Five things to look for in the 2025 NBA Finals: Thunder vs. Pacers

 

                                              (Credit: Alonzo Adams/Imagn Images) 

The NBA Finals begins Thursday, June 5th at 8:30 PM ET on ABC. Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have home court advantage. Below are five things to look for in the series. Let's dive in! 

#1. How much will home court advantage matter? Being small market teams, the Pacers and Thunder both have fantastic home court atmospheres. It's going to be very tough to win on the road in this series. That said, the Thunder did win both regular season matchups this season, so they know how to win in Indiana. Granted a regular season game doesn't have the same juice as a playoff game, but still. Odds are good that whichever team can find a way to win one game on the opposing team's floor will win the series. Defending home court feels especially like a must given the rabid fanbases that each team has. 

#2. Can the Pacers contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the NBA MVP and has been playing brilliantly this entire season, averaging 29.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game this postseason. He's the best player in the series on paper. If the Pacers want any hope of winning the series, it'll have to start with containing Gilgeous-Alexander. Click here for my recent blogpost on SGA in case you missed that. 

#3. Will the Pacers' ball movement make a difference? The Pacers are averaging 28.1 assists per game in the playoffs while the Thunder average 25.3 assists per game. Leading the playoffs in assists per game individually is their star guard Tyrese Haliburton (18.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 1.4 steals). If the Pacers have any edge over the Thunder, it's their ball movement. But will it be enough to make a difference? That's the question. 

#4. Will Pascal Siakam's championship experience help the Pacers? Pascal Siakam has been fantastic for the Pacers, averaging 21.1 points & 5.8 rebounds per game in the postseason. He also has an NBA championship ring with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 and he was very instrumental in their championship run, averaging 19.0 points & 7.1 rebounds per game during the playoffs. Having a guy who has been on this stage before is huge. If the Pacers do win this series, I would expect it to be due to Siakam being the series MVP. 

#5. Who will win the battle of the bigs? Both teams have some talented big men inside. The Thunder have Chet Holmgren (16.4 points & 8.6 rebounds) and Isaiah Hartenstein (9.2 points & 7.9 rebounds). The Pacers have Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner (15.6 points & 6.5 rebounds). While the guard play is more of a focus, the battle inside will have a huge impact on this series. 

Prediction: I gotta roll with the Thunder in six games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been amazing and the Thunder have home court advantage. It's definitely their series to lose. 

NBALord.com on Facebook: @NBALordNation 

NBALord.com on X (Twitter): @nba_lord 

NBALord.com on Blue Sky: nbalorddotcom.bsky.social 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, X (Twitter), YouTube, & Blue Sky: @slamdunk406 

The Indiana Pacers are shifting into another gear

 

                                            (Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images/Reuters) 

The 4th seeded Indiana Pacers have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, taking out the top seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in five games, closing out the series with a 114-105 victory on Tuesday, May 13th. Power forward Pascal Siakam (pictured above to the right) had a strong performance with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block while guard Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 31 points, six rebounds, eight assists, one block, and one steal. Small forward Aaron Nesmith also had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Just an all-around great team victory. 

The 4-1 series victory over the Cavaliers comes after a 4-1 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, making the Pacers 8-2 so far in the playoffs. Haliburton is leading the league in assists per game this postseason with 9.3 to go along with his 17.5 points per game while center Myles Turner's 2.5 blocks per game is leading the league in the postseason as well. Turner is putting in 16.5 points and grabbing 6.0 rebounds per game, so he's playing fantastic. When you have the NBA's top assist guy and top shot blocker on your team, you're going to be tough to stop.

During the playoffs, the Pacers are averaging 117.7 points per game while their opponents are averaging 112.2 points per game. That's an average margin of victory of +5.5, which is pretty solid. Especially when you consider they took out the top seed. Their three largest margins of victory have been a 117-98 (+19) home victory over the Bucks in game one, a 129-103 (+26) road victory over the Bucks in game four, and a 129-109 (+20) home victory over the Cavaliers in game four. Those are dominant wins. They also have a pair of one point victories over both teams, one of which came in overtime. So they've shown they can win close games as well. 

