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

[eyeatoma]

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.

This

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[Roscoe Sheed]

often overlooked is the 1977-78 Washington Bullets who the championship with a 44-38 regular season record:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/WSB/1978.html

[jkvonny]

Yes, it'll be up there if they pull it off.

Up there with the 2011 Mavs (Rick's old team) , mid '90s Rockets, 2004 Pistons, 2016 Cavs, 2019 Raptors, 2021 Bucks, 1978 Washington Bullets/Wizards, etc.

Don't forget the 1977 Portland Trailblazers. Very young team like the OKC Thunder. Portland was an expansion team, too. Only a few years old, clinched their first ever winning season and playoffs. Upset Denver Nuggets (4-2) in 2nd round and upset the Lakers (sweep) in the WCF.

Then upset the heavily favored Philly 76ers in the NBA Finals, 4-2. After bring down 0-2, lost the road games at Philly.

Portland Jack Ramsay, Bill Walton, Maurice Lucas and Co.

[bushybrah_]

Nope.

As much as it hurt, the 2011 Mavs beating the first year of the Big 3 Heat was more impressive.

The 2016 Cavs coming back from 3-1 was a better Cinderella story.

The 2019 Raptors winning Canada’s first and only title with Kawhi, taking out the Warriors was unreal.

If the Heat beat Denver as an 8th seed from the play-in in 2023 that’d be the best underdog ever.


I’m sure there’s more. This was just off the top of my head.

[Asianiac_24]

Yes. Before the playoffs started if you asked me who are the contenders, I’d say OKC/Nuggets/Minny in the West and Cleveland/Boston/maybe Knicks. Pacers was not in my radar at all

[ScrantonBulls]

Nope.

As much as it hurt, the 2011 Mavs beating the first year of the Big 3 Heat was more impressive.

The 2016 Cavs coming back from 3-1 was a better Cinderella story.

The 2019 Raptors winning Canada’s first and only title with Kawhi, taking out the Warriors was unreal.

If the Heat beat Denver as an 8th seed from the play-in in 2023 that’d be the best underdog ever.


I’m sure there’s more. This was just off the top of my head.

The Mavs steamrolled a stacked west. Wasn't that surprising.

Kawhi beating a Warriors team without Durant and then without Klay? Lol. What am I even reading here?

[IG2]

It's a testament to how deranged the LeBron hatred is that 2011 Dallas keep getting mentioned. They won 57 games, swept Miami in the regular season, cruised through the Western playoffs and were only slight underdogs in the Finals. They were not a Cinderella team by any definition.

The biggest upset by far post-1980 is 2004 Pistons over Lakers. The only other upset that can match (and surpass) that series is if Indiana somehow pulls this off.

[-Luke-]

Right there with Carlisle's last championship with DAL, arguably more since I would say Dirk was more highly regarded than Hali.

Carlisle solidly a top 10 all-time coach if he can pull this off as well.

[Chuck Everett]

No, because Indiana has a great team. People are still caught up in the fact that they don't have "household names." History is going to look back fondly on this group when it's all said and done.

Also, OKC is an excellent team and their metrics say they are one of the 10-15 best teams of all-time, however, there is an issue. They are the youngest team in the league. That they are this great, this fast is a testament to their professionalism/talent/roster composition, however, when adversity hits inexperienced people, we can only speculate how they will react. We have no data to suggest they will thrive. And as great as their defense is, look at their road playoff record this season:

vs. Memphis (2-0)
Game 3: 114-108
Game 4: 117-115
Note: In both games they were down huge deficits and a lot of guys didn't show up. Morant got hurt which cost Memphis Game 3, but Game 4, the Thunder were just as bad.

vs. Denver (1-2)
Game 3: 104-113 (OT)
Game 4: 92-87
Game 6: 107-119
Note: The road game they won (Game 4) was a game the NBA decided to schedule on a Sunday afternoon (less than 36 hours later) and the basketball was putrid by both teams.

vs. Minnesota (1-1)
Game 3: 101-143
Game 4: 128-126
Note: Minnesota couldn't stop turning off the basketball, but that Game 4 was unique in that it was one of the few games where the OKC offense looked really solid on the road. Wolves literally couldn't get any stops in that game when they needed it.

