
The Sports Staff shared which team they think will win the 2025 NBA Finals.
Zaria Flippin (Sports Editor): Oklahoma City Thunder
I think the Oklahoma City Thunder will walk away with the NBA trophy.
Lets face it: they got a whole team of dawgs.
I think the aspect the Thunder have over everyone is the fact they are a very young team, and their connection and chemistry shows on and off the court.
Let’s not forget who the Thunder have on their stacked team: Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso. And we cannot forget about the man himself, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
SGA averages 32.7 points per game, leading the league in points per game. Come on y’all.
Get ready to bark with the Thunder in their postgame interview when the SGA gets named the most valuable player and is holding the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Gabe Newman (Assistant Sports Editor): Cleveland Cavaliers
I think the Cleveland Cavaliers will be NBA champions solely because of how streaky that team is.
I don’t think Cleveland is the best team in the playoffs, however the Cavaliers’ ability to put together multiple wins in a row leads me to believe that they can do that again come playoff time.
Cleveland has two win streaks of 15 or more games this season, which is the first time an NBA team has accomplished that since 2006. You only have to win 16 games in the playoffs.
I’ll admit that I haven’t watched tons of Cavaliers basketball this season. However, the game I do remember watching saw them overcome a 25-3 first quarter deficit to beat the Boston Celtics. I like any team that has that in their bag to lift the Larry O’Brien.
Patrick Schmitz (Associate Photo Editor): Los Angeles Lakers
I am picking the Lakers to win the NBA championship for one reason alone. It’s because of the man on the Lakers.
LeBron James is still the king, and you have to respect his greatness. Even though he is not the G.O.A.T., he is the second-best player of all time.
He is the best meme player of all time, and that means something more than being the G.O.A.T. He has songs made after him.
Someone made an app called Bronify because of how many songs there were of him. With how many people love him, there is no denying his greatness.
He now has a good second option with Luka Dončić as Anthony Davis was not that good. This is the Lakers’ year as the man on the Lakers will lead them to victory.
Emerson Reynolds (Sports Reporter): Indiana Pacers
Oh, where do I even begin, my sweet Indiana Pacers?
First, even though Tyrese Haliburton had a very slow start, he still had one of the best seasons for a point guard ever. Overall, this season was as good as some of the best Chris Paul seasons and his run after the All-Star break rivals Chris Paul’s prime. Haliburton isn’t even in his prime yet.
Pascal Siakam is in his second year as a Pacer and is already an All-Star and is one of the best second options and power forwards in the league.
Plus Indiana’s X-factor, or should I say X-factors? I would genuinely make the argument that the Pacers have the best bench in the league.
This isn’t some crazy fan prediction, I believe this. Plus, they aren’t anywhere near our prime yet.
P.S. I expect the Thunder to come out of the West.
Cameron Thomas (Sports Reporter): Boston Celtics
I think the Boston Celtics are going to repeat as NBA champions. The Celtics have a great starting five led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and a lockdown defender in Jrue Holiday.
The Celtics also have key players in Derrick White, who could go off for eight threes in a game and Kristaps Porziņģis who provides good shooting, floor spacing and rim protection. They also have Payton Pritchard, who should win sixth man of the year coming off the bench.
The Celtics have a lot of experience in the playoffs and can handle that pressure.
Their head coach, Joe Mazzulla is a great motivator and will have his team ready to play. The way they play is tough to beat in a seven game series, and I think the combination of their experience, roster, coaching and playstyle will get them another championship.
The Sports Staff can be reached at 581-2812 or at densportsdesk@gmail.com.