These Days of Thunder (#1) don't need no Pacers (#4) aka Adam Silver's Nightmare | The OFFICIAL 2024-2025 NBA Finals Thread

[MikelArteta]

Paul George literally built these two teams

Thunder got Jalen Williams and Shai

Pacers got Haliburton

 

[Dillah810]

I'm pulling for the Pacers, but this feels like it's OKC's year

 

[DraymondT]

Myles is the story that won't get talked about much. If there was a stat for name most brought up in trade talks for the last decade he might be 1st lol. nikka was there when PG was there but at the end and now Hali. He been one of the best 3&D bigs for basically his whole career. Not many bigs can protect the rim and hit 3s at the clip he do. He got some scorin outside spotup 3s too. He been a top 10 caliber center for years now but never gets talked about. Remind me of a NFL player who been real good but not good enough to be a star. Consistent, stay at the top in his areas then finally get that right cast and show his impact. Even though he they 3rd best player it feel like the Nembhard, Nesmith and even some bench players get talked about more than him.

 

[Pacni99a12]

Paul George literally built these two teams

Thunder got Jalen Williams and Shai

Pacers got Haliburton

I don't know if this shyt or Jerry Stackhouse is worse.

 

[holidayinn21]

Thread title is fukking garbage

What is this shyt

 

[Da_Eggman]

Paul George literally built these two teams

Thunder got Jalen Williams and Shai

Pacers got Haliburton

Clippers got Playoff P

 

[FAH1223]

Thread title is fukking garbage

What is this shyt

Facts @FAH1223 make the thread

Here’s the official thread

Shai's Troops Hunt Down The Haliban | Official Thunder (#1) vs. Pacers (#4) 2025 NBA Finals Thread

Two franchises, separated by geography and circumstance, yet united by the singular pursuit that defines this league—a championship. The Oklahoma City Thunder, rebuilt through patience and precision by longtime executive Sam Presti, their young core now seasoned by playoff fire, carry the hopes...

www.thecoli.com

 

[Flywin Lannister]

At this very moment, 8 pages of this OFFICIAL Finals thread in...

Not 1 person voted "Pacers in 4"

It may be over brehs.


And I don't mean the series: I mean the NBA as we know it.


We got:
SGA. Who for ALL he could be, decides to flop his way to the charity line over, and over, and over again.
The entire strategy is to get opponents in foul trouble, so they back off of him, and he takes easy jumpers.
Sure he's got a nice play here or there, but 80-90% of his game is: Get fouls, get easy shots.

Tyrese Haliburton. He's not even the MVP on his own team. And those are facts, that's not an opinion.
Struggles to get over 20ppg. Today vs the Knicks he "went off" and had 21.

Is SGA a superstar, is Haliburton a star... uh.. I guess so?


Are they.. LeBron, Kobe, AI, Shaq, Dirk level superstars: definitely not today.
With that said: this is top 3 worst outcomes for the NBA to have as a match-up.

I can only come up with the Hawks or the Magic as worse options in the NBA Finals.


THE NBA IS DEAD BREHS!

Maybe

 

[Piff Huxtable]

He been one of the best 3&D bigs for basically his whole career.

that's like being the best pitmaster in a vegan restaurant
modern basketball smh

I bet there will be at least one game that Indy loses because anorexic Chet will grab crucial offensive rebounds over Turner

 

[Flywin Lannister]

Thunder is 6. These dudes will probably end up waking up from 3. They are shooting 33% for the playoffs right now.

We may be witnessing the end of the Splash Borthers era.

The 3-ball has been saturated. Not EVERY team is the Warriors (with Klay, before Draymond punched the fukk outta Poole).

Most team don't have the motion and the player or players who can really get free regularly despite tight defense like a Curry.

Celtics come to mind as a team that really used the 3-pointer to create a lot of separation and Pacers show glimpses of it too.

That said: we may be seeing a change in coaching and in how teams run their offense considering OKC made it this far with "ok" shooting.

 

[Flywin Lannister]

Two shytty cities but damn if this won't be a lit series. I'm looking forward to this.

I can't tell if you're serious or if you're bullshyttin


You really think this is going to be a good series?

There is a lot not to like about how at least 1 of these 2 teams plays basketball....

 

[Flywin Lannister]

OKC in 5

2 completes his legendary season

LEGENDARY


James Harden won an MVP. You can't find a dude in OKC, New York, Houston or LA to say this dude is a legend.
It's not a legendary season yet. It'll be a "great season" but also something that I doubt people will remember for long once the offseason starts.

It'll be respected, of course, chips are respected - but he hasn't shown me a "legendary performance" yet.

I doubt anyone in here can name 5 Playoff SGA highlights.
He:

1. Drives and has 0 intention to score and 100% focused on getting contact, LOOKING for contact to get fouls
2. He shoots free throws well
3. He shoots 3 pointers well
4. On RARE occassions when he realizes he can score a layup - he scores
5. By the time players that guard him are in foul trouble, he gets lots of easy jumpers made more easy because he is genuinely good at creating space (but it's way easier to create that space when the defender is hesitant to guard you)

That's it.
He does not have many memorable, must-see TV plays. So Legendary... that's not really in the cards at this moment. Now if he goes ABSOLUTELY INSANE game after game, scores 35+ with 8+ assists every Finals game.. ok this is different. But STILL you have to take some points off because he gets them easily (and not he is great so he makes it seem easy, no he looks for fouls and makes use of that in FTs and easy jumpers).

 

[Piff Huxtable]

I don't know how you can hate on SGA after all he did this season so far
If he stinks up the finals? Sure
but not now

at least he is driving to the hoop
something that Harden should have done in 2018

 

[Black smoke and cac jokes]

Legendary

 

[Flywin Lannister]

Paul George literally built these two teams

Thunder got Jalen Williams and Shai

Pacers got Haliburton

Off topic but hs there been a bigger fall off than PG13?

1. Dude was considered a TOP Superstar player (on the Pacers at the very least)
2. Then cracked under pressure way too many times and publicly asked to be called Playoff P.
3. Goes to LA ultimately and has a real, real opportunity with Kawhi to do something special.
4. BUT... when it matters - again, disappears.
5. Then decides to take the money and go play for the... 76ers.
6. And somehow also decides to.. become a podcaster
7. Now the players that got to where they are now because of him are in the NBA Finals.

This is a terrible fall off. NOBODY considers him a top player anymore and he caused it by himself.

I saw him play vs the Nets in NYC and my overall impression: hyper talented but not overtly ambitious player which shows in the effort he exerts.

Joining the 76ers when you're close to a real run with your team... pathetic.