Who ya got?
The NBA Finals are upon us. And while the Golden State Warriors gave it a good run, injuries and a lack of depth cut their season short, and for the third consecutive year, they won’t be the champion.
Instead, it will be either the Indiana Pacers or the Oklahoma City Thunder, as the pair of up and coming young teams ran their way to the game’s biggest stage, and are now battling for a trophy.
So who are you rooting for? The Thunder opened the series as the favorite, though the Pacers stole Game 1 behind yet another unthinkable hero shot by Tyrese Haliburton. Oklahoma City seems like the potential dynasty set to run the table for years to come, while Indiana feels like the shocking team of destiny that few had making even the Eastern Conference Finals, let alone winning a trophy.
There aren’t a lot of Warriors connections. The biggest connection for the Pacers is that they star Haliburton, a player linked to the Warriors in the 2020 NBA Draft, before the Dubs ultimately selected James Wiseman. Speaking of which, Wiseman began the year on Indiana’s roster, though he suffered a season-ending injury in the opening week, and then was salary dumped at the trade deadline.
The Thunder don’t have any former Warriors (despite employing a player whose last name is “Wiggins”), though Golden State has been linked to Alex Caruso more times than I can remember. And while they don’t have any former Warriors players, they did steal the team’s mascot name. Pour one out for Thunder, a muscular Oracle Arena legend.
So who are you rooting for, Dub Nation? And who do you think will win?