Ranking (almost) every player in the 2025 NBA Finals

After six weeks of riveting playoff enactment crossed some conferences, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers volition statesman the NBA Finals connected Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC). It'll beryllium the commencement of a best-of-seven matter to find which squad volition assertion its archetypal NBA championship. (Indiana won aggregate ABA titles; Oklahoma City has 1 anterior NBA crown from erstwhile it was the Seattle SuperSonics.) One of the teams besides volition go the league's seventh consecutive caller champion, establishing a grounds for parity successful the NBA.

It's a bid that should present immoderate breathtaking basketball. Oklahoma City, representing the Western Conference, was the league's champion antiaircraft squad this season, portion the Eastern Conference's Pacers person 1 of the NBA's elite offenses. Both play with a relentless, full-court benignant designed to deterioration connected the opposition.

To get you prepared for each the action, we've broke down our apical 20 players successful the Finals, utilizing a operation of however they've performed during the 2024-25 play and playoffs and their projections for this series.

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder

It's nary astonishment the NBA's Most Valuable Player volition beryllium atop the list. He led the 68-win Thunder connected an awesome march done the West information of the bracket to bring Oklahoma City backmost to the NBA Finals for the archetypal clip since 2012. Like helium has each season, Gilgeous-Alexander volition walk overmuch of this bid some getting to the rim and operating successful the midrange. And helium easy could unit Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard, Indiana's 2 apical helping defenders, into foul trouble. It's hard to spot a mode for Indiana to dilatory down Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Pacers undoubtedly volition beryllium blessed if they tin support him from breaking their defence by himself. -- Tim Bontemps

2. Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers

After a dilatory start, possibly influenced by lingering hamstring issues, Haliburton has played astatine an elite level since the calendar flipped to 2025. He averaged 19.5 points and 9.7 assists implicit the past 39 games of the regular season, shooting 51% wide and 43% connected 3s. Haliburton has created a league-high 25.3 points connected passes during the playoffs, per NBA Advanced Stats, and helium made clutch shots successful respective of Indiana's improbable postseason comebacks. The 1 question is however Haliburton volition grip a Thunder defence loaded with elite point-of-attack defenders. As ESPN's Zach Kram noted, Haliburton has averaged conscionable 12 PPG against Oklahoma City crossed the past 2 seasons, his lowest people against immoderate opponent. -- Kevin Pelton

3. Pascal Siakam, Pacers

Siakam, who won MVP honors successful the East finals, is the lone subordinate of Indiana's rotation with NBA Finals experience. He was a subordinate of the 2019 Toronto Raptors title team, going for 26 points and 10 rebounds to adjacent retired the bid successful Game 6 astatine the Golden State Warriors. Siakam has been a cleanable acceptable with the Pacers and Haliburton since arriving little than 18 months ago. He'll person to transportation implicit his play from the league finals if Indiana wants to person a accidental to marque this a agelong series. -- Bontemps

4. Jalen Williams,Thunder

The West finals represented a cardinal measurement successful Williams' improvement arsenic a championship-caliber sidekick. He struggled against the Denver Nuggets' portion successful Round 2 -- akin to past season's bid nonaccomplishment successful the aforesaid circular to the Dallas Mavericks -- shooting a combined 10-of-43 (23%) implicit Games 3 done 5 earlier bursting retired with 24 points successful Game 7. Against the Minnesota Timberwolves successful the league finals, however, Williams averaged 22.2 PPG connected 49% shooting, including 12-of-26 (46%) connected 3s. If Williams repeats that successful the Finals, the Thunder volition astir surely rise their archetypal title banner successful Oklahoma City. -- Pelton

5. Chet Holmgren, Thunder

Holmgren had his champion bid of the playoffs against the Timberwolves successful the West finals, eclipsing 20 points successful 3 of the 5 games and shooting 56.7% for the series. The versatile 7-foot-1 large antheral apt volition walk clip connected some Siakam and Myles Turner successful this bid and, arsenic always, volition play a cardinal portion successful the swarming Thunder defense's crippled program to dilatory down the high-powered Pacers offense. As with Williams, if Holmgren tin support up his violative accumulation against Indiana, the Thunder volition beryllium pugnacious to beat. -- Bontemps

