This week saw one of the most exciting NBA Finals in many years; it was the first time the series went a full seven games since 2016 and it was full of close games. It featured one team full of rising stars and the reigning MVP — the Oklahoma City Thunder — and an underdog team whose path to the finals was filled with near-impossible comebacks at every step — the Indiana Pacers.
The series had quite a few heroes who were expected to be great, and were, like the OKC Thunders’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and role players who tried to will their team to victory.
The defining moment of the series happened in Game 7 when the Pacers’ star player, Tyrese Haliburton, tore his achilles tendon, having only played seven minutes. Despite this devastating loss, the Pacers kept the game close, through the efforts of Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell, who combined for 40 points off the bench. However, their efforts were not enough as the Thunder became national champions for the second time in their history.
Even with all the shining moments of these finals, there were some athletes who put up less than spectacular performances. These athletes are favorably called bobbleheads.
Indiana Pacers: Pascal Siakam
As the Pacers' highest scoring player during this season, it would be expected of him to play his best when the lights are the brightest. During the finals, he averaged a respectable 19.3 points per game, but the reason he is a bobblehead is because of his Game 7 performance.
After Haliburton’s injury, it became clear that if the Pacers were to win, they would need a significant contribution from Siakam. But, they didn’t get it, as he scored only 16 points that game — making only 38.5% of his shots. Again, those stats are fine if he was playing a Monday night game in February, but during the last game of the season, the best players need to play their best and Siakam did not do that.
Indiana Pacers: Obi Toppin
Toppin’s finals were somewhat erratic. He had stellar performances in games one, four and six, and then dismal efforts in Games 2 and 7.
In Game 7, he scored a total of zero points despite being on the court for 21 minutes. His most prolific statistical category in that game was his turnovers, which he had three of.
For someone who is known for his athleticism and high-flying dunks, whenever Toppin touched the ball in Game 7, he appeared uncoordinated and unsure of what to do. In the face of some of his teammates' energy, the lack of hustle and energy from Toppin became obvious.
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at editorinchief@dailylobo.com or on X @jadenmckelvey
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