Official 2025 NBA Playoffs Thread

[Dex]

OKC in 6 cause I can see the Pacers getting hot for a game or two. I think the games will be close in most of this series.

I can also see the refs...encouraging a win or two on either side to make sure this goes to 6 or 7.

It's already small-market teams, and they will want viewership.

[skin27]

Why does anyone care about this? Chet isn't a franchise player and lucked into a team that already had one and a solid #2. He both got chosen in the lottery and hit the team lottery. Good for him.

this, i dont get it why some people comapre wemby to chet? Yes the are the same size but wemby is a better player overall than chet. Chet isnt even a allstar caliber player,(atleast for now) while wemby is a superstar.

[skin27]

What rock did you crawl out from? People will make narratives because both are unicorn and our boy happens to be not American. Already the media tried it in the ROY race. Already there are comparisons with playoffs Chet 3, Wemby 0. Chet winning a ring will add to that narrative. Again I’m a fan who has a dog on the race, so I’m rooting against any of Wemby’s compe ion. It makes the rivalry fun. It has nothing to do with anything. It’s fun to root against a compe ion.

Looks like SGA would be the compe or of Wemby in future because they are both superstar of their respective teams.

[skin27]

Both of those guys are rival franchise players on rival teams. Some of the best all time at their respective positions. They are equals in their era. There's nothing equal about Chet and Wemby. There's no reason to see them as rivals. The only similarity about them is they were drafted in the same draft.

So I say all that to say this...what the are you actually talking about? Is it franchise player versus franchise player? Because that doesn't exist in this scenario. Is it because they were in the same draft? Would you like to go back to other drafts and find franchise players and turn them into rivals against role players? Seriously, I'm curious.

chet was drafted 1 year ahead of wemby. But he got injured and missed the supposed to be his rookie season(2022-2023 season).

[benefactor]

I stand corrected. It's Sunday. It happens.

Point stands...there's nothing to see here. No one cares about Chet when it comes to Wemby. He can have his ring. He's the third best player on the team.

[scott]

Both of those guys are rival franchise players on rival teams. Some of the best all time at their respective positions. They are equals in their era. There's nothing equal about Chet and Wemby. There's no reason to see them as rivals. The only similarity about them is they were drafted in the same draft.

So I say all that to say this...what the are you actually talking about? Is it franchise player versus franchise player? Because that doesn't exist in this scenario. Is it because they were in the same draft? Would you like to go back to other drafts and find franchise players and turn them into rivals against role players? Seriously, I'm curious.

Not even that, tbh... Chet was drafted a year earlier than Wemby.

edit: I see this already got pointed out... wasn't trying to bust your balls... more saying "there isn't even that reason to see them as rivals"

[gilmor2002]

The Pacers are the 50-win team their record says they are. They made it through because the Cavs aren’t built for the playoffs and the Celtics are a high-variance team with no plan B when the threes aren’t falling.

The Thunder will clobber them.

I would say Indy really has the whole team concept in playing bball; Siakam, Turner, Haliburton, Nemhard and Toppi practiced hard since they lost last year ECF;

Celtics really struck the bad luck this year round - tatum broken archiles and Porzinghis playing like ..

[RC_Drunkford]

yeah can't really compare Wemby and Chet, since Chet is not a franchise player. But OKC vs. Spurs looks like it will be a huge rivalry in the future, which is why I'm rooting against them.

[Ice009]

And people were hating on Becky when she said you can't win a chip with Brunson

Becky Hammon said that? When/what was the context?

[RC_Drunkford]

[ace3g]

Becky Hammon said that? When/what was the context?

[The Truth #6]

Indy's offense vs OKC's defense is going to be a good Finals. Two deep teams. Probably the only Finals I've cared about in a while.

[R. DeMurre]

I think the Chet/Victor comparisons are natural and inevitable, and it'll be interesting if OKC wins a couple of championships in the next few years because that will start a Russell/Chamberlain type of debate about individual skills vs team composition, etc... Gotta say, Chet is a pretty incredible player embracing his role, and much better than the le "role player" implies. If Wemby wasn't around, he'd be in discussion for best young Big, and personally I think he's better than Banchero because he doesn't have the more glaring shortcomings of Paolo's mediocre shot selection, average efficiency, poor rebounding, and absence of rim protection.

