13 Rules: Random NBA Thoughts – NBA Finals

Make sure to listen and add the 13 Rules: NBA Random Thoughts podcast to your list! This week Steve shares his thoughts on the NBA Finals in the 2024-25 NBA Playoffs.

NBA Finals – Random Thoughts

• For those of you like me who figured the Oklahoma City Thunder were a much better team in the Finals and wouldn’t have a problem against the Indiana Pacers, beware. Every once in a while, a team may be a team of destiny. The Indiana Pacers may be that team. When a team wins games continuously on comebacks and last-minute shots, you begin to wonder if this was what was meant to be.
• Rarely in basketball do you see a team with 18 more turnovers than their opponents win. Oklahoma City attempted 16 more field goals than Indiana but only made 40% of their shots. You’d like to credit Indiana for playing good defense, but in the 4th quarter, the Pacers were 8 for 12 on shots from 10 feet or more, while OKC was 0 for 6. The Thunder had numerous wide-open shots in the game. This included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shooting his turnaround jumper—a shot he seems to always make—back-rimming it prior to Haliburton’s heroics.
• Tyrese Haliburton has had four game-tying or game-winning shots in the final five seconds of the game or overtime already in the 2025 playoffs. He has five in his career; in the all-time records, he has tied Reggie Miller for second in this category. LeBron James is first with eight in his career.
• I understand the NBA’s desire for parity among their teams, which led the league and the NBA Players Association to agree on a collective bargaining agreement with the dreaded second apron in it. But was any thought given to the possibility of two small-market teams playing in the Finals?
• To pile on the previous point, do you think ABC/ESPN wanted to pay $2.6 billion per year for their NBA television rights if they knew the chances were good that two small-market teams would be in the Finals? Think ratings.

NBA Finals – Random Thoughts

• It seems plenty of people were stunned by Tom Thibodeau’s firing by the New York Knicks this week. If you look back to the start of the season when the Knicks made the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, you may have scratched your head. Last year’s team featured scrappy players and was a great watch that played the game the way any fan would like their team to play. Thibs had his type of players, and it was a scrappy team. Tell me how Towns fits as a Thibs-type player. It seemed off because most teams try to bring in players that fit the style of their coach. He is a defensive coach, and with Towns and Jalen Brunson, the Knicks became a team that outscored you. As has been said many times, it’s tough to play team defense with two weak defenders. This offseason, you saw a few problems coming about. And OG Anunoby animatedly discussing something with Towns on the court in a game. Mikal Bridges calling out Thibs for the minutes starters were playing. Most organizations strive to make sure everyone is united for one purpose, and that’s to win, but not the Knicks. What you hear about how some in the front office sabotaged Thibs is stunning. Just when I thought the Knicks had rid themselves of dysfunction, it came roaring back.
• There’s a rumor out there about who the next Knicks coach might be. Now, working in New York is attractive, and the Knicks pay well. What is surprising is when you make a move like that, you should have somebody in mind. There hasn’t been a great deal of movement on management’s part yet, except rumors about Ime Udoka and Jason Kidd, two coaches under contract. Unless you want their big bucks and don’t care about whether you’re successful or not, you have to be crazy to want that job. Now you have to get the team to the Finals; otherwise, you would be next and would need to be a politician to keep the front office at bay.