Thunder losing the finals would be horrible for NBA parity

[JJ_PR]

A superior team being upset in the NBA finals is bad for parity?

[G R E Y]

Pacers winning will be a win for parity.

This.

[joesha1698]

I feel like OKC has an insane team, sometimes it feels like their 10th rotation player could easily start for every other team in the league. They don't have fake 3 and D players who can't dribble, everyone knows how to play it feels from every part of the court. Their only weakness is that their 2nd-10th player are fairly evenly matched in skill. This can be a huge advantage, but it might not be the best option if you could be a bit more top heavy.

If they lose the finals i'm afraid they might be like YOLO, let's make a superteam. Let's trade some of our depth and draft picks and bring Giannis or other stars that might be available for the right price, let's just empty the clip and put an insane team on the court for the next 5 years.

Honestly i feel they have the assets to go Durant GSW level. I don't know how it would work with the cap for them, but it's a scary thought for the future for non-OKC fans

Thunder losing would not be horrible for NBA parity because they got there. They drafted well, built in house, signed key free agents, stayed healthy, and their well coached. The reality is they may not be able to pay all those guys going forward (but they got 1-2 YRS) -- so the key would be to keep your core together and make smart moves going forward.

[ball_takes23]

Not sure that we’ve fully hit the era of 2nd aprons shutting down super teams—the Celtics have multiple super maxes and 3 other big ol contracts (and 5 AS candidates) plus some other decent sized ones, the Knicks have 4 guys who could be on maxes plus some other significant deals, the Suns of course have 3 giant super maxes, Lakers two supermaxes and like 7 other guys making $10m+, etc. The 2nd apron has scared some of those teams for sure but it’s not emptying out super teams yet. They’re just not winning this year.

I think the current play style is a major contributor to the parity. The pacers play fast and dogged—and of course can really shoot—so they’ve been beating slower and more skilled teams with better one on one guys etc. The Thunder have SGA but they also win because the whole team plays crazy fast on defense and everyone can shoot too. Feels like guys like Dort or Cason are often contributing as much as a OG or Bridges would because of the system and style, and guys like Nembhard and Nesmith obviously have too. It seems like this style just rewards teams with the right 7 man chemistry and ability to play that way well, it’s simply been beating the more top heavy talent teams this PO and we’ve all seen why. (Also helps that all the super/multi-AS teams now haven’t meshed or have some really faulty top talent).

part of it too is that traditional 3/D role players are a LOT more expensive nowadays which makes it harder to surround superstars with quality help. back in the day GM's were extremely dumb and would way overvalue the trash iso scorers so the GM's that actually had legit superstars had a much easier job, they could just surround their star with cheap 3/D players and be perennial contenders. for instance Shane Battier was a career 38% 3-pt shooter and an amazing defender and never made over $7M in a season, he signed with Miami for $3M/year while Joe Johnson was playing in Brooklyn making $20M+ a year. If Battier played in todays era he would easily be a $30M a year player, he would probably end up somewhere on a fringe playoff team because it would be impossible for any team with multiple other max players to afford him.

[Wonka]

Was does parity have to do with this series at all? It’s two small market teams who have built the right way.

[CIN-C-STAR]

So if they lose OKC will build an unstoppable super team, but if they win they’ll be like “no thanks on that let’s just hope for the best”?
If they can build an unstoppable super team they should do it regardless lol

[DusterBuster]

Warriors dynasty depended on previously injury prone Curry signing a super cheap deal AND the onetime cap spike that enabled signing Durant.

OKC has the most assets almost imaginable but the capology probably is more limiting now than the peak dubs had to deal with.

So sleep tight children, parity will prevail.

Yeah, the OP's post doesn't take into account the money/CBA of what happened that allowed the Warriors to get KD. That CBA and the one the NBA is currently under are night and day different, and this one was specifically designed to forever stop that CBA situation from happening again.

OKC also has much cheaper owners than GSW. Bennett isn't going to spend major apron tax money. So might they go out and get a Gannis? Sure, maybe? But they're also going to have to gut the teams depth and assets to do so as well which will leave the team considerably changed.

[Biff]

Weirdest take I've seen on here in awhile. It would be the exact opposite.

