NBA Conference Finals Preview

Wolves vs. Thunder, Pacers vs. Knicks -- West and East teams face off with the hopes of winning their franchises first titles in 50 years, or ever

By Grant Lang

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NBA Playoffs have been a miracle so far. After what has felt like a previous 2 years of expected winners and sweeps, the entire league has come out punching, with multiple major upsets and high-stakes series that have been pushed to 7. Now, no team remains that has won the title in 50 years or ever. Knicks are the only team remaining in the playoffs with an actual ring, and it looks as if a new star will be crowned by the end of the NBA Finals this year. With Nikola Jokic knocked out of the playoffs officially earlier this week, teams are now fighting for the chance to be the next MVP contender next year as well, especially given the decreased production of the Denver Nuggets that is expected as of next season.

The presumed MVP, SGA, averaged 30/6/6 against the Denver Nuggets, dispatching the recent champions in seven games in a thriller series. If the series was any indication, the Wolves are going to need the be close to perfect if they want to win, as the Nuggets were pretty close to perfect in their own regard that series.

In the East meanwhile, the Pacers did nothing but surprise everyone with their complete annihilation of the 64-win Cavaliers. The Pacers are known for their fast-paced offense, but they just completely outran the Cavaliers, not allowing them to breathe for a second. Haliburton hit an incredible game-winner in game 2 which essentially sealed the series, and Indy looks like an incredibly difficult team to keep up with and one that has a punchers chance at the franchises first title.

The Knicks meanwhile, took out the defending champion Boston Celtics in what was expected, by all indications, to be a series that the Celtics would win in at most, 6 games. Knicks came back down 20 in back-to-back games away from home and showed that above all else, they have mental resilience, which is usually the deciding factor when it comes down to who wins the titles themselves.

The Knicks have dominated primarily off the glass. Their offense consists largely of a motion offense that revolves around KAT and Brunson in the high pick-and-roll, which leads to their open shooters Anunoby and Bridges. Their larger forwards provide huge benefit defensively, and the key for Indiana winning this series is mainly going to be in hitting their threes, as interior offense is going ot be difficult to come by.

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Posting and Toasting

WOLVES VS. THUNDER:

In one of the more highly anticipated matchups between the 2, Edwards faces off against SGA in what will be a battle of wills and consistency. These 2 players are very comparable in quality, and it mainly comes down to who can score in crunch time situations the best. Wolves and Thunder split the season series 2-2, with the Thunder embarrassingly losing one of the games by giving up a 16-0 run to send the game into overtime, which they then lost. the question will mainly come down to which team has the greater mental fortitude given the both lack a ton of experience. Between the 2, the Wolves absolutely have that extra experience, but the question will be whether that experience will make up the talent gap between the 2 teams.

All in all, this series is going to be a rock fight no matter which way you put it, and it will come down to multiple clutch games likely in which both teams are going to depend on their best players to hit shots. Players like Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels for Minnesota are going to absolutely be needed to perform above their standard to hope to win a series like this, and players like Jalen Williams need to show up to win this series for the Thunder, because you know SGA and Edwards will get theirs.

Keys to winning:

Thunder:

Focus on Randle heavily, as much of their penetration into the defense is done by him.
Take advantage of Minnesota's high turnover rate and win the game in transition
Attack Rudy Gobert with the purpose of drawing fouls -- Getting him out of the game early will limit Minnesota's greatest advantage

Timberwolves:

Force role players to hit shots as the Thunder offense stagnates when SGA is not taking shots
Keep a low turnover rate and utilize Edwards as a playmaker primarily
When Rudy is in the game, utilize his size advantage to dominate the Thunder on boards and lob threats

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PACERS VS. KNICKS:

Meanwhile in the East, the bracket looks similar to how it did last year. The Pacers go on the road to face the Knicks once again, except this time they are little different. With the addition of Karl Anthony Towns, the Knicks are not only a more unique team, but an more offensively consistent team overall. Last year, their calling card was defense, but this year it is a little bit of both offense and defense. Above all else, the Knicks have taken advantage of their opponent time and time again in the clutch thanks to the heroics of Jalen Brunson, and them facing off against the clutchest team in the league statistically in these Pacers is going to be an exciting watch to say the least.

Both Haliburton and Brunson come into this series with chips on their shoulders, with Haliburton trying to shake the "overrated" label that has been attributed to him over the past year whereas Brunson hopes to lead the city of New York to its first championship in years (sorry Yankees). In the case of who is favored to win this series, based off Vegas odds, it is New York. However, Indiana is a poor matchup for the Knicks in more ways than one, given their ability to run the floor and tire their opponents out throughout the game, allowing them to take over in late-game situations. Indiana's depth and lack of a overwhelming scoring option allows for a more evenly distributed scoring system that every player can thrive in, which the Knicks essentially do with a shorter bench. Overall, I'd give the edge to the Pacers this series in about 6 games, but the Knicks have the higher-end of talent and it would not be surprising if they win the series given the teams performance this postseason thus far.

Keys to winning:

Knicks:

Take advantage of the size difference that Mitchell Robinson has against Indiana and try to get Myles Turner to rack up fouls
Focus on slowing down the pace as much as possible and limiting turnovers to reduce transition opportunities
Hit open corner threes -- Indy gives up a lot of them and it will all be about punishing their poor defense

Pacers:

Tire New York out and force as much movement as possible for them on defense
Defend Towns well enough where he cannot get to the rim on post-ups
Double Brunson in clutch-time situations and force role-players to hit shots

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