Looking ahead to the Eastern Conference Finals, whether it's the Knicks or Celtics that they play, the Pacers should be feeling confident right now. They've taken out the top seed in the East in the Cavaliers and a Milwaukee Bucks team that isn't that far removed from a championship. They're also getting a chance to rest up while the Knicks and Celtics still finish their series with game six coming up on Friday. Honestly, I don't think it's at all crazy to have the Pacers favored. They seem to be shifting into another gear and so far nobody has figured out how to slow them down. 

NBALord.com on X (Twitter): @nba_lord 

NBALord.com on Facebook: @NBALordNation 

Ben Parker on Facebook, IG, Threads, YouTube, X (Twitter), & Blue Sky: @slamdunk406 

Wednesday Windmill: The Toronto Raptors are legit contenders

The Toronto Raptors' 15 game winning streak came to an end on Wednesday as they lost to the Brooklyn Nets 101-91 in Brooklyn. It was the longest winning streak in franchise history. The Raptors are now 40-15, just 6.5 games back of the 46-8 Milwaukee Bucks.

Earlier in the year, I wrote about how we shouldn't sleep on this Raptors team and it looks like I was right. What I like about them is their combination of depth and stardom. Pascal Siakam (23.7 points & 7.5 rebounds) is a legit star with a great supporting cast around him in Kyle Lowry, Fred Vanvleet, Serge Ibaka, Norman Powell, OG Anunoby, and Marc Gasol. The only guy in that group not scoring in double figures on average is Gasol. The rest of those guys are. That's six guys scoring in double figures every night! That's just scary!

Most assumed that with the departure of Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors would sink back into the middle of the Eastern Conference standings and maybe win a playoff series if they caught a break. What made me doubt those assumptions is what I said above. I felt Siakam had the pieces to be the face of the franchise and that he had a really good supporting cast around him. On top of that, as sensational as Leonard was last year, people forget that it really was a team effort to bring the first NBA championship to Toronto. Everyone contributed. It wasn't just Leonard.

Emboldened by winning a title with the help of Leonard, the Raptors now have the confidence to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the NBA. Especially the rest of the Eastern Conference. With the way they've been playing, they shouldn't be afraid of anyone.

As for whether or not the Raptors win the NBA championship, I would be lying to you if I told you I thought they would win it all again. When you lose a guy as good as The Claw, it's hard to defend an NBA championship. Most teams who lost a guy of his caliber would be in rebuilding mode or at least not contending for another title. That said, the fact that the Raptors are contending once again does give me hope that they might repeat or at the very least come out of the East once more. The only team standing in their way is the Bucks and as good as they've been in the regular season, there's reason to doubt their ability to get it done come playoff time.

If the Raptors keep playing like they've been and the Bucks falter a bit, don't be surprised to see them back in the NBA Finals. They have a new star in Siakam, a quality supporting cast around him, and experience. We The North isn't done just yet.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Wednesday Windmill: Don't sleep on the Toronto Raptors

After Kawhi Leonard left the Toronto Raptors for the Los Angeles Clippers, many assumed that the Raptors would no longer be a contending team and that their championship window had now closed. They had won their lone NBA championship, could celebrate over the summer, and would now go back to being a middle of the pack team. Those assumptions, at least so far, don't appear to be accurate as the Raptors are 7-3, just two games back of the 9-1 Boston Celtics.

While Leonard is no longer around, Pascal Siakam appears to be ready to take the reins, averaging 26.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game after averaging 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last year. We already saw Siakam as an emerging star during last year's NBA playoffs and now he is really coming into his own. To go along with Siakam, Kyle Lowry (who is out two weeks with a broken thumb), Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka (out indefinitely with an ankle injury) are doing their part to help pick up the slack left from Leonard's absence. This is evident by their 7-3 start.