6. Alex Caruso, Thunder

Caruso has yet to commencement successful the playoffs, but erstwhile the chips are down, he's intelligibly 1 of Mark Daigneault's astir trusted options due to the fact that of his antiaircraft impact and susceptible 3-point shooting. Caruso opened the 2nd fractional of the Thunder's 2 astir important wins frankincense far, capably matching up with Nikola Jokic successful Game 7 of the Denver bid and helping Oklahoma City triumph Game 4 successful Minneapolis to instrumentality bid of the West finals. OKC's defence is ever good, and adding Caruso's disruption makes it historically elite. -- Pelton

7. Aaron Nesmith, Pacers

Nesmith has been 1 of the breakout stars of these playoffs. His spectacular show successful Game 1 of Indiana's East finals triumph implicit the New York Knicks astir single-handedly powered the Pacers' 17-point comeback successful the 4th quarter. He besides did a large occupation successful guarding Jalen Brunson, earlier a close ankle sprain derailed Nesmith's series. Nesmith, who has changeable 50% from 3-point scope during the postseason, volition play a captious relation successful the Finals arsenic helium guards either Gilgeous-Alexander oregon Williams. And some Nesmith's wellness and his jumper volition request to beryllium successful a bully spot for the Pacers to person a accidental to triumph this series. -- Bontemps

8. Myles Turner, Pacers

Turner brings a agelong constituent to Indiana's discourtesy that helps marque everything acceptable together. Long earlier the likes of Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama redefined what centers are susceptible of offensively, Turner was averaging much than 1 made 3-pointer per game, and this season's 2.2 made 3s (on 40% accuracy) were a vocation high. Turner besides has stepped up his rim extortion during the playoffs, blocking a league-high 7% of hostile 2-point attempts, a feat helium hasn't accomplished successful the regular play since 2021-22. -- Pelton

9. Isaiah Hartenstein, Thunder

Hartenstein has the imaginable to predominate the solid successful the Finals conscionable arsenic Mitchell Robinson did successful the East finals for the Knicks. An fantabulous rebounder, Hartenstein's minutes person waxed and waned arsenic the playoffs person progressed, but it seems apt helium volition beryllium capable to person a important interaction erstwhile Turner takes breaks and Indiana's tiny seat portion takes the tribunal successful his place. -- Bontemps

10. Luguentz Dort, Thunder

A first-time prime to the NBA All-Defensive archetypal team who finished 4th successful Defensive Player of the Year voting, Dort apt volition get the duty of defending Haliburton erstwhile some teams person their starters connected the court. Per GeniusIQ tracking, Haliburton has scored conscionable 8 points successful 122 matchups against Dort implicit the past 2 seasons, easy his lowest per-matchup people against immoderate defender helium has faced astatine slightest 100 times during that span. To enactment connected the tribunal to support Haliburton, Dort besides volition request to beryllium an violative threat. Dort is shooting conscionable 30% connected 3s successful the playoffs aft hitting a career-high 41% successful the regular season. -- Pelton

11. Andrew Nembhard, Pacers

Nembhard is simply a coagulated defender and an fantabulous backcourt spouse for Haliburton, with their varying accomplishment sets. Nembhard has gone from being a 29% 3-point shooter successful the regular play to a 48% shooter successful these playoffs. That has played a immense portion successful Indiana's tally to the Finals -- and it is thing helium needs to proceed against OKC, arsenic the Thunder apt volition play with the aforesaid frenetic vigor they ever bash defensively, a strategy that leads to unfastened looks. Nembhard besides is going to walk a batch of clip connected chap Canadian Gilgeous-Alexander and needs to debar foul trouble. -- Bontemps

12. Cason Wallace, Thunder

Pacers shot handlers would beryllium omniscient to support successful caput 1 of the astir poignant quotes from "The Wire" erstwhile Oklahoma City's backup defender is connected the court: Where's Wallace? On a squad filled with elite defenders, Wallace mightiness beryllium the champion on-ball option, having ranked 3rd successful steals per crippled (1.8) portion averaging 27.6 minutes of playing clip during the regular season. Here's an astonishing stat, per GeniusIQ tracking: When Wallace defends the subordinate bringing the shot upcourt successful the playoffs, Thunder opponents person averaged a 92.6 violative standing arsenic compared to 108.3 with immoderate different Oklahoma City defender. -- Pelton

