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

[MikelArteta]

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.

And he's declining rapidly . Will probably never be at an all star level again

 

[Flywin Lannister]

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

A question for you: are all the fans around the country (and in Canada) who yell "FREE THROW MERCHANT" wrong?


I think we all collectively got tired of seeing a potentially great player who can play the game the right way..
drive to the basket with only 1 goal: lean in on his defender, look for contact and the second he feels any contact... flail his body and arms and head.

All to get a foul.

This has 3 big advantages

1. Easy points from the free throw line
2. It gets his match-ups in foul trouble
3. And this makes them give distance.. which leads to A LOT of easy jumpers

Yes he can shoot
Yes he can even shoot the 3
Yes, there are moments where he does something nice (a rare nice layup when he doesn't look for the foul)

But overall, when there's smoke there's fire - like Brunson, at the smallest contact he is exaggerating and gets the foul.

 

[daboywonder2002]

On paper I feel that OKC should win this. Because they have the defense to contain the Pacers Five out offense. But Rick Carlisle has been on a tear this playoffs. And the man did beat the Big 3 in Miami. Who am i to doubt the Pacers? I honestly dont know who is gonna win . What i do kinow is that the Pacers can't be falling behind by 20 points, Haliburton can't start off slow and Myles has to stay out of foul trouble

 

[Womb Raider]

Thunder in 5

 

[daboywonder2002]

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.

It's ashame too cause OKC Paul George was a thing of beauty. 3rd in MVP and DPOY voting.

 

[Flywin Lannister]

And he's declining rapidly . Will probably never be at an all star level again

PG as an All-Star lol

All-Star used to mean something, so even if he does make All-Star it doesn't really mean much anymore.
But whether it's the fans votes (going to the 76'ers literally only for more money is not going to get you more fans) or current players/media..

The honeymoon period is far, far, far from over with "Playoff P"

Potential matters - but hunger matters more.

 

[Unbothered]

Wrong thread.

 

[Flywin Lannister]

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.

Good points

From the top of the key, he's legit dangerous from three - especially because of how fast the Pacers can move the ball and get players open

This issue - great players not getting talked about but relatively newer players getting all the hype - is a result of the fans and the media I think
The fans want the "extrovert" players: both Nemhard and Nesmith, are more extroverted and overtly confident in their behavior than Turner.
Turner is "quiet" and isn't jumping around flexing at all. I think him being so quiet and introverted is why fans don't gravitate towards him.

The media - if that's what you can call it because most of them talk about what happens around the sport more than the actual game - wants to talk about like 5 players max. And 1 of those 5 is not going to be Turner on the Pacers.

But you're right: his contribution to this Pacers team is huge and he's been there for years.

 

[Flywin Lannister]

This has got to be the most random and oddball NBA Finals matchup in a long, long, long time.

Nobody in the world could've seen this coming; well, most people assumed OKC would be here before the season opener, but Indiana is the biggest shock.

For those who think the Pacers have a shot at beating OKC, just stop it the only way the Thunder lose this series is if they beat themselves by making mistakes, lackadaisical effort, poor shooting, etc; not because of anything the Pacers or Carlisle could do to them.

We can give Indy all the props in the world for having this type of run, but it ends here; I'm going to say in 4 or 5, 6 if they're lucky, but this isn't going to be a big challenge for the Thunder like it was against the Nuggets.

This is Oklahoma City's championship to lose.

Were there legit people who thought it was a done deal for OCK to be in the finals BEFORE the season even started?

 

[Unbothered]

Were there legit people who thought it was a done deal for OCK to be in the finals BEFORE the season even started?

Due to their early exit last year to the Mavs, in which they looked startled, some people weren't too sure about them coming back this year and translating what they did last season and perfecting it this go around. It wasn't until midway through this season that it became clear the Thunder were legit.

Some were betting on the Nuggets, T-Wolves, or Mavs (before the Luka trade) to come out of the West.

Initially, most people assumed it would be OKC in the Finals against Boston until Cleveland midway through having a break-out season, so entering the playoffs it became a probability of Cavs/Celtics × Thunder being the likely matchup until the Cavs and Celtics both fell apart in the second round.

 

[wire28]

OP the mods said fukk you and your thread

@Flywin Lannister

 

[staticshock]

c00n as nikka really thought he had the juice and they would use this thread

 

[number21]

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

Yeah, fukk your thread.

 

[Theo Penn]

OKC perimeter defenders gonna make Haliburton fold. That boy about to be shook

 

[Born2BKing]

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....

I am being real. It will be fast paced and action packed. Thats the kind of ball I like.