2025 NBA FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Indiana Pacers (OKC leads 3-2)

[metalinguss]

Shai making his stamp as the best player in basketball.

Haters in shambles.

2nd best maybe. Give Jokic that same depth and they win. Easily.

[metalinguss]

This is one anticlimactic finals. Hurry it up and get it over with. Has there been any other team that has been less charismatic?

LMAO at a Laker fan saying this. Of course you only want the Big market, Hollywood, cheesy unnecessarily dramatic superstar-driven BS. It favors your team.

[lambchop]

Those Nemhard turnovers were hard to watch. He basically gave the Thunder a head start into multiple fast breaks. It's the kind of situation where you'd rather see him simply pull up from the logo where he could technically make 1 of 4 shots, instead of just throwing the ball away.

[kwajo]

Those Nemhard turnovers were hard to watch. He basically gave the Thunder a head start into multiple fast breaks. It's the kind of situation where you'd rather see him simply pull up from the logo where he could technically make 1 of 4 shots, instead of just throwing the ball away.

He had a couple of those right at the moment when the Pacers had closed it to just a possession or two, the timing couldn’t have been worse.

[MMyhre]

Shai making his stamp as the best player in basketball.

Haters in shambles.

2nd best maybe. Give Jokic that same depth and they win. Easily.

Focus on getting out of the West first bud

[MMyhre]

SGA is easily the second best player in the NBA. Luka and Giannis aren't on his level.

Giannis isn't on this level?

Guy has 1 playoff series win in 4 years, and 3 straight 1st round exits. Stats arent really translating to any kind of team success anymore, time to stop giving him that ring benefit of doubt.

[metalinguss]

Shai making his stamp as the best player in basketball.

Haters in shambles.

2nd best maybe. Give Jokic that same depth and they win. Easily.

Focus on getting out of the West first bud

Which is exactly my point. Denver needs a better supporting cast than what Jokic has.

[MMyhre]

2nd best maybe. Give Jokic that same depth and they win. Easily.

Focus on getting out of the West first bud

Which is exactly my point. Denver needs a better supporting cast than what Jokic has.

Best player is the one held accountable, I think he could do more, but you guys are underrating his team, I think they were fine ++ - MPJ who was injured. Gordon legit carried Jokic at times..

[Wingy]

SGA is easily the second best player in the NBA. Luka and Giannis aren't on his level.

Giannis isn't on this level?

Guy has 1 playoff series win in 4 years, and 3 straight 1st round exits. Stats arent really translating to any kind of team success anymore, time to stop giving him that ring benefit of doubt.

Get out with this reductive trash. Giannis has teammates as good as Shai he’s winning another championship.

Nobody wins alone. Not even Mike, Lebron, KAJ, etc.

[Wingy]

Don’t like that Coach Carlisle didn’t come back with McConnell. I understand sitting him for a quick breather, but with Haliburton physically struggling out there and his performance showing it, hard to completely ice the guy largely responsible for your comeback.

[Optimus_Steel]

So what can the Pacers do about Nesmith and his minutes? I mean, at least I know Nembhard is making it hard on SGA to get into a rhythm on the offensive end. But Aaron is just getting brutalized on both ends of the floor by Jalen Williams. It's become unfair. If he's not fouling constantly, guys are finishing right over him like he's not even there. And then he's not even really looking for his shot either, making it very easy for them to defend him.

I know he had 14, but when your cover drops 40 and makes it look easy, it doesn't matter. Williams' offensive numbers just keep going up with subsequent game. What's he going to do next? Drop 50 on Aaron?

Neismith is a decent player that is capable of going on heaters but that’s basically all he is. Not someone you can rely on consistently to carry your team. His instincts on defense are also lacking. The effort is there but the execution is not. The Pacers don’t really have options because Mathurin has been awful and is low IQ. Their only hope at the moment is that Neismith goes on another heater.

[kaansunman]

Those Nemhard turnovers were hard to watch. He basically gave the Thunder a head start into multiple fast breaks. It's the kind of situation where you'd rather see him simply pull up from the logo where he could technically make 1 of 4 shots, instead of just throwing the ball away.

He felt alone this time with the "deny" pressure defense by OKC. Haliburton should be the one with the ball in those minutes. McConnell can get back in but both Nembhard and Haliburton played big in clutch all playoff long. Coac Carlisle's decision to play that duo is highly reasonable.

