The Paul George effect: How OKC & the Pacers built their Finals teams | NBA on ESPN

The Paul George effect: How OKC & the Pacers built their Finals teams | NBA on ESPN

Every NBA Finals comes with a compelling backstory, but this year is different because it comes with quite the butterfly effect. What’s that, you ask? A singular change that leads to unpredictable, far larger impacts, or in basketball terms, the Paul George effect. Neither the Indiana Pacers nor the Oklahoma City Thunder stand on the doorstep of history without Paul George. in particular without trading the ninetime all-star. Let’s connect the dots because while George may be the rock in the NBA the water, the ripples are felt to this day. Paul George is one of the best players in Pacers history. However, in 2017, the then 27year-old star forward was traded to Oklahoma City for Victor Oladipo and Damata Sabonis. It’s really stunning. We we did not hear Oklahoma City as an option for George throughout this process. In his parting Instagram post, George promised Pacers fans, “You’ll be in great hands with the future.” The Pacers didn’t advance past the first round of the playoffs for the next 3 years, but in February 2022, the franchise sends Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings. For who exactly? A young point guard named Tyrese Hallebert. Three ball and in. This one is over. You have got to be kidding me. Trades happen all the time, but this is where things start to get really crazy. In July 2019, the Thunder traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers, pairing him with Kawhi Leonard. In return, Oklahoma City received the Kings ransom that included Denilo Galinari in five draft picks, one of whom became all-star Jaylen Williams. But the centerpiece no one realized was a centerpiece at the time, Shay Gildas Alexander. Only the reigning league and Western Conference Finals MVP Shil Alexander, but he’s known for exactly that, isn’t he? The NFL has the Hershel Walker trade, one that was directly responsible for erecting the Dallas Cowboys dynasty of the 1990s. How about them, Cowboys? This isn’t a knock on George, one of the better two-way stars of his generation. By parting ways with him though, two franchises found cornerstone point guards. Now both meet in the NBA finals, and one will call himself an NBA champion in a matter of days. By George. The road to this year’s finals actually started eight years ago.

Indiana and Oklahoma City are now both 4 wins away from their city’s first NBA championship. While star Paul George has never made the NBA Finals, his influence will be felt on both sides when they tip off on Thursday night. Justin Tinsley tells us why.

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