Despite some fans, media members, and critics of the NBA saying this will be the worst NBA Finals in recent memory, and potentially in history, this finals matchup will actually be really good that’s beneficial to the league.

Not only is it beneficial to the league, but also to small market teams, rising players, overall storylines, the fate of the draft, and even how teams should be constructed for the future.

With all that being said, let’s dive right into this.

The Rise Of The Next Faces Of The NBA

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton have been on a sensational tear season after season. Both players have had a historic season that resulted in individual career definers and team definers.

Haliburton is revolutionizing the point guard position and what it means to be an all-around player commanding an underdog team to an impressive postseason run.

Gilgeous-Alexander continues to prove why the mid-range game is still alive and well, boosting not only himself, but also his team. This season being the biggest for him, winning MVP and having the opportunity to become the Greatest OKC Thunder ever.

Besides both players showing their clutch abilities, abilities to not choke under pressure, and be an efficient machine, they both have taken the next step in their young journeys to become that superstar figure.

The amount of obstacles and postseason challenges they had to go through to get to this point is more than what some other superstar-caliber players have been able to do.

For fans, Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum are quickly being ruled out as the “next face of the NBA.” They find Tatum to be corny and not that guy, whereas with Edwards, they want him to be that guy but he continues to stumble each postseason. Plus, Edwards has gone on record to say he doesn’t want to be that guy.

Shai and Haliburton have made the game of basketball meaningful again with their styles of play, not just taking a bunch of threes and wishful shooting, as time after time rise to the occasion and become the “IT guy.”

Both these players want to be the faces of the league, ready to embrace the moments; you can’t force fans to accept a player as the new, exciting face of the league. Players like Shai and Haliburton have to gravitate towards the audience, and the audience is accepting them right now.

Smaller Market Teams Can Make It

One of the biggest critics the NBA has seen in recent memory is that the game of basketball has turned into big market franchises securing giant-name players and seeing who can spend the most to form “Big 3’s” and “superteams” to win rings. However, last season and this season have proven the exact opposite can happen.

This should not only change those narratives, but should give hope to the fans who are fans of small market teams.

Indiana built from the ground up and took a flyer on a guy who wasn’t even wanted by his original team – the Sacramento Kings. Indiana stuck with their core, developed their players (like Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith), made risk-free trades (like Obi Toppin), and drafted solid players. Plus, they didn’t give up much to acquire Pascal Siakam – a game changer for the Pacers.

The same can be said for OKC, how so? Well, they took a flyer on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and it paid off, they stuck with their core, they drafted very well, they made minimal-to-risk-free trades, and made sure not to blow it up quickly because things weren’t progressing fast enough.

Does it take time? Yes, absolutely. However, when you are patient and component in the decisions you make, then they’ll pay off. Coaching matters, so does the front office. Both teams put a lot of time and energy to get both corrected. Now both organizations are benefiting from that.

So many teams want to blow it up after a mediocre season, or just coming up short, but OKC and Indy did the exact opposite. Funny enough, both teams are in the postseason. See the Phoenix Suns as an example, they blew it up after just falling short of winning a championship and now are a bottom-feeding organization.

Patience and competence are important, it doesn’t matter if the market the team is in is big or small. Pacers and Thunder are living proof of that. Long-term over short-term is the better option.

More Storylines That Can Expand Fan’s Interests

When LeBron James retires, the NBA is going to need something new to talk about. New trendy topics, storylines, and players to focus on. It can’t always be revolved around the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, or Golden State Warriors.

When the likes of LeBron and Stephen Curry step down and pass the torch, it will go to guys like Haliburton and Shai. The Thunder have a legit chance of being underdogs to going on a dynasty. From their overhaul of picks to developing talent that’s turning into legit talent, their future is not only set up, but has the chance of winning a couple of rings.

The Pacers can have the same future of always being a threat in the Eastern Conference; being able to be the “new blood” the East needed.

Storylines of new duos, East against West rivalries, small market teams finding success, new superstars being born, MVP races, and so much more can be birthed due to this NBA Finals matchup. The possibilities are endless. Think about how intense and enjoyable the Bucks-Pacers rivalry has turned into over two postseasons.

With both teams having young rosters, spearheaded by two superstars who are only 25 and 26 years old, this can bring in fresh waves of fun, entertainment, and new powers to both conferences.

This Highlights The Importance Of The Draft

Not only does this re-spark interest in the draft and what that would mean for teams of smaller, or larger, sized markets, but also fan interest. Beyond all that, there is a reassurance in draft classes for teams where they wouldn’t need to break the bank to get a high quality superstar when they can find one and develop.