13. Obi Toppin, Pacers

Playing against his erstwhile squad successful the postseason for a 2nd consecutive year, Toppin had arguably his champion crippled successful Indiana's series-clinching Game 6 triumph implicit the Knicks. He enactment up 18 points -- and blocked 3 shots, aft signaling conscionable 2 of them full done Indiana's archetypal 15 playoff games. Toppin's shooting volition beryllium needed against the Thunder. But he'll besides person to beryllium cautious with the ball; helium tends to beryllium a spot reckless with it astatine times, and nary squad takes amended vantage of that than Oklahoma City. -- Bontemps

14. Aaron Wiggins, Thunder

Having averaged a career-high 12.0 PPG this season, the No. 55 draught prime successful 2021 provided cardinal contributions arsenic the Thunder eliminated Denver. Wiggins scored each 11 of his points successful the 2nd fractional of a important Game 4 roadworthy triumph and ranked second, down Caruso, among Oklahoma City reserves successful scoring during that series. Wiggins past faded to the fringes of Daigneault's rotation against Minnesota, seeing his archetypal DNP-CD of the play successful Game 4, illustrating the Thunder's options connected their bench. -- Pelton

15. Bennedict Mathurin, Pacers

Remarkably, Mathurin -- the sixth enactment successful 2022 -- is the highest draught prime connected Indiana's roster. He is simply a talented but streaky scorer, putting up 20 points successful Game 4 and 23 successful Game 5 versus the Knicks but registering 15 points crossed the different 4 contests successful the series. Like Toppin, Mathurin tin get passive with the ball, and successful the minutes helium plays successful the Finals, Mathurin has to debar that from happening and allowing OKC's turnover instrumentality to make immoderate casual offense. His size and athleticism connected the helping besides could beryllium a origin defensively. -- Bontemps

16. Isaiah Joe, Thunder

The champion shooter connected a squad that sometimes runs airy successful that regard, Joe got up 10.5 3-point attempts per 36 minutes during the regular play and deed them astatine a 41% clip. Sixth Man of the Year Award runner-up Malik Beasley was the lone different subordinate to sprout amended than 40% connected astatine slightest 10 attempts per 36 minutes. Joe's flimsy framework tin marque him a antiaircraft people successful playoff settings, but he'll beryllium acceptable to sprout erstwhile needed. -- Pelton

17. T.J. McConnell, Pacers

McConnell, the defining merchandise of "The Process" successful Philadelphia, has established himself arsenic a imperishable portion of Indiana's rotation arsenic Haliburton's backup, changing the crippled with his tempo and quality to onslaught the lane whenever helium is connected the court. But arsenic the Knicks changed their rotation arsenic the league finals progressed to playing Delon Wright more, McConnell's accumulation diminished, arsenic helium went from double-digit scoring successful the archetypal 3 games to tallying conscionable 15 points implicit the last three. Given however talented Oklahoma City's perimeter defenders are, it remains to beryllium seen if that inclination volition reverse successful the Finals. -- Bontemps

18. Ben Sheppard, Pacers

Sheppard's relation has go progressively important passim the playoffs, to the constituent wherever helium played much minutes than Mathurin successful the league finals. Pacers manager Rick Carlisle has been capable to beryllium connected Sheppard to sound down 3s (42% successful the playoffs, up from 34% successful the regular season) and play susceptible defense, though the antiaircraft duty connected Brunson mightiness person been excessively overmuch to ask. Sheppard volition surely beryllium needed successful a akin relation successful this series. -- Pelton

19. Kenrich Williams, Thunder

In his 5th run with the Thunder, Williams went from hardly playing successful the archetypal mates of rounds to appearing successful each 5 games of the West finals. His quality to play arsenic either a very small-ball halfway astatine 6-foot-6 oregon arsenic a powerfulness guardant with 3-point shooting (21.4% this postseason) and antiaircraft quality could marque him an enactment for OKC successful a mates of antithetic roles this series. -- Bontemps

20. Jaylin Williams, Thunder

It's a testament to Oklahoma City's enviable extent that Williams, the team's 11th man, was truthful productive arsenic a starter this season. He posted 3 triple-doubles successful 9 starts, averaging 10 points, 8 rebounds and 4.9 assists contempt leaving 1 of those games aft 2 minutes owed to an ankle injury. Williams' main relation has been guarding burly centers specified arsenic Jokic, truthful this bid doesn't acceptable his precise peculiar acceptable of skills. -- Pelton