THE 2025 NBA FINALS ARE HERE:
(C12) Is this Finals another example of how off-court drama overshadows the game itself?
The NBA Playoffs are always one of my favorite TV watching experiences.
I’m actually one of those hybrid cord-cutters, where I only have streaming services for 9-10 months a year, and then I bring back cable sometime in April through June, all for the NBA postseason.
So, right now I feel a bit of nostalgia for not only the Knicks getting eliminated from the playoffs (by the Pacers again), but for the near end to this 2024-2025 season. I still look forward to watching these Finals, as I find the matchup between the OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers to be incredibly compelling, for basketball reasons.
But what drives the league is not just great play, but drama off the court. The NBA thrives on stars being stars, not just excellent basketball players that nobody can identify.
And since it is the tea that people crave most, it’s the tea I will share first before I make my official pick for these 2025 NBA Finals.
But, before I continue, maybe I should stop picking against the Pacers. They have made me look bad for 3 straight rounds!
Coach Thibs getting fired by the Knicks is a bit shocking, but not all together incredibly surprising. What I heard was that Thibs saved his job by just getting out of Round 1. Although some say that if he didn’t at least advance to the Eastern Conference Finals then the season would be an under-achievement, as getting to Round 2 has already happened enough this century, but the ECF was the new bare-minimum standard.
Mike Malone’s name was dropped, although he might be too much like Thibs in not being a players’ coach. I also hear Sam Cassell is on the short list. But, some argue, that would be too much like the Lakers to hire a head-coach with no experience at the top. Then I hear Jay Wright of Villanova as a pick, which really would solidify the whole vibe of THE VILLANOVA KNICKS*!!
*This despite Donte Devincenzo leaving the Knicks, breaking up part of their old college glory.
I also hear rumors that not nearly as much thought went into Coach Thibs being fired as people might think, and that it was NY Knicks and Cablevision Owner James Dolan who came down from above and forced GM Leon Rose’s hand.
If I say,
“I hope it’s not true.”
I think that would be incredibly naive of me.
Honestly the only thing more surprising than Dolan being the real culprit behind Thibs getting the axe, is the fact that Dolan hasn’t meddled in the Knicks affairs sooner.
These last five years have been the most successful Knicks years since the 1990s. With Thibs as the HC for the last five seasons, he has led the Knicks to the playoffs 4x, advancing the team to Round Two, 3x and the Eastern Conference Finals, 1x.
“Blood in the Garden” by Chris Herring makes all New Yorkers yearn for the old Knicks!
Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks by Chris Herring
NBA FINALS PREDICTIONS:
Oklahoma City Thunder over the Indiana Pacers in 6.
There have been two consistent through-lines in these playoffs for me this year.
I keep on getting it right on my predictions about the Thunder winning (although the Denver Nuggets series was a close call).
And I have consistently been getting it wrong about this Indiana Pacers, team.
I picked the Bucks over the Pacers (I was unsurprisingly wrong).
I picked the Cavs over the Pacers (I was very surprised at how wrong I was on this one).
I picked the Knicks over the Pacers (I was not surprised, but the most disappointed over this one).
My playoff series record to date is
4-2 in the play-in games.
5-3 in the first-round playoffs.
2-2 in the 2nd round playoffs.
1-1 in the Conference Finals.
12-8 in my predictions.
At the conclusion of this post-season, I’m going to either finish 13-8 or 12-9.
We will see if I’m wrong about the Pacers 4x in a row, or I’m right about the Thunder 4x in a row. One of these streaks is going to break. We are going to just have to wait and see who wins the series to find out which one it will be.
YES! A thunderous take from Josh off the Press—mixing basketball savvy with behind-the-scenes drama like it’s a Game 7 double-overtime classic! With all the finesse of a crossover dribble and the punch of a baseline jam, JPJ reminds us that in today’s NBA, the soap opera is part of the sport. Whether it’s Thibs getting the Dolan dagger or the Pacers turning doubters into believers, this Finals preview is nothing short of spectacular! And if Jacobs keeps picking against Indiana, someone might need to call a timeout—FOR HIS PREDICTIONS!