2025 EAST FINALS: (3) New York Knicks Vs. (4) Indiana Pacers

Blaming Towns . .i get some of it but overall he WAS the best player in a few games
He is who he is . . the inverse Gobert (85% offense 15% defense)
He kept them in games

Honestly . . . OKC would have swept the knicks. . . in blow out fashion
and people would being saying they are the greatest team of all time because they blew out the knicks by 20 4 games in a row

Rocket River

 

Agreed, the Knicks match up bad with the Thunder ......their pockets getting picked all the time and their inability to close out games other than Brunson.....

Also very strange that the Defensive Intensity of a Thibs team has been so up and down.

 

Intensity coaches get tuned out. Players get tired of the constant "play harder" reminder after a while. These are professional players, not high school kids. They play near 100 games in less than 8 months. If they aren't self-motivated to play hard, they aren't going to do so just because the coach tells them.

 

Key Pacers trades and draft picks that built their roster, with absolutely no tanking and only one free agent signed (TJ McConnell)

TRADES
Paul George was traded for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.
-Sabonis was shipped out for Tyrese Haliburton.

The Pacers traded 3 first round picks (none in the lottery), Bruce Brown, Kira Lewis, and Jordan Nwora to Toronto for Pascal Siakam

Caris LeVert was shipped out for draft picks that became Andrew Nembhard & Ben Sheppard

Malcolm Brogdon was traded to Boston for Aaron Nesmith and a 2023 first round pick, which was traded for a 2024 first round pick, which used in the Siakam trade

The Pacers traded two second round picks to the Knicks for Obi Toppin

The Pacers traded the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly to Washington for Jarace Walker and 2 future 2nd round picks

The Pacers traded the option to switch second round picks in 2030 to the Heat for Thomas Bryant, needed since their two backup centers went down with season-ending Achilles injuries.

Net: 4 starters and 4 rotation players

DRAFT PICKS not obtained by trade:
Myles Turner- 11th pick in 2015
Bennedict Mathurin- 6th pick in 2022

Free Agency
TJ McConnell was signed as a free agent, 2y, $7M

 

He was never worth that much, even when Stone wanted him.