TLDR: There is a possibility that the Thunder are still one season away from truly finding their ceiling, but again, the Indiana Pacers are not a slouch team. They have at least 10-11 guys they can play (when Walker is healthy) in the playoffs and the team doesn't feel bad having them in. It's taking this forum way too long to realize they are playing collectively at an elite level. Most NBA teams don't have this many guys contributing on a night to night basis.

[jkvonny]

Yes. Before the playoffs started if you asked me who are the contenders, I’d say OKC/Nuggets/Minny in the West and Cleveland/Boston/maybe Knicks. Pacers was not in my radar at all

In the East, I had the Pacers, Knicks as dark horses.
Cavs, Celtics as the favorites.

I had the same teams favorites (OKC, Minny, Denver) as you in the West. Along with Clips, Rockets as darkhorses.

What a playoff run from the Indiana Pacers!

[Edrees]

Playoffs only I give the edge to the mavs. 2011 heat are way scarier than this OKC team.
But, FULL year cinderella story? some people probably picked dallas to win a title due to dirk

NOBODY would ever pick this pacers team to win the title at beginning of season.

[Raps in 4]

Only because People keep underrating them.

They're a 50-win team and the #4 seed. They also had a slow start to the season due to injuries. It isn't a Cinderella run at all.

They've had the most clutch playoff run I've ever watched though.

[AdagioPace]

only going by cold stats, given the difference of almost 11 SRS between Pacers and OKC, yes it would be shocking. I cheer for the messy Pacers, even though it would need an epic meltdown by OKC.

[Statlanta]

Hard to beat the Mavs and Rockets especially since the Mavericks beat the defending champions. They have the Vegas odds on their side though. Nobody preseason up to yesterday would believe a Pacer would ever sniff a ring

[KG Leonard]

They are worse team than 2011 Mavs with an all-time great MVP in his early 30s, the last prime of Dirk. Sure Kidd, Marion and co was old but they were top team in the West destroying many great teams and all-time Lebron, Wade Miami.

Haliburton is an all-star on a great run but he isnt Dirk, Siakam is quality. They would be huge Cinderella underdog champions but problem is they are facing a young, inexperienced team that is historical defence but with one good scorer. Jdub, Chet had another bad game for like the 10th time this playoffs. Prime Lebron and Wade still at his best in Miami is much harder to beat.
Thunders are so unrproven and barely won in 7 games Vs a weaker Nuggets team with no bench and Jokic surrounded by mediocre players.

[UcanUwill]

Yes if you are considering the entire playoff run.

No if it's just the Finals, Mavs. winning vs. LeBron's healthy Heatle super team is the biggest Finals upset.

I believe that that Mavs team was underdog in round one vs Blazers, or at least majority of the media thought Blazers will win. They might have been favorites vs Lakers in round two, as it was pretty dysfunctional Lakers team, but what I mean, that Dallas team was big underdog throughout the whole playoffs.

If we are talking biggest underdog in just Finals, if has to be the Pistons.

[xinxin]

They’d be up there.

Along with the ‘04 Pistons and ‘11 Mavs


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[durden_tyler]

Beating a historically great team, i'd put them alongside the Detroit surprise vs LA in '04. The Mavs one was special too since it's against the Super Friends but they had an all timer in Dirk and this Pacers team has Haliburton and Siakam.

[Mavrelous]

only going by cold stats, given the difference of almost 11 SRS between Pacers and OKC, yes it would be shocking. I cheer for the messy Pacers, even though it would need an epic meltdown by OKC.

More shocking is that they did it twice, they already ousted the 2nd best team in the Cavs.

[Bloodbather]

Yes. They weren't even considered a contender all season.

They aren't the biggest cinderella story up to this point, though. That would be the 8th seed Heat from a few seasons ago and the 7th seed Knicks in 1999. I don’t see the Pacers winning the title despite Game 1 so it'll become a less notable story in that sense. (The ridiculous comeback wins and clutch plays will be remembered, though)