The example of Chet Holmgren is a very good one, he was an immediate impact on the court for OKC. Another example that required some patience is Nembhard, as he was seen as a pseudo starter and an impactful role player in his second season in the league. That was last season.

While Holmgren went second, Nembhard went 31st. It goes to show how many good players are throughout the draft, plus combine that with correct development, then teams can really set up their future the right way.

Beyond the previous drafts, OKC has so many first-round picks that they’ll always be able to get solid quality and keep having strong depth and a young core. They are the ultimate blueprint on how a team should go about picks, goals for the future, and development on traded-for or drafted players.

The “Blow It All Up” Method Isn’t End-All-Be-All

From 2020 to 2022, Indiana had a dark period of being an underperforming franchise who couldn’t put together a winning season or find their way past the Play-In Tournament.

They had okay-solid pieces, but nothing to get them to that next level that was plaguing them in the East. In the 2022-23 season, where they finished 11th, Indiana could have easily blown it up.

The Pacers had Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Myles Turner, veteran talent, guys still in the development process (Nesmith), and new rookies (Bennedict Mathurin, Nembhard). Most rebuilding/struggling teams who can’t make it work will definitely trade majority of their players for either “win-now” guys or draft picks that put them regular season purgatory until they can cash in on those picks.

Despite doing what is so common in the NBA, the Pacers decided to make minimal moves that didn’t require a bunch of output to climb out of the hole they were in. They gave it another season, which saw them solidified as the sixth seed.

How did this happen? They didn’t break the bank to get Siakam, Toronto were ready to move on and Indiana jumped on it. They took a flyer on Toppin, who turned into a solid bench piece who has been explosive this current season/postseason.

The Pacers continued to develop players, trust their coach Rick Carlisle, allow for the team to gel together, and retain their young prospects from any potential trades. In a span of three seasons, Indiana went from being the 11th seed to the 4th seed.

They went from missing the postseason to making back-to-back ECF trips and finally punching their ticket to the NBA Finals. An incredible turnaround that wasn’t built on the “blow it all up” concept.”

Conclusion:

In short, this Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals matchup is a very good thing for the overall consumer of basketball, for the NBA, and for the product’s teams. This Finals matchup sets a new precedent of not blowing it up, patience over impatience, player development, trusting coaches more, and that it takes a team and not just two or three players.

It fizzled out with LeBron James and Luka Doncic, it also fizzled out with Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Karl-Anthony Towns. It didn’t work for Phoenix’s “Big 3” of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. For the Warriors, Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry couldn’t do it alone.

However, it didn’t fizzle out for OKC or Indy. Two teams people were calling “overhyped,” “overrated,” and who would crash and burn in the postseason. The exact opposite took place, as their whole depth chart took them to the NBA Finals.

That’s not luck, that’s skill, determination, and meticulous planning. Significant difference. For both teams, this isn’t the only year for them to win a championship. Honestly, that window can be from now into the next five years.

After seeing what these two organizations have done, don’t be shocked if other teams follow suit in their blueprint and try to mimic that.

Two weeks ago, The Athletic asked NBA players who they thought was the most overrated player in the association. Their response? Tyrese Haliburton. Fast forward two weeks, and the same “overrated” man has eliminated 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.

Even back it up a series prior where he dismantled Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks, which some were not expecting.

After that horrific poll came out to slander his name, Haliburton has responded humbly and has let his performances do all the talking. In fact, that’s this entire Pacers’ team mentality and ability. I’ll address their underrated season(s) in a separate article.

For now, let’s explore why Haliburton is only not overrated, but most definitely underrated.

Game 2 Against The Cavs

To refresh memories, and to have a good start to lay the foundation, I take us all the way back to Game 2 where Indiana secured a 2-0 lead over Cleveland.

In 84 seconds, an “overrated player” scored seven points. This included the game-winning three-pointer to seal the deal. What makes this even better is the fact that Haliburton did it in Cleveland with fans chanting “overrated” and trying to get into his head.

When the moment calls for it, the 25-year-old rises up and doesn’t shy away. That’s what up-and-coming superstars do.

Game 5 Against The Cavs

To send Mitchell’s team home, Haliburton clutched up and dropped 31 points on them. He had a very efficient game of going 10/15 from the field. Plus, eight assists, six rebounds, one steal, and one block.