[Jordan Jackson]

Of course Becky was right. A lot of historically data was on her side. Plus, Brunson is foul baiting unethical player. They’re going to pin the blame on Thibs and KAT. Probably hire Mike Malone.

Anyway. Thunder should win easily. But Rick Carlisle is a dangerous coach. He finds flaws in your roster you didn’t even know were there.

[TD 21]

Thunder over Pacers in 5.

[Strategic]

Don’t want to pick on Brunson too much, but when he got double teamed out front he would get out of trouble and then stop, which allowed the defense to regroup. Tony Parker or Chris Paul would beat the double and head to the lane before the D could adjust. Take the ball toward the hoop and let the chips fall.

[benefactor]

Not even that, tbh... Chet was drafted a year earlier than Wemby.

edit: I see this already got pointed out... wasn't trying to bust your balls... more saying "there isn't even that reason to see them as rivals"

Yeah that was a brain fart on my part. All good.

[Ice009]

Yeah, Rick Carlisle is the wild card if you ask me. I still wonder, how responsible was he for coming up the game plan in the 2011 finals against the Heat? That was a masterful job. Made Lebron look worse than he ever has in his life.

Just as the poster above (Jordan Jackson) said, I give the Pacers a chance, in large part, because Rick Carlisle could be devising a game plan as we speak that could expose some flaws or weaknesses of the Thunder that aren't as glaring to the average person or fan.

[RC_Drunkford]

Pop would‘ve never said that. He always had a love affair for small shooters who don’t play any D

[Spurs Homer]

pacers had an impressive run so far...

beating the #1 team in the league
beating the refs darlings and nba/espn fave knicks

i would have hated watching okc flop to 50 free throws per game
and
brunson flopping for another 50 ft's per game -

just a free throw fest....

maybe this way the pacers can push the pace and run run run...as okc also likes to run - it might not be a boring finals...

[scott]

Pop would‘ve never said that. He always had a love affair for small shooters who don’t play any D

Maybe that's why Mitch is in the corner office now and Becky is still in LV

[Joseph Kony]

The Pacers have more ball handlers and smarts than anyone the Thunder have played. Thunder have been winning strictly by creating live ball turnovers, and I think they’ll have a harder time doing that this series.

Pacers in 7

i would prefer this outcome because OKC tbh but I find it very hard to imagine the Pacers beating this Thunder team in a 7 game series. i'm not sure i agree that Indy has more smarts than a recent champ in Denver, they were the kind of test OKC needed to really tighten up for the rest of their run and OKC has all the defenders to guard Indy's perimeter attack

[mudyez]

I'm all for the Pacers to somehow surprise everybody and win it, but...

a) ...I'm wondering why I hate the Thunder that much. They are build the right way, SGA is somewhat likable (at least he is not a Tre Young, Draymond Green), small market, team first, defense first, and so on. The answers have to be: I hate them because of our history in the Durant era, maybe some stuff between Chet and Wemby and because they are the biggest threat to become a strong rival when (if) the Wemby championship era arrives. Which brings me to...
b) ...wouldn't it be better for the Spurs if OKC wins this ship? Do we rather go up against a team that has had some time for the "disease of more" to hit, or against a hungry team that came close but still has something to prove?

[Ice009]

I don't like the Thunder due to the past playoff series against the Spurs. I don't believe they should have made the finals in 2012 and were smashed (they got what they deserved as they shouldn't have been there in the first place). Spurs got screwed in game 5 with the blown goal tending call and that swung the series, and then game 6 on the road, touch foul after touch foul in the second half/start of 4th quarter after the Spurs had a 20 point lead at half time. 2016 series also had questionable calls. Don't like them at all.

[Dex]

I love how Perk is getting paid just to disagree with valid points and opinions.