The Oklahoma City Thunder have a fantastic coach in Mark Daigneault, who has done a great job of getting the most out of his team. However, Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has the edge here, and that could be an advantage the team may need in the NBA Finals.
There is a lot of talent on the Pacers' roster, and they deserve a ton of credit for getting the team to where they are. However, it is safe to assume they wouldn't be here if it were not for Carlisle, whose system works perfectly in Indiana. Furthermore, unlike Daigneault, Carlisle has championship experience as a head coach, having won with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
Ultimately, whichever team plays better on the court is going to win it all. However, the Pacers have an advantage with Carlisle leading the way, and that may be the only edge they need to take home their first Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Rick Carlisle can lead the Pacers to a championship victory
-----------------------------------------------------------
In addition to his system, what makes Carlisle such a good coach for the Pacers is [his ability to adapt](https://8points9seconds.com/pacers-rick-carlisle-has-embraced-element-coaching-so-many-refuse) and change with the times. He was a successful head coach many years ago, and he remains one of the top head coaches in the NBA for this reason.
Furthermore, Carlisle's ability to make in-game adjustments and pull all the right strings gives the Pacers a shot to overcome Oklahoma City's talent edge. That is exactly what happened all postseason, specifically against the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers. Carlisle knows how to switch things up at the right time, and he also knows how to get the best out of his players no matter his gameplan.
The Pacers have a great roster on paper, but objectively, they are not the most talented team in the Eastern Conference. Regardless, they are in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, and they just competed in the conference finals for the second year in a row. A big reason for this is that Carlisle is one of the best head coaches in the game, and he has regularly gotten the best out of his players, especially in recent years.
Indiana will head to Oklahoma City for [Game 1 of the NBA Finals](https://8points9seconds.com/full-pacers-vs-thunder-2025-nba-finals-schedule-how-watch) on Thursday. As it stands, the vast majority of fans, analysts, and other basketball personalities expect the Thunder to walk away with the championship. However, Carlisle and the Pacers have made a habit of shocking the basketball world, and with a title on the line. Though they will face their biggest challenge up to this point, the team has given fans no reason to believe they won't attempt to do the same once again.