As you can see above, probably the main concern for the Raptors right now is health. If they want to once again win the Eastern Conference title and get back the NBA Finals, they have to stay healthy. If they are hobbled up come playoff time, they will not go far. But, the same can be said for every team. If you don't stay healthy, you're not going to win the NBA championship.

That said, what makes health extra important for this Raptors team is the fact that their strength lies in their numbers. They have a lot of depth and the ability to wear teams down with their bench play. Also, they do a great job of playing together. While Siakam is their top player, it's not a case where they solely rely on him to carry them. They do a good of collectively sharing the load and taking pressure off of each other.

Ultimately, I believe in this Raptors team. I think Siakam and Lowry form a really good duo and they have a solid supporting cast around them. If they can stay healthy and take advantage of their depth, there is no reason to doubt their ability to once again represent the Eastern Conference come June.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Saturday Slam: Toronto Raptors need to sign Pascal Siakam to a max extension

                                          (Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports) 

Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting that four-year power forward Pascal Siakam is seeking a max contract extension from the Toronto Raptors. After averaging 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his sophomore season, Siakam had a breakout year last season, averaging 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, establishing himself as one of the top power forwards in the NBA.

With Kawhi Leonard gone and Kyle Lowry getting older, the Raptors need a new piece to build around, making Siakam a no-brainer candidate to fill that void in the coming seasons. He's young, athletic, and evolving into a really nice stretch forward. If they don't lock him up, their future becomes a lot more uncertain.

One of the things I've wanted to address on this blog is that even without Leonard, this Raptors team is still really good with Lowry, Siakam, Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet, and Marc Gasol.  When talking about who could come out of the Eastern Conference next season, don't sleep on this Raptors team. They still have a lot of dangerous pieces.

Going back to Siakam, as I said earlier, he's the best piece that they have to build around for the future. At just 25 years of age, he has a lot of room for growth. If he doesn't get offered a max extension from the Raptors, some other team will likely offer him one instead. The Raptors need to listen to his demands and give him what he wants. If they don't, they're going to regret it.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Saturday Slam: The Golden State Warriors have to win Game 2 in Toronto

                                          (Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports) 

On Thursday, the Toronto Raptors dominated the Golden State Warriors 118-109 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Pascal Siakam went off for 32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks while Kawhi Leonard finished with 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. As well as Stephen Curry played (34 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists), he didn't get the help he needed and now his team finds themselves in a must win situation in Game 2, which tips off Sunday night in Toronto at 8:00 PM EST on ABC.

Going into this series, I said the Raptors had to defend Jurassic Park like their lives depended on it and so far they are doing just that. Granted it's only been one game, but their performance in Game 1 was very impressive. Especially when you consider the fact that they came in as two point favorites. If they are able to take a 2-0 series lead and defend Jurassic Park once again, they'll be in the driver's seat to win this series.

I hate to call games "must win" this early on in a series, but this game really does feel like one the Warriors have to get. If they go down 0-2, I don't see them winning four straight games to win the series, which means that a Game 7 is the best case scenario that they can hope for. In Game 7, you always have to pick the home team. Even if the road team is as good as the Warriors.

If the Warriors want to avoid an 0-2 hole, they first need to take much better care of the ball. In Game 1, they turned the ball over 16 times, allowing the Raptors to get out in transition. If they are as sloppy with the ball in Game 2 as they were in Game 1, they will not come out victorious.

Secondly, Stephen Curry needs to get more help. Draymond Green (10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists) and Klay Thompson (21 points and 5 rebounds) played well, but they were the only players that helped out. Andre Iguodala was quiet, Kevon Looney didn't do much, and DeMarcus Cousins was a big dud. Someone else on this Warriors team needs to step up to give Curry, Green, and Thompson the help they need.

Third, the Warriors have to do a much better job on Siakam, who ate them for lunch in Game 1. The Warriors didn't seem to know how good Siakam was, but now they can consider themselves warned. If he has a big outing in Game 2, I don't see how the Warriors win. Especially since Leonard can be expected to be more productive.

