Thibs is Out, the Finals Are In, and I’m Back

Yes, I know it's been a while since my last post. I unfortunately had finals and had to settle back home after a long year of school. So, because of that, you get three sports blogs in one. It was originally going to be two in one, but as I was writing this blog post, the Knicks decided to fire Tom Thibodeau after losing in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Pacers.  You'll read my thoughts on that and get my predictions for the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals. 

Tom Thibodeau

I don’t get this. I don’t understand why they fired him. While he doesn’t tend to have a long shelf life, he brought them to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years. To give you a perspective of how long that was, Jalen Brunson, the Knicks' best player, was only three years old at the time. This team is built for a coach like Thibodeau—heavy use of the starting lineup and not utilizing the bench as much as other coaches. Looking at the Knicks' bench, I can see that their “bench depth” is severely lacking. They have two or three guys who I would consider decent depth. Again he doesn’t have a long shelf life as a coach but why would you fire him now? If the Knicks wanted to fire him then they should have done it last year after losing to the Pacers in seven games in the second round. 

Stanley Cup Finals

We have a rematch from last year's epic Stanley Cup Finals between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers.  The Oilers are looking for redemption, while the Panthers are looking to be the first repeat champions since (checks notes) … well, since the Tampa Bay Lightning did it a couple of years ago. 

The Panthers may have lost some key players like Brandon Montour, but have addedpSeth Jones (still think the contract is bad but he’s playing well) and lifelong Bruin (and Maple Leafs owner) Brad Marchand. The Oilers added small pieces, but overall, these are almost the exact same teams as last year.

The ultimate key to the series is goaltending. Whoever of Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner or Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is better, that team should win the series. While Bobrovsky is the better goalie overall, Skinner has been nearly as good after a horrible two-game start to his postseason. While I want the Panthers to win (because they have two former Caps) I believe this is the Oilers year and they will win in seven games. 

NBA Finals 

NBA Finals Prediction: Thunder in 5

As tempting as it is to root for the Pacers in a Cinderella run—something that would feel straight out of Hoosiers, with echoes of Norman Dale drawing up plays for Jimmy Chitwood (the Steph Curry of his time according to my Dad)—the reality is this: the Oklahoma City Thunder are just a better team right now.

The Thunder are younger, deeper, and more balanced on both ends of the floor. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has proven himself to be one of the league’s premier closers, and he’s surrounded by a brilliant, unselfish supporting cast that includes Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and a rock-solid bench. Their defense is switchable and suffocating, and their pace on offense is relentless—something Indiana hasn’t fully faced this postseason.

While Indiana’s offense is electric and their confidence is at an all-time high, they’re running into a team that doesn’t beat itself. Plus, not for nothing, the Thunder have one more reason why they will win: Maryland pride. The Thunder’s Aaron Wiggins is the only player from the University of Maryland in this series.  Not a deciding factor, of course, but I’m a homer so sue me if you disagree.