He was one of the main factors to the Pacers climbing out of a 19-point deficit. Let’s not forget about that tiny detail.

He left it all out on the court, statistically and what’s not counted, for his team to move onto the Eastern Conference Finals.

Overall Against The Cavs

Throughout this entire series, Haliburton was spot on and was electrifying to watch. Yes, he had a bad Game 3. However, he would later make up for that in Game 5. Game 4 was a pure domination from Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, and Obi Toppin. He wasn’t needed in that game.

As a side note, which is the beauty of the Pacers. They have so many options on that team that can pop off at any moment that you don’t know who’s going to lead them statistically; not because they are bad, but because they are that good and talented.

When a team has quality, reliable depth, they won’t have to struggle game-to-game on who will be that guy. Indiana has at least five players who can be that guy when their number is called into the spotlight.

Plus, it helps when you have an orchestrator in Haliburton. I’ll get to that in a minute.

Haliburton Is The Epitome Of Mr. Clutch

Throughout this entire postseason and season, Haliburton has been able to showcase his composure in stressful situations and how to excel when the game is on the line.

Haliburton is 10-for-11 when taking a shot to tie or take the lead in the final 90 seconds of the 4th quarter or overtime this season.

That is 91% percent, and nobody nationally is giving him his props. Some players within the NBA is not giving him his props.

How could someone be overrated when they are producing this type of statistic?

Future star of the NBA Cooper Flagg said it best: “People hate him, but he’s so good.”

An absolute baller in the clutch. Not an emotional statement, but a factual statement; just take a look at the numbers.

Haliburton Is The Master Of Fast Breaks And Setting Pace

The Indiana Pacers averaged over 103 possessions per game this season, which saw them lead the league in pace. Haliburton led the charge, as his speed and understanding the tempo of the game allowed for his opponents to always be a step behind.

This didn’t just give them a few points here and there, it inflated them to new heights. They averaged 17.3 fast break points per game, which put them top-five in the league.

Combine that with them leading the league in pace, it made them one of the most deadliest teams in the NBA to try to guard – and it was all funneled by one Tyrese Haliburton.

His basketball IQ and understanding certain mechanics of the game allowed him to unlock a greater side of Indiana basketball, which head coach Rick Carlisle fueled immensely.

Beyond All That, His Playmaking Is Unmatched

People don’t realize how incredible this is, but the man averaged 9.2 assists per game with an outstanding 5.61 assist-to-turnover ratio, making him only the second player in NBA history to average at least nine assists per game with a turnover ratio above 5.5. The only other player to achieve this was Muggsy Bogues in the 1989–90 season.

Following the All-Star Break, Haliburton was averaging 11.9 assists per game and committing only one turnover per game. How could someone do something this great and be overrated?

This level of playmaking efficiency is almost unreachable, it brings him to a new level of superstar potential and downright greatness. Not hyping him up, simply just letting the numbers do all the talking.

Beyond this season, if we take a look back in 2023, fans thought he was the next up-and-coming Steve Nash, Jason Kidd hybrid. Why? Well, back in late December Haliburton was an absolute Point God tearing through the league and posting consecutive 20/20 games.

On December 28th, 2023, Haliburton dropped 20 points and 20 assists against the Chicago Bulls. Did he have high turnovers? Nope. In fact, he didn’t record a single turnover. But, wait, it gets even more impressive.

On December 31st, the man dropped 22 points and 23 assists against the New York Knicks. He joined John Stockton and Magic Johnson in being the third player ever with back-to-back games of 20 points and 20 assists.

To take it another step further, Haliburton combined for 43 assists and only two turnovers. That’s four less turnovers than Stockton, and six less turnovers than Magic. He had three more assists than Magic, and two more assists than Stockton.

What he’s been as of late isn’t a fluke, he’s been doing high-level playmaking since 2023. Performances like these are why he’s one of the most underrated players in the league, put them together with present-day games. Don’t ever call him the most overrated player again.

On Top Of Playmaking, Haliburton Can Score

This isn’t a wild concept, but Haliburton is most certainly a guard who can score and score at will.

Fun fact, he leads the NBA in clutch three-point shooting percentage at 40.7%. Would someone who is overrated be able to do this?

Haliburton in this season shot only 47% from the field, 38.8% from deep, and has a true shooting percentage of 61.6%. To say he is just efficient would be an understatement.

To have an elite, almost rare, efficiency level like his would make him one of the best in the league. However, he gets diminished for some ridiculous reason.

