Final Four of NBA: Perfect Situation!

Alright, we’ve made it to the conference finals, and of course, like we all predicted (sarcasm alert), the last four standing are the Indiana Pacers & New York Knicks in the East, with the Oklahoma City Thunder & Minnesota Timberwolves in the West. With three of the four being shockers, it's fair to say people will hammer this group, saying it lacks the punch. But I’m here to say the complete opposite. This is the time to introduce new household names, and either a brand new or long-awaited returning champion.

Of these four, three have never won an NBA championship, and the Knicks haven’t been crowned champs since 1973. This is huge for the sport, it allows different regions to grow the game. The fanhood around the NBA has the chance to dip outside of the big-star teams. Yes, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Jalen Brunson are growing into stardom, but they’re still not quite on the level of Curry, LeBron, Giannis, Luka, Durant, Tatum, or Jokic. Like if I can only mention half your name and people know, you are at that level! With all those types of players out, now is the chance for the NBA to build up more players...younger players too, with all three I mentioned under 30. And to throw in a fourth to be fair here, you've got Tyrese Haliburton, a guy looking to prove he belongs in that elite tier of stardom.

While many are complaining about these playoffs for the “slaughtering” of the big names, whether by elimination or injury leading to elimination, this has actually given us a great chance to broaden the scope of the game’s top players. For example, SGA is a top 10 talent in the league now, but a lot of fans haven’t seen him in action enough to really understand it. And many others only know Anthony Edwards as Kermit Wilts to be honest at this point.

It’s time for the casuals to see more of the NBA, and these conference finals, plus the NBA Finals, should give the league a huge opportunity to grow the game. Sure, they want both series to go 7 games for the money and TV deals, but also to create more drama, more high-pressure moments, to see if these dudes are really ready for it.

Oh...and I haven’t even gotten into the side names of guys who could level up into another tier of NBA lore. Now, they’re probably not headed to Hall of Fame status, but they can definitely jump a few levels in the NBA world. Guys like Mikal Bridges, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Andrew Nembhard, and Lu Dort. All of them have cult-like NBA followings already, but maybe now they’ll find a new wave of fans if they deliver on this stage. They’re all talented, of course, I mean they’re starters in the NBA...but they don’t get the same shine because of how the game is covered.

WE are in uncharted territory!! No more ESPN LeBron love fests or endless Curry mentions on morning talk shows. Now it’s going to be all about Brunson, SGA, Edwards, and Haliburton, for better or worse. Can they seize this incredible moment to surge into NBA elite status, or will they fall flat and be stuck forever in the Hall of Really Good?

An NBA championship changes your career arc like nothing else. And this year, the NBA has been handed a golden ticket, new heights, new regions, and a fresh group ready to enter the championship conversation.

Let’s go ahead and enjoy this new wave of young talent in the NBA playoffs.