SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors fans might be tempted to check out from the NBA playoffs after their team was eliminated in the second round.
Giving in to that impulse would be a huge mistake.
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The Pacers and Thunder are set to compete in the NBA Finals for a chance to win their team’s first NBA championship– no, the Supersonics’ history does not count. Whoever wins will be another testament to the league’s parity.
As franchises with young superstars and rosters filled with fun stories, there are plenty of reasons to root for either team.
But if you’re the kind of fan who thrives off negativity, this is still the series for you.
There is also plenty to loathe about each franchise.
Here are seven reasons why you should – or shouldn’t – want each team to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The case for the Thunder
The Thunder did things “the right way,” trading for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after his rookie season and otherwise building exclusively through the draft and shrewd veteran additions. Kind of reminds one of another Western Conference team ….
Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the few superstars to traffic heavily in the mid-range, scoring his buckets on tough middies that are reminiscent of a supercharged Monta Ellis.
All-Star Jalen Williams is a proud Santa Clara alum and has blossomed into one of the bright young stars of the NBA. And Saint Mary’s graduate Alex Ducas, while stuck on the bench in the postseason as a two-way player, brings East Bay representation to the Thunder.
The Thunder beat the Timberwolves – who in turn took out the Warriors – in the conference finals. If OKC can close it out, then Warriors fans can say that their team lost to the team that lost to the champs.
James Wiseman will receive his second ring if the Pacers win. That should be enough motivation to hope the Thunder sweep.
Warriors fans can thank the Thunder for two of their titles. Golden State earned the famous 3-1 comeback in the 2016 West finals, then took that team’s best player in Kevin Durant and won titles while the Thunder fell out of contention.
No crowd – not a single one – does the playoff T-shirt thing better than Oklahoma City fans. The Warriors fans could learn a thing or two about participating in the tradition.
The case for the Pacers
No team in the league plays the same kind of fun, team-first basketball that the Pacers employ with Tyrese Haliburton running the show. They run, they pass and they do not quit until the final buzzer.
For those who are into hoops history, the Pacers are one of the four American Basketball Association teams that joined the NBA when the leagues merged in 1976. The 3-point shot, which the Warriors later perfected, came from that league.
Myles Turner is the Pacers’ 10-year veteran who has been linked to the Warriors at least a dozen times in fake trade proposals as fans clamored for a dynamic center. So now, Warriors fans can finally root for Turner in earnest.
Unlike certain teams, the Pacers do not spend much time at the free-throw line, taking the 13th-fewest foul shots in the league. Warriors fans will watch a team that actually tries to play basketball on offense.
Speaking of free throws, allowing Gilgeous-Alexander and his egregious flopping and foul-baiting to be rewarded with a ring would be an affront to the sport. Indiana is the only team left to stop a grifted championship.
Indiana saved the world from another Knicks series and more annoying Sidetalk videos.
Haliburton was picked by the Kings in the 2021 draft, but they decided to ship him off a year later. Instead of wondering what could have been had then-Warriors GM Bob Myers picked Haliburton instead of Wiseman, Warriors fans can take this as an opportunity to laugh at Sacramento.