In addition to all this, when he is on the court this season, he was a +222. The season prior to this one, he was around +294. Not bad for an “overrated” player, if I do say so myself.

Postseason Success Can’t Be Undermined

Postseason success is a big make-or-break deal for a lot of players, especially if they are trying to become the “next big thing” in the NBA or that ultimate superstar in general or for their respected franchise.

For Haliburton, he is building an incredible resume, which is only getting started. This is back-to-back postseasons of his team reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, an incredible feat for a young and hungry organization.

They ran through the likes of the Bucks, New York Knicks, and tried taking on the eventual champs, the Boston Celtics. Many thought they couldn’t handle bigger teams due to their ups and downs against Boston, and facing a New York team who was banged up and without Jalen Brunson.

Without taking anything away from them, they competed hard and were the ultimate underdog team last postseason. This postseason, they decided to double down as the underdogs and rip through their competition.

Giannis and Mitchell were no match for Haliburton, as his team heads to the conference finals once more. From being the underdog to now being the top dog; something Indiana hadn’t had since the Reggie Miller days.

Many called his postseason performance last year a fluke and that he got lucky, Haliburton proved them all wrong Tuesday night to send one of the best teams in the league packing. There are no more excuses, the Pacers are a legit team that could be Finals bound here very soon.

Conclusion: Tyrese Haliburton Is More Underrated Than Overrated

If you’ve gone through this entire article and still agree with all the media analysts, players, and fans who are against Haliburton, then that is your prerogative and I understand that.

However, if I removed the name and face from this individual’s career and accomplishments for his team. Then many would overwhelming take this individual and crown him the second-coming for this fresh, young, hungry, ready-to-strike organization.

Haliburton is everything an organization would want in a player. He isn’t cocky, flashy, annoying, or loud with his words or actions. In fact, he is the complete opposite on and off the court. He lets his game do all the talking, has amazing perspective, and is incredibly humble.

His play is legit game-changing to the point where some teams have no answer on how to stop it. Haliburton knows the game better than some within the NBA, as his playmaking and overall decision making is spot on.

His shot creation and overall tendencies with the basketball is almost like poetry in motion. Something I continuously marvel at. Haliburton continues to prove that what he does and how he does it is not luck, is not some hopeful prayer to the universe; it is in fact hard work and being that guy.

The players who voted him as the most overrated player in the league are jealous of him, why? Because they aren’t him and will never be him.

For him to be this proven, so far, and to still be doubted and treated like he’s this small-time player continues to prove my point of him being underrated. If you’re legit and nobody respects or takes you serious, then how can you be overrated and not underrated?

Remember, Haliburton is no fraud. The stats, team-centered accomplishments, and individual accomplishments all speak for themselves. There’s a reason why he’s going back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals at another shot for the championship.

Like this team, he is special. Tyrese Haliburton is only going up from here, you all can quote me on that.

Will Jimmy Butler be traded by the deadline? Maybe, but it won’t involve the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns. For Phoenix, it’ll be one of the greatest deals in recent memory. For Miami, it would put them in an uncomfortable situation in recent memory.

As it stands right now, according to multiple reports, the Suns would offer Bradley Beal and picks, most likely their 2031 first-rounder and some second-rounders.

Again, for Mat Ishbia’s team, this would be a home run—a significant addition to their championship odds. However, if this type of deal went through for Pat Riley’s team, it would cause present and future issues like fans have never seen before.

In today’s article, I will go through the top five reasons why Miami would never accept this deal in a million years.

Reason #1: Another Guard In The Rotation

Bradley Beal’s career has seen him play primarily at the two spot, shooting guard; this season with the Suns is the exception. Right now, he is playing small forward.

I bring this up to say if Miami acquires him, then they will have a guard room of Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and Beal. Not only is that very competitive, but where will all the minutes be allocated?

The only way the minutes would work is for Beal to replace Butler as the team’s starting small forward, which could see a three-guard starting lineup.

This would be a true small-ball lineup that will force the front court, Haywood Highsmith and Bam Adebayo, to pick up the slack on defense and rebounding.

Beal is a fine defender. However, it could be proven difficult when a stronger, bigger opponent comes crashing into the paint/perimeter, and he may be unable to stop it. Add this to players like Rozier and Herro not being top-tier defensemen. Challenges will arise.

By adding another guard and turning him into a make-shift small forward, Miami will sacrifice elements of their team to compensate for a three-guard lineup.

