Would the Pacers be the biggest Cinderella champion of they win it all?

[maradro]

From a narrative standpoint, I think it'd be tough to top the Mavs who knocked off the champion Lakers, Big 3 OKC, then the biggest villain the league has ever seen in the Heat.

Personally though, I think this would be the craziest title run of all time, especially when you consider how the games have played out.

Its a narrative though. OKC at that point was a young team making their first deep run (and benefitted massively from facing the 8 seed grizzlies in the second round instead of the 1st seed spurs that lost due to injury), lakers imploded badly and looked nothing like the previous season or even the regular season, and the villain heat destroyed the weak east but were a brand new team that hadnt won a championship before

but narratives are hard to change so whatever

[LakersLegacy]

The obvious competition are the 94-95 Rockets. They were a 6 seed and added Clyde late in the season. Hard to call a team with Hakeem and Clyde a Cinderella, but they were a 6 seed and went through Stockton/Malone, Barkley/Johnson, DRob, then Shaq/Penny. That's one hell of a run.

Would this be more of a Cinderella run? Maybe the Trailblazers championship team? I think I'd have this Pacers team as the ultimate.

Rockets had MVP, DPOY and Drexler, with young Horry and Cassell

[165bows]

They would be in the mix but that’s been the trend lately.

Finals appearance for the team with the lesser record has averaged less than 50 wins for the last four years.

[MaxZaslofskyJr]

1977–78 Washington Bullets ... that's when I first realized that there may be something to the idea that the playoffs really provide too small a sample size for which team is truly best.

[hauntedcomputer]

ZERO PEOPLE would've picked them as a title winning team let alone making it to the finals, so therefore the answer to this question is a resounding yes. (not going to claim to know if something comparable happened in the 50's/60's for full disclosure lol)

Pacers had 15th highest preseason odds at +5000 (equal to Cleveland and New Orleans.) Plenty of people took that bet whether they believed in the Pacers or not. I'd go with '75 Warriors and '78 Bullets. The opera ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.

[Dirk2Doncic]

Pacers have the 2nd best record in the league since January.

What you become is what matters.

I'm pulling for them.