Isiah Thomas has firsthand knowledge of what it takes to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy, having taken his Pistons to the promised land two years in a row. However, his latest prediction has left some people scratching their heads, as he has backed Kevin Durant‘s Phoenix Suns and Jalen Brunson‘s New York Knicks to meet in the NBA Finals come June.
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The 12x All-Star joined Mark Jackson and his son’s Come Talk 2 Me podcast, and Jackson wanted to know what Thomas made of the current competition in the league. Despite the Cavaliers and Thunder being at the top of their conferences, the Chicago native believes that the talent that the Knicks and Suns possess may be too much for other teams to handle.
However, he knows better than anyone that talent isn’t the only thing that plays a part in title-winning teams. Luck and health play a huge part, and he added that the eventual winner would depend on which of these two teams would be luckier, and who suffers lesser injuries. He said,
“I got the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks in the NBA finals, and I think it’s the luck of the draw at the end. I think it comes down to who is healthy and who is lucky. But I think those 2 teams, if they are healthy, they got good coaching, good talent. I think those two teams, Phoenix and New York, I got those 2 teams in the finals.”
Thomas’ logic may be flawed, but some points he raised are very solid. The Knicks are currently 3rd in the East, with a 20-10 record, and their star duo of Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns are on a tear. The team chemistry is at an all-time high, and after their record 25th Christmas Day win, there is a very high chance the Knicks can make a legitimate push once the season comes to a close.
His pick of the Suns makes less sense. Phoenix is 8th in the West, and is just 1 game above .500. Kevin Durant has been their saving grace, but he’s nearing the end of his career. Without him, the Suns have a dismal record of 1-9, and that just goes to show that their entire title charge would depend on a 36-year-old player staying healthy.
But Thomas clearly sees something in both teams and until it’s mathematically impossible for either to be competitive, his predictions will carry weight in the NBA community.
