The Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals is making a compelling case for parity
I've got to admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of the NBA's decision to lean into parity. That's just not the NBA I grew up loving.
I'm used to the era of super teams. The peak of my basketball-watching years began with the LeBron James Heatles facing off against the league with an us-against-the-world mentality. That resulted in four of the most incredible years of sports television I've ever seen.
The Heat were rockstars. ESPN developed the "Heat Index" that tracked the team's every move. When Miami started its season 9-8 in 2010? It was over. The experiment failed. When Miami won 27 straight games? Whew. We were so back. Every single night was compelling.
The Steph vs. Bron era followed that. This ultimately became the modern-day Magic vs. Bird. People ultimately hated this because the Warriors added Kevin Durant, and whatever intrigue there was in the matchup dissipated. The KD Warriors were arguably the most unbeatable team I'd seen in my lifetime. The only thing that stopped them was Durant's Achilles popping and Klay Thompson's ACL snapping. Even then, I didn't believe Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors could beat Curry by himself until it happened.
Those were the days, man. Super teams ruled. It was them against the league. That was my NBA. But my NBA is dead. Today, we exist in the league's parity era. And, while I'm not the biggest fan of it, I have to admit that the show the Thunder and Pacers are putting on in the NBA Finals is doing a convincing job of turning me into a believer.
The NBA's parity era is here and, instead of stars stacking up in one spot, the NBA's best talent is spread everywhere. This spread has resulted in there being a bunch of teams that are just good to OK with a handful of teams sticking out as truly great ones. But none are particularly excellent and that excellence is what I thrived on.
With that said, I must admit that these current NBA Finals are doing a fantastic job of convincing me that parity is the best choice for the NBA moving forward.
Everything about these NBA Finals has been incredible. The ratings don't matter. The glitz and glamour don't matter. The celebrity doesn't matter. These two teams are playing some of the best basketball we've seen in over a decade.
This series has had everything. Game winners, incredible comebacks, dominant performances, star star-driven narratives. Tyrese Haliburton has emerged as one of the premier faces in the league because of this series and the Pacers' overall run. Pascal Siakam has proven himself to be a championship-level star. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to become an immediate NBA legend with a win here in the Finals. Rick Carlisle has solidified himself as one of the game's greatest masterminds. Jalen Williams can't stop getting Scottie Pippen comparisons — even from Scottie himself.
Do I love super teams? Yes. Absolutely. I'd much rather see that here. And maybe, as the Thunder get older and continue to develop, that team turns into one. But I'd be lying to you if I said what we've seen so far in these finals hasn't been just as compelling as anything I've watched in the last decade.
What a series. I can't wait until Sunday.
Speaking of incredible performances
If you'd told me two months ago that we'd be waiting on a Game 7 in the NBA Finals and that T.J. McConnell of all people would be on the short list of names for potential Finals MVP, I'd probably have told you I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn somewhere.
Alas. Here we are. T.J. is incredible. The Pacers' "Great White Hope," as Tyrese Haliburton calls him.
If you think I'm doing a bit much with the Finals MVP talk, take a look at this. He's the first player in league history to have at least 60 points, 25 assists and 15 rebounds off the bench in the history of the NBA Finals.
This is unreal, man. It's like we're watching Rudy in real time.
Shootaround
— Bryan Kalbrosky dropped his latest NBA Mock Draft just five days out from the big day. Fears to the Wizards? I like it.
— DeMarcus Cousins is spreading rumors. Kevin Durant is squashing them quickly.
— T.J. McConnell's dad stole the postgame show at the finals. I love this. Robert Zeglinski has more.
— Mark Daigneault refused to let his team off the hook for their terrible Game 6. You can bet they'll be a lot better on Sunday. Will it be enough for the win? We'll see.
That's a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. Have a fantastic weekend. Peace.
-Sykes ✌️
This was Layup Lines, For the Win's basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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