The Indiana Pacers are headed to the NBA Finals, and a lot of people are surprised.
No one thought they were a bad team, but few thought they’d go this far.
In an age of superteams and All-Stars, the Pacers have done things differently, and Myles Turner is blown away by his squad.
Speaking to ESPN, he talked about what this means.
“I think it’s a new blueprint for the league, man,” said Turner, the longest-tenured player on the team. “The years of the superteams and stacking [stars] is not as effective as it once was. Since I’ve been in the league, this NBA is very trendy. It just shifts. But the new trend now is just kind of what we’re doing. OKC does the same thing. Young guys, get out and run, defend and use the power of friendship.”
Turner called the NBA “trendy,” which means it is always trying the new big thing that blows fans away.
For years now, it has been the concept of superteams – cobbling groups together that feature several All-Stars and max contract players.
The Pacers didn’t do that.
Yes, they committed some trades that got them where they are now, but it was a slow and deliberate process.
And they didn’t go for the largest and most well-known players throughout the league.
That has gotten them to this point, and now they are on the verge of battling for a championship ring against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
To make Turner’s point even more, the Thunder have followed a blueprint similar to the Pacers.
Some fans are hoping this will start a new trend in the league, one that has teams focusing on lesser-known players instead of superstars.
Is this the beginning of a new era in the association?
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