Oklahoma City Thunder Win the 2024-2025 NBA Championship

 24-25 NBA Finals:  Congratulations to Thunder.  They deserved this championship, and I love how they did it with a combination of defense and young talent.  Shai was dominant averaging 30 points per game but had lots of help from Jalen Williams (23 ppg) and Chet Holmgren with his defense.  We got a seven-game series, great moments and some really good games.  There were some blowouts as well but that doesn't mean we didn't enjoy the playoff's Cinderella, Indiana, making us believe they could win this series.  OKC is a very young team outside of 30-year-olds Alex Carusso and Kenrich Williams.  They are setup for a long successful run.  I won't put money on more championships, because as we've seen parity is the name of the game in the NBA right now.

2025 NBA Finals: Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder

We get Pacers - Thunder in the NBA Finals.  While I'm sure ABC execs are not excited about having two small market teams in the Finals, I am.  We get two great teams and great players in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton.  OKC was the class of the league the entire season.  Their defense and the play of MVP SGA were overwhelming for teams.  While Denver took them to seven games, the Thunder only took nine games to dismiss the Grizzlies and Timberwolves.  The Pacers were 20-9 after the All-Star break and took out the Cavs, Bucks and Knicks in the playoffs.  They shouldn't be overlooked, and Tyrese Haliburton is the real deal having some amazing games in the playoffs.  I do think OKC wins this series.  Maybe 4-2.  I understand it could even be 4-1 but I have more confidence in Indiana.

Who am I rooting for?  Indiana.  This only their second NBA Finals and they've never won an NBA championship.  OKC has won a championship as the SuperSonics in the '78-79 season.  I also think their window for competing for a championship is longer than the Pacers.  No matter who wins I think it is a win for fans.  These small market teams built their teams through good front office moves in the draft, free agency and the trade market.  There are lots of fun players outside of the stars.  They are both deep.  We should celebrate these teams.  We are getting some "old school" basketball in the playoffs, so it'll be interesting to see how much they let them play.  Enjoy!

2023-2024 NBA Conference Finals

 It's that time of the year and the NBA Playoffs are down to four teams.  In the East we get Boston and Indy.  Love Indy and their move to pick Piascal Siakam from Toronto.  It's helped them get to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2014.  This team is centered around Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Siakam.  Knicks may have been banged up but nobody expected them to come back from a 3-2 deficit in that series.  Even without Kristaps Porzingis dinged up Boston is too good not to get this far.  They have so much fire power with Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.  

I didn't think Dallas could make it this far but they out muscled OKC and got enough from their big two in Luka and Kyrie.  They can score and they played defense in the last round to help win a huge game 7.  The Minnesota Timberwolves are the darlings of the playoffs.  Their tenacious defense and breakout star, Anthony Edwards, make them so much fun to watch.  Hard to think they could come this far after they looked so bad last year after trading for Rudy Gobert.  And that comeback against Denver in the Semi-Finals.  Down 3-2.  Down 20 points in the third quarter of game seven.  Amazing.

I'll be rooting for Minnesota, and Georgia alum Edwards, as well as Indiana.  Neither team has won a championship, and it would be so special to watch another team hoist their first banner.   We've already seen two teams do it in the last five seasons - Toronto and Denver.  That said, I think its the Timberwolves and Celtics in the NBA Finals.  I do think Dallas can make this a really good series but Minnesota is just too good right now.  Boston is just too good period.  Way too much talent even with Porzingis not on the floor while he heals.  I think those two teams would be a great matchup as well.  Hopefully no matter who we get in The Finals, I hope the Conference Finals series are fun.

Paul George Traded to Oklahoma City Thunder

Paul George was traded this weekend to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.  What a steal for the Thunder.  While it is doubtful George resigns with the Thunder, they didn’t really give up anything.  I like Oladipo but was surprised that he couldn’t average more than 15.9 points per game in an offense that lost Kevin Durant.  This was a perfect opportunity for him to step up and it didn’t happen.  Sabonis was a rookie last year who didn’t put up very good numbers (5.9 PPG/3.6 RPG 39% FG%) but is still young at 20 years old.  The Indiana Pacers were in a horrible spot and it was getting worse by the day.  Still, you had to think there was a better trade out there somewhere.  Hopefully Oladipo and Sabonis thrive in Indiana and it is a moot point. 

