The NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers will tip off Thursday. Here’s a look at seven of the most intriguing storylines entering the championship series.
SGA could be 1st in 10 years to win MVP, championship in same season
The last regular-season MVP to win the NBA championship the same season was the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry in 2014-15. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is looking to accomplish the feat. He won MVP after leading the NBA in regular-season scoring with 32.7 points per game, and his success has carried into the postseason. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 29.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.6 steals in these playoffs and earned this year’s Magic Johnson Trophy, given to the most valuable player in the Western Conference finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander could also do what Curry couldn’t in 2015, and that’s be named Finals MVP. Curry missed out thanks to the performance of Andre Iguodala. If SGA does it, he’d be just the 11th player in league history and first since LeBron James in 2012-13 to be named regular-season and Finals MVP in the same campaign.
Haliburton shedding ‘overrated’ label
An anonymous player poll conducted by The Athletic in April singled out Tyrese Haliburton as the most “overrated” player in the league. It’s worth mentioning that only 90 players cast a vote, so even with 14.4% of the vote, that translates to only 12 individuals or so who felt a certain way about the Pacers star. Still, those unidentified dozen are very likely regretting their answer now.
Haliburton’s immediate response to the poll was a 21-point, 12-rebound performance to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of Round 1. Now, he’s leading Indiana to its first Finals in a quarter-century after a historic 32-point triple-double with zero turnovers in Game 4 against the New York Knicks. Puma, with which he’s signed, unveiled an “Overrate That” T-shirt in the aftermath of that ridiculous stat line.
The best Thunder team of all time?
Despite the limitations that come with playing in a smaller market, like less national coverage and difficulty attracting free agents, the Thunder have boasted an absurd assortment of talent since they took root in Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season. Their short-lived Big Three of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden made the Finals in 2012 and has represented the peak of Thunder basketball.
Mark Daigneault’s current squad will probably unseat the Big Three era as the best in Thunder history. On paper, there aren’t many sides that could slow down that old OKC group, but the defensive acumen sprinkled throughout this year’s roster would likely provide an edge against Durant and Co. Even if the Thunder fall just short of a title again this time around, general manager Sam Presti, who also assembled the teams around Durant, will likely keep this core together for much longer after the ostensible mistake of prematurely trading Harden in 2012.
Turner playing for free-agent payday
Myles Turner isn’t only trying to win his first NBA championship, but he’s also looking to boost his value before entering free agency this offseason. The 6-foot-11 big man could cash in with a massive deal in this summer’s relatively weak free-agent class. Turner has been the anchor of the Pacers’ defense for most of the last seven seasons. He’s led the league in blocks twice (2018-19, 2020-21) during that span and is currently averaging a team-high 2.4 blocks per game this postseason.
The 29-year-old is also averaging 15.2 points per game in the playoffs, third most on Indiana. Turner excels on the perimeter despite his large frame; he shot a career-high 39.6% from deep during the regular season and has followed that up with a 40.3% mark in the postseason.
Carlisle seeks 2nd underdog triumph
Somewhat lost amid three dominant series victories over the Bucks, 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers, and Knicks is head coach Rick Carlisle marching into his second NBA Finals. The 65-year-old, who helmed the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 during their only title run in franchise history, has prepared Indiana to perfection throughout this postseason. His adjustments after setbacks have been critical, too; the Pacers are 4-0 in games after losses this postseason, during which they’ve averaged over 121 points and a margin of victory of 18.
Against Oklahoma City, Carlisle finds himself in a similar predicament to his 2011 triumph. Few expected those Mavericks to topple the Miami Heat’s vaunted Big Three, much like how many are predicting the Thunder to easily brush aside the Pacers. However, that may be just the kind of Finals backdrop Carlisle prefers.
Canadians taking over finals
Canada will have strong representation in these NBA Finals. Four Canadian-born players will compete in the series: Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort for the Thunder, and Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard on the Pacers. The separate duos are each looking to become the 11th and 12th Canadians to win an NBA title. No matter who wins, this will be the fourth consecutive year that a Canadian becomes a champion.
The series also serves as an Olympic preview with the SGA-Haliburton matchup. Gilgeous-Alexander is a lock to be the star of Canada for the next decade at least, and it’s widely expected that Haliburton will take the reins from Stephen Curry as the USA’s starting guard in the near future. A battle between these two All-Stars could become a regular thing in the NBA and the Summer Games.
OKC’s home-court advantage
What the Thunder have done at home this postseason is absurd. They’ve been practically untouchable throughout the playoffs, going 8-1 at Paycom Center and beating opponents by an average margin of 24.6 points.
The Thunder have won five home games these playoffs by 25-plus points, and four of those were by 30-plus. They hit the ground running with a 51-point beatdown of the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 of the first round. Game 1 of the Finals takes place June 5, exactly one month since the Thunder last lost a home contest.