The bottom line here is the Warriors have to win Game 2 on Sunday. They cannot go down 0-2 and expect to win this series even if Kevin Durant does return for Game 3 and beyond. The Raptors are too good.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Wednesday Windmill: Three things the Toronto Raptors need to do to defeat the Golden State Warriors

Yesterday, I provided my list of three things the Golden State Warriors need to do in order to defeat the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals. If you didn't read that, click here.  Today I'm looking at this series through the lens of the Raptors and what they need to do to knock off the Warriors. And yes, just like yesterday, I'm going with the old school logo!

#1. Kawhi Leonard needs to go wild: If the Raptors want any chance of winning this series, they need Kawhi Leonard to have the series of a lifetime. What allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to knock off the 73-9 Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals was the surreal performance of LeBron James. Leonard has more pieces around him than James did, but that doesn't lighten the burden that is on him to deliver the goods. Leonard needs to be averaging 30+ points per game in this series while also playing lock down defense.

#2. Defend Jurassic Park: If you've been reading my recent blog posts, you would know that I've been hammering home the fact that the Warriors will not have home court in the NBA Finals regardless of whether it's the Bucks or Raptors that they face. Of all the major sports leagues in America, home court/field/ice advantage is most important in the NBA. For whatever reason, home teams do better in the NBA than they do in the NFL, MLB, and NHL. I think a lot of it has to do with the influence that home court has on the officiating and the way stars get calls.

So long as the Raptors are able to defend their home floor, they will continue to have the advantage in this series. They need to defend their home floor like a pod of velociraptors protecting their nest from the egg snatching oviraptorsaurs. If the Warriors steal a game or get an egg, the Raptors will be in a really difficult spot.

#3. Role players need to step up: As important as it is for Kawhi Leonard to carry the load, he can't win this series all by himself. He's going to need help from his supporting cast. Especially Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam, and Kyle Lowry. Those three guys in particular need to have a big series. If those guys step up and take the edge off Leonard, the Raptors will be tough to stop.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here.

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Wednesday Windmill: Can either the Milwaukee Bucks or Toronto Raptors take out the Golden State Warriors?

At the moment, the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors are engaged in an epic series that is tied 2-2. The home team has won every game, which means we're on track for a Game 7 in Milwaukee. While these two teams fight for Eastern Conference supremacy, the Golden State Warriors are relaxing and waiting to see who they'll face in the NBA Finals. Given how dominant the Warriors have been, it's fair to ask whether or not it matters who they'll face. What I want to do in this blog post is quickly breakdown what threat each team poses and what the odds are that they actually take out the Warriors.

Starting with the Bucks, one thing they'll have to their advantage should they reach the NBA Finals is home court advantage (the Raptors will have this as well). Should they win Game 1 of the series, they'll have around 85% odds to win the series and should the series go to a Game 7, they'll have around 80% odds to win. These numbers are based on NBA playoff history as a whole. I wasn't able to find the exact numbers for the NBA Finals. Whatever the exact numbers are, the bottom line is having home court advantage is nice. If you can defend home court in Game 1, history says you'll win. If you host a Game 7 on your home floor, history also says you'll win.

Aside from the home court, the Bucks do have perhaps the best player in the game in Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is a matchup nightmare for whatever team they face. The Warriors will have a difficult time taking out the Bucks because of Giannis alone. He handles the ball extremely well in transition, can play multiple positions, and is exactly what his nickname bills him to be. He's a freak.

When you add guys like Brook Lopez, Malcolm Brogdon, Eric Bledsoe, Nikola Mirotic, Khris Middleton, and George Hill to the mix, you have a team that's going to be a tough out. This Bucks teams has a lot of depth and that more than anything could make the difference.

As for the Raptors, aside from the home court advantage that I touched on earlier, it all boils down to whether or not Kawhi Leonard can stay healthy. If he's healthy, they got a shot. Especially since they have a solid supporting cast of their own in Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Pascal Siakam, Danny Green, and Fred VanVleet. Leonard is also in discussion for best player in the game and when he gets going, the Raptors should feel like they can beat any team in the league.

