaron Nesmith have brought huge moments for the Pacers during this series.

While the Pacers bench is 100% capable of holding their own, and having some high-scoring bursts, it’s no denying that if the Thunder take advantage of this. This could be the difference maker in this NBA Finals

The Bear’s Prediction

Alright, so personally i think this is gonna be a really good series. The Thunder are definitely the better team on paper. But the Thunder are catching a team at the worst time you can catch them. That’s when they are hot, motivated, and ready to beat everything that comes their way. That’s the style that the Pacers have right now and will need to continue to win this series and the Finals.

Now it wont be an easy task holding down the number one team in the league this year. But if any team would’ve been able to do it, it’s the Pacers. Now they will need to go into a very loud Oklahoma City, who is ready to give that Pacers team an earful of passionate fans. Now my prediction, it all comes down to who wins Game 1. But my final pick, is the Indiana Pacers in seven games with Tyrese Haliburton winning MVP.

Longshot MVP pick if the Pacers win: Andrew Nembhard