Reason #2: Injuries & Availability

Since the 2019-20 season, Beal has only played an average of 52 games per season. At one point, fans saw him only play 40 games in one season (2021-22) and 50 in another (2022-23).

That’s beyond concerning when one of this team’s weaknesses is having players who are healthy and able to play more than 60 games in a season. What should concern Miami fans even more is that Beal will push through injuries to play in games; while admirable, this doesn’t mean his productivity and usefulness will be positive.

Since 2019-20, Butler has played an average of 58.2 games per season. While some can argue that he needs to play more games and has a history of getting hurt, the 35-year-old has been resilient and put the team on his back during their two trips to the NBA Finals.

He holds a different level of impact, one of which Beal does not possess. It’s not a knock on Beal, but Butler is available when his team needs him the most. Whether that be important stretches of the season or postseason.

Reason #3: Beal’s Contract

The 31-year-old is making $50 million this season, $53 million next season, and has a $57 million player option in 2026-27.

That’s a lot of money given to a talented player who is hurt often, especially with age, and doesn’t possess the same Batman-like tendencies as Butler. Plus, on top of it, he has the less-than-charming no-trade clause in his contract.

He got the NTC from the Washington Wizards to keep him there until they decided to move him to Phoenix. James Jones’ team has to deal with his NTC if they want to trade him.

Now, let’s say there is a reality where Riley goes crazy and accepts the deal. They’ll be tied down to his NTC until the end of his contract expires.

Why is this a bad thing? It’s terrible because no team in the future will want to trade for an older, more injury-prone Bradley Beal with an expensive contract with that clause. Plus, it gives Beal the option to say no if the Heat dumps to some lower-tier team.

It puts them in a horrific spot, as they get him and probably will also eat that player option. Why? Because Beal won’t get that large contract again in his career, why wouldn’t he opt into it? He would be out of his mind not to.

This isn’t a favorable world to live in if I’m a part of the Heat’s front office.

Reason #4: What The Suns Can Offer Is Absolute Garbage

I don’t mean to be overly critical or rude, but the Heat only getting Beal in the deal is horrible.

Beal is not a horrible player, not in the slightest. He is a good, solid talent that can contribute to win. Even with all that, he is an aging player who can’t do it on his own, not to the level that Butler was able to do.

Due to Phoenix being a Second Apron team, they can only put in one player. It must be a 1+1 deal; they can’t put another into the deal to match the salary. This is why Beal is the number one player in these “trade talks.”

Giving up elite talent for a good player and a half-decent pick is not wise. A 2031 first-rounder and multiple seconds won’t help the Heat in the present or the future. We are at the end of 2024, heading into 2025, which means that pick can’t be used for six more years.

In addition to the trade, exchanging Butler for Beal is a massive downgrade. One could argue that the only reason this team is competitive is Butler, especially when multiple players are injured, fatigued, or not having their typical game.

Reason #5: Miami Could Easily Fall Into A Poverty-like State

This team has solid pieces yet has never been more than a play-in team. It’s somewhat perplexing, but that’s where this team is at.

Bam Adebayo has not elevated this team, Tyler Herro has not elevated it, and nobody besides Butler has taken it to new heights. I’m not saying that Herro and Adebayo are bad players, but they have that impact and command of the game that Butler does.

A team surrounding Beal, Herro, Adebayo, and Rozier isn’t a recipe for success. While they are individually good, they won’t be collectively good. There is a massive difference. One results in stats looking pretty, and the other is winning basketball, which translates into another Finals run.

To take it another step forward, if they get Beal, and it doesn’t work out in the next season or even two, they’ll blow up the team. Why? Miami will not allow itself to remain mediocre, especially without Butler.

The ramifications of this singular (potential) trade on the Miami Heat are severe. It’s not positive, and it’s highly damaging.

Conclusion:

I love Bradley Beal, but he cannot replace Jimmy Butler. Miami is in such a unique situation that if they lose Jimmy Butler, it will have to be for some good pieces. This is not the time to settle or take losses.

To summarize, Phoenix doesn’t have the assets, or allowed to add more assets, to make a solid trade offer to Miami. Even if the deal went through, the small-ball lineup would cripple them in health, defense, rebounding and force the team to go in a different scheme.

Miami would be tied down to Beal’s contract and jeopardize their future, even past the date of his contract expiration. Lastly, this team will be filled with good players, but not ones assembled to make a past-the-second-round or Finals run.

The answer is very clear as to why the Heat will NOT be trading Butler to the Suns.

The NBA’s trade deadline is February 6th, 2025.