Are the Raptors Copying Contenders? w/ Samson & Joe Wolfond

"Crucially, the rest of the league watched the Oklahoma City Thunder win the title and the Indiana Pacers push them the distance in the Finals while playing almost nothing like the 2024 champs. On top of the stark differences in offensive process and shot diet (way more drives, way fewer threes, way more paint shots), the Pacers and Thunder both played lightning fast, whereas Boston was one of the slowest-paced teams in the league."

"At the defensive end, their respective schemes hinged on full-court pickups (Indiana), swarming help from all directions (OKC), and turnover generation born of relentless physicality and ball pressure (both), whereas the Celtics by design forced fewer turnovers, committed fewer fouls, and double-teamed less frequently than any other team. (The Pacers essentially abandoned their own attempt to adopt that help-averse philosophy a year prior, when it led to a comically high opponent rim rate.)"

"After seeing the Thunder and Pacers thrive as last postseason's second- and third-fastest teams following opponents' made baskets (per Inpredictable 's average-time-to-shot tracking), more teams are making a point of pushing the ball across the timeline in a hurry. NBA teams on average have shaved nearly a half-second off their average offensive trip, leading to nearly two additional possessions per 48 minutes. If the current pace holds,"

The Thunder and Pacers succeeded with a contrasting style to traditional champions, emphasizing more drives, fewer threes, and more paint attempts while operating at high speed. Defensive approaches prioritized full-court pickups, swarming help, relentless physicality, and ball pressure to generate turnovers rather than conservative, help-averse schemes. Boston exemplified the opposite by playing slowly, forcing fewer turnovers, committing fewer fouls, and double-teaming less. The postseason success of fast-transition teams encouraged league-wide adoption of quicker offensive trips, shaving nearly half a second per possession and producing roughly two additional possessions per 48 minutes.

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