THE TAKE
Ric discusses why the Indiana Pacers could make the NBA Finals vs. the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder more competitive than expected, why Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could be in the conversation for top 5 point guards of all-time if he wins this year's title and Finals MVP, and why rumors that the Lakers are hoping guard Bronny James -- son of LeBron -- can be in their playing rotation next season has to happen -- for Bronny's sake.
BOLDNESS
62/100
GRADE
60/100
PLAYERS / TEAMS
SGABronny James
GRADING CRITERIA
TRUE if: (1) Pacers reach the NBA Finals and the series goes 6+ games against OKC, indicating competitiveness beyond expectations; (2) SGA wins both the NBA championship and Finals MVP in 2025; (3) Bronny James is listed on the Lakers active game-night roster for at least 20 regular-season games in 2025-26 season. All three sub-takes must be evaluated independently.
vaguebold callcontrarian
OUTCOME
PARTIALLY TRUESub-take 1 (Pacers make it competitive): TRUE — the Pacers reached the NBA Finals and pushed OKC to a full seven games, far exceeding most expectations given the massive regular-season gap between the teams. Sub-take 2 (SGA wins title + Finals MVP): TRUE — SGA won both the NBA championship and Finals MVP, becoming the first player in 25 years to win the scoring title, regular-season MVP, and Finals MVP in the same year. Sub-take 3 (Bronny in rotation for 20+ games): UNCERTAIN/LIKELY FALSE — Bronny spent much of 2025-26 shuttling between the G League and the NBA roster, averaging only 2.9 points in limited minutes; he does not appear to have cracked a stable 20-game rotation role.