[HotelVitale]

Not sure that we’ve fully hit the era of 2nd aprons shutting down super teams—the Celtics have multiple super maxes and 3 other big ol contracts (and 5 AS candidates) plus some other decent sized ones, the Knicks have 4 guys who could be on maxes plus some other significant deals, the Suns of course have 3 giant super maxes, Lakers two supermaxes and like 7 other guys making $10m+, etc. The 2nd apron has scared some of those teams for sure but it’s not emptying out super teams yet. They’re just not winning this year.

I think the current play style is a major contributor to the parity. The pacers play fast and dogged—and of course can really shoot—so they’ve been beating slower and more skilled teams with better one on one guys etc. The Thunder have SGA but they also win because the whole team plays crazy fast on defense and everyone can shoot too. Feels like guys like Dort or Cason are often contributing as much as a OG or Bridges would because of the system and style, and guys like Nembhard and Nesmith obviously have too. It seems like this style just rewards teams with the right 7 man chemistry and ability to play that way well, it’s simply been beating the more top heavy talent teams this PO and we’ve all seen why. (Also helps that all the super/multi-AS teams now haven’t meshed or have some really faulty top talent).

part of it too is that traditional 3/D role players are a LOT more expensive nowadays which makes it harder to surround superstars with quality help. back in the day GM's were extremely dumb and would way overvalue the trash iso scorers so the GM's that actually had legit superstars had a much easier job, they could just surround their star with cheap 3/D players and be perennial contenders. for instance Shane Battier was a career 38% 3-pt shooter and an amazing defender and never made over $7M in a season, he signed with Miami for $3M/year while Joe Johnson was playing in Brooklyn making $20M+ a year. If Battier played in todays era he would easily be a $30M a year player, he would probably end up somewhere on a fringe playoff team because it would be impossible for any team with multiple other max players to afford him.

Well, yes and no. Battier's role was legitimately pretty small at that time because offenses still played through high-volume iso scorers or post-up guys. Perimeter guys who could shoot and attack closeouts were valuable but they mostly did just stand around in the corner to increase spacing for the high volume dudes. If you spent your money on Battiers in the late 2000s and early 2010s and didn't have a Yao or TMac, you probably weren't going very far. We were already moving towards spacing and spread floor but hadn't reached the level of spacing and ball-movement--plus constant pn'r initiating--where you could compete without top-notch mega-volume creators. (Also Battier to MIA was just a typical cheap ring-chasing thing, right? think he could've easily made like 10-15% of the cap somewhere or other like he did for most of his career).

This PO it feels like we're seeing having some lead creators who can play fast, plus like 6 other guys who can shoot and connect and play fast on offense and hard on defense, is clearly superior to having Yao+TMac-level guys. Jokic was maybe an exception because of how awesome he is and how much he reacts and keeps the offense moving, but otherwise the superstar creators just weren't as impactful as they have been for most of the time any of us have been watching the game. Having a full cast that could nail the style--play physical defense, move the ball fast, and hit 3s from all over--seems not just better but almost completely dominant this PO.

[Yoshun]

Nah, that's not a Presti move. He didn't do it last year when they failed to make the finals and he won't do it this year if they lose. Last season he went out and obtained quality role players to improve the team by addressing specific needs, he'll do it again if he needs to. He's been one of the best GMs in the league for years now.

As for parity, either of these teams winning is a win for parity.

[jkvonny]

Wait... what??

Any of these teams winning is great for parity.

[Optms]

I feel like OKC has an insane team, sometimes it feels like their 10th rotation player could easily start for every other team in the league. They don't have fake 3 and D players who can't dribble, everyone knows how to play it feels from every part of the court. Their only weakness is that their 2nd-10th player are fairly evenly matched in skill. This can be a huge advantage, but it might not be the best option if you could be a bit more top heavy.

If they lose the finals i'm afraid they might be like YOLO, let's make a superteam. Let's trade some of our depth and draft picks and bring Giannis or other stars that might be available for the right price, let's just empty the clip and put an insane team on the court for the next 5 years.

Honestly i feel they have the assets to go Durant GSW level. I don't know how it would work with the cap for them, but it's a scary thought for the future for non-OKC fans

Yes, it would be horrible but only for parity, not the NBA. Contrary to what some folks believe, the superteam era has been histirocally great for basketball.

And whether it happens via the outcome you presented, or with Wemby/Spurs, Rockets, Lakers, etc or some other unforeseen outcome like the Warriors. The superteam era will return. And likely sooner than most people think.