I still have my money on the Warriors to win the NBA championship, but it's not going to be easy. They'll have to go on the road and win in very hostile environments to get home court advantage on their side. The best thing they can hope for is that this series goes the distance and that their opponent will be fatigued and a bit banged up from the Eastern Conference Finals.

Now what you're probably hoping for is my prediction for this Bucks-Raptors series. I think it could go either way, but I still have the Bucks pulling it out. They have home court advantage on their side and I have a tough time seeing the Raptors win four straight games. This one is probably going the distance and in a Game 7, you gotta roll with the home team.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with Ben Parker, click here. 

Fadeaway Friday: 2017 NBA D-League Finals Preview: Raptors 905 vs. Rio Grande Valley Vipers

On Sunday at 8:00 PM EST on ESPNU, Game 1 of the 2017 NBA D-League Finals will tip off as the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (32-18) take on the Raptors 905 (39-11). Game 2 will air on Tuesday at 7:00 PM EST on ESPNU and Game 3 (If necessary) will air on Thursday at 7:00 PM EST on ESPNU. Above is the bracket of the 2017 D-League playoffs, each round being a best of three games series with the lower seed getting the first game at home and the higher seed getting the last two games at home. As the higher seed, the Raptors will get Game 2 and Game 3 (if necessary) at home.

When looking at this series, what first stands out is the difference in pace that these two teams play at. The Vipers are averaging 120.1 points per game, which leads the D-League while the Raptors are averaging 106.8 points per game, which is 14th in the D-League. Both teams have gotten to the championship game playing at very different paces and so it will be really interesting to see whether the Vipers get the Raptors to speed up the tempo or if the Raptors can get the Vipers to play at a slower tempo. In matchups like this, whichever team is able to dictate the pace usually has the edge.

In a way, both teams are a good reflection of their NBA affiliates. The Houston Rockets are the second highest scoring team in the NBA and play at a very fast pace whereas the Toronto Raptors rank 10th in scoring and don't rely as much on their ability to score. In the D-League, teams ideally run systems similar if not identical to their NBA affiliate so as to better prepare potential call-ups for the NBA. It's always fun to see these type of similarities between the NBA and its developmental league.

As far as what players there are to watch for, the main player to watch for is Raptors small forward Bruno Caboclo, who was taken in the 1st round of the 2014 NBA Draft to the shock of literally everyone watching. The Raptors drafted him knowing he'd be a project. If you are a Raptors fan, you should watch this series just to see how Caboclo does since he has the potential to be a major part of the team's future going forward.

You might be wondering what kind of future Caboclo has if he's still in the D-League, but at just 21 years of age, he's like a minor league baseball prospect that could still be a junior in college. Rather than playing college basketball, Caboclo has gotten seasoning in the D-League and currently has the opportunity to get a taste of championship level basketball in the D-League Finals. It will be interesting to see how Caboclo does in this series and whether or not he can have a coming out party of sorts.

Another player to watch for if you are a Raptors fan is Pascal Siakam, a power forward who was taken in the first round by the Raptors in the 2016 NBA Draft. In addition to how Bruno Caboclo does, it will be important to see how Siakam does as he too looks to become a part of the Raptors' future. If both guys have a big series, that will be a very good sign for the future of this Raptors organization.

While this series doesn't have the weight of an NBA playoff series, it's still a championship series and should prove to be entertaining. The Vipers play a very entertaining style of basketball and the Raptors have two very important pieces playing in this series. Plus, Jerry Stackhouse is coaching the Raptors, so there's even something for those who crave a little throwback action. While I understand that NBA playoffs action is more important, do try to find time to watch some of this series. Especially if you are a fan of either the Houston Rockets or Toronto Raptors looking for a window into your team's future.

To connect with NBA Lord on Twitter, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Facebook, click here. 

To connect with NBA Lord on Google Plus, click here.