What does OKC get out of the deal?  Three things.  They show Russell Westbrook, a free agent after this season, they are working to make the team more competitive.  They have a better chance of resigning Paul George where they had a very slim chance of landing him in 2018 free agency before the trade.  And the Thunder mustbe viewed as the possible number two team in the Western Conference.  The Spurs have not done anything to get better, Houston did Chris Paul but Clippers are not expected to be as good next year.  You have to think a team with basically just Russel Westbrook that won 47 teams last year has a shot with George.  Are they are a threat to the Warriors?  No.  But if they could make it to the Conference Finals this would be a huge win.  A lot of basketball games between now and then and then they have to hope they can keep one or two of their superstars.  Still this was a very good trade for the Thunder. 

Atlanta Hawks Trade Jeff Teague

Jeff Teague

Jeff Teague has been traded in a three-way deal in which Teague goes to the Indiana Pacers, the Pacers send George Hill to the Utah Jazz and the Jazz send the 12th pick in this year's draft to the Atlanta Hawks.  You could see this coming.  Teague has only one year left on his deal and the Hawks have 22 year-old Dennis Schroder waiting in the wings.  Teague scored 15.7 points per game on 43% shooting (40% at the arc) and dished out 5.9 assists a game.  He should be a nice addition for Indiana and is only 27.  If he can continue to do well he'll be primed for a big contract when he becomes a free agent.  To me, Utah didn't get much in return for the pick.  I like George Hill and while he is a starter he still has much to prove.  Hopefully he can take that step with the Jazz.  Utah at least knows what they are getting in Hill which may be what they are thinking. 

 

 

Dennis Schroder

Schroder doesn't come without questions.  He isn't a great shooter, is 22 and hasn't been a starter save a small stretch in the playoffs.  The good news is he looked good in the playoffs and definitely has ball handling skills.  He just needs to learn how to run a team as their starting point guard and hone his scoring ability.  Atlanta also likes this move due to the money they save as they look at trying to re-sign center Al Horford who will likely command a max deal.  The number 12 pick in the draft will either be used to bring in young talent or packaged to bring in a veteran who can help the team.  Overall I like this deal.  I want Horford back and think it gives them some options for upgrading the rest of the team.  They still need to re-sign small forward Kent Bazemore or find some scoring from the wing.  A nice start to the Atlanta Hawks' offseason. 

Atlanta Hawks fall to Indiana Pacers 107-90 in Game 1

The Hawks go down one game to none after a tough loss to the Pacers.  Defense, free throw shooting (7-14) and shot selection were their doom.  None of the Hawks played exceptionally well.  Josh Smith played like he was Dale Ellis shooting from anywhere he touched the ball.  Of course Ellis could hit most of those shots.  The defense lacked any bite.  Jeff Teague had as good a game as any with 21 points and 7 assists.  Al Horford looked good in the first half but was not a factor in the third or fourth quarters. 

Indiana's Paul George couldn't hit a shot (3-13) but was able to drive and get to the line (17-18) finishing with 23 points.  He added 12 assists to boot.  Roy Hibbert didn't have a rebound in the first half but finished with 8 while adding 16 points.  George Hill had 18 while the rest of the starters added 13 apiece.  Just an overall solid game from Indiana.  They were the defensive team I was worried about going into this game.  Good on them. 

 

As the Czar Mike Fratello said this is only one game.  Atlanta has to know they can beat the Pacers.  They were winning early on in this game but they have to play within themselves if they expect to be winning at the end of the fourth quarter much less win the series.  Josh Smith will have to be much more of a factor.  If he can get his offense going in the post I think Atlanta has a shot.  I'll stick with my original prediction of Atlanta in five.