[Castle Black]

Shai making his stamp as the best player in basketball.

Haters in shambles.

2nd best maybe. Give Jokic that same depth and they win. Easily.

1. Jokic
2. Giannis
3. SGA

That's the list right now. Shai clearly has by far the best team around him, but those other two guys are still ahead of him as the best basketball players in the world right now (those 2 guys are in their primes though, whereas SGA is a still a year or two away imo). You're right about your last point though. Give Jokic SGA's supporting cast and they cake-walk to a Championship.

[Castle Black]

SGA is easily the second best player in the NBA. Luka and Giannis aren't on his level.

Giannis isn't on this level?

Guy has 1 playoff series win in 4 years, and 3 straight 1st round exits. Stats arent really translating to any kind of team success anymore, time to stop giving him that ring benefit of doubt.

SGA is incredible obv but he's not a better two-way player than Giannis. He's just not, at least not yet. Swap those two and SGA would be out in the first round too playing on that abysmal Bucks roster. Gary Trent Jr. and Bobby Portis were his two best supporting cast pieces in that series . I mean come on. And Dame, who got injured in Game 4, was playing like complete trash that series before the injury anyways (7 ppg on 22% shooting... awful).

Giannis averaged 33/15/7/1/1 on 61% shooting vs. the Pacers in the First Round but they were simply the better team. Nothing he could do given his supporting cast. And Giannis only played in 2 games in the 2023 series vs the Heat due to injury.

[Optms]

2nd best maybe. Give Jokic that same depth and they win. Easily.

Focus on getting out of the West first bud

Which is exactly my point. Denver needs a better supporting cast than what Jokic has.

You mean the guy that took a total of 1 shot all second half of game 7? That guy's better than Shai?

[falcolombardi]

Shai making his stamp as the best player in basketball.

Haters in shambles.

2nd best maybe. Give Jokic that same depth and they win. Easily.

1. Jokic
2. Giannis
3. SGA

That's the list right now. Shai clearly has by far the best team around him, but those other two guys are still ahead of him as the best basketball players in the world right now. You're right about your last point though. Give Jokic SGA's supporting cast and they cake-walk to a Championship.

I get shai has been doing this the less time but what would he need to do for people to accept him as acontender for 1st?, for how long?

He has 3 all nba years scoring 30+ in a row, he had a jordan-like season statistically, led a 68 win team, had arguably the best advanced stats in the league above jokic, is close to having a ring himself

[LFGK]

SGA is easily the second best player in the NBA. Luka and Giannis aren't on his level.

Giannis isn't on this level?

Guy has 1 playoff series win in 4 years, and 3 straight 1st round exits. Stats arent really translating to any kind of team success anymore, time to stop giving him that ring benefit of doubt.

not hearing this Giannis slander, that bucks team is brutal. Swap the 2 players and the thunder might not lose a game in this years playoff run.

[MoneyTalks41890]

Giannis is very good and I’m not going to say that there’s some big gap.

But Shai was better this year in the RS and the playoffs and is likely to end this season with MVP and FMVP.

IMO that would put Giannis is a position to prove he’s the better player next year.

[FlatearthZorro]

Those Nemhard turnovers were hard to watch. He basically gave the Thunder a head start into multiple fast breaks. It's the kind of situation where you'd rather see him simply pull up from the logo where he could technically make 1 of 4 shots, instead of just throwing the ball away.

He had a couple of those right at the moment when the Pacers had closed it to just a possession or two, the timing couldn’t have been worse.

That's true, and they were live-ball turnovers, which led to fast breaks for OKC, and they excel in these situations.
Also, Siakam was doing his best JB impression.

[Optms]

2nd best maybe. Give Jokic that same depth and they win. Easily.

1. Jokic
2. Giannis
3. SGA

That's the list right now. Shai clearly has by far the best team around him, but those other two guys are still ahead of him as the best basketball players in the world right now. You're right about your last point though. Give Jokic SGA's supporting cast and they cake-walk to a Championship.

I get shai has been doing this the less time but what would he need to do for people to accept him as acontender for 1st?, for how long?

He has 3 all nba years scoring 30+ in a row, he had a jordan-like season statistically, led a 68 win team, had arguably the best advanced stats in the league above jokic, is close to having a ring himself

Most rational fans will see it once he raises that Finals MVP trophy. Haters won't though.