Since its inception, the NBA has evolved constantly. The formula for winning keeps changing. There was the era of bigs, then came the Super Team era as LeBron James shocked the world with ‘The Decision’ to take his talents to South Beach. Soon after, Stephen Curry sparked the three-point revolution, making the world realize that three is greater than two. But this season feels different. This season feels new. Why? Because of the Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers!

Two teams that are not stacked with big-name players, led by young, talented superstars, fighting for the Larry O’Brien trophy on the biggest stage, could be a sneak peek into the future of Adam Silver’s new NBA. Throughout the year, OKC proved that a hungry and well-built squad is more effective than having a star-studded team. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they became the youngest team in history to win 68 regular-season games. And their dominance continued in the playoffs, as they became the youngest team to reach the NBA Finals since 1977, with an average age of 25.6 years.

Meanwhile, the Pacers were not too far behind. While they were not as dominant in the regular season, Tyrese Haliburton and Co. switched gears in the Playoffs and easily got past proven veteran superstars, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, and Jalen Brunson, booking a spot in the Finals. And they achieved this feat despite the mere average age of 26.3 years. This hints that the LeBron, Steph, and Durant era might soon be over as younger teams are beginning to take over. With players like Victor Wembanyama, Paolo Banchero, and Anthony Edwards on the rise, this trend will only go upward.

Even Pacers star Myles Turner shares a similar sentiment, “It’s a new blueprint for the league, man… I think the years of the super teams and stacking, it’s not as effective as it once was. Since I’ve been in the league, the NBA is very trendy. It just shifts. The new trend now is kind of what we’re doing.” While age is just one differentiating factor, OKC and Indiana’s unique style of play has also played a huge role in getting them to this stage.

How the Pacers and Thunder’s fast-paced offense and relentless defense could be the new NBA norm

Obviously, to excel against elite playoff teams, both OKC and Indiana needed some key attributes that set them apart. It turned out to be their fast-paced offense and lockdown defense. During the regular season, the Thunder ranked sixth in pace at 100, and Indiana ranked a close seventh at 99.87. They have continued this style of play throughout the playoffs. On multiple occasions, the Pacers’ opponents seemed worn out toward the end of games, trying to keep up with their offense. Same for OKC.

Legendary ESPN broadcaster Mike Breen, who has been the voice of these playoffs, even pointed it out during a recent interview: “Both these teams, they have thrived on wearing you down.” Also, they have been elite on offense, with OKC ranking third in the league in offensive rating during the regular season at 120.3 and the Pacers ranking ninth with 116.5. The Pacers have since picked up pace in the playoffs, thanks to Haliburton’s ability to create plays on fastbreaks. Running the floor while the opponents’ defense is scattered is what has given them an edge during this run.

Meanwhile, both teams have been brilliant on defense as well. With OKC’s league-high defensive rating of 107.5 and Pacers’ 114.3, they are a menace to their opponents. Massive credit goes to their depth, as they are not reliant on one star and have several players who can step up and guard multiple positions. Seeing how successful OKC and Indiana have been this season, more teams could tend toward building a similar roster that can dominate on both ends and play at a high pace. Another major change that this series might have sparked is the boom of international stars.

International stars ready for NBA takeover amid Adam Silver’s expansion plan

For the past few years, there has been constant discussion about international players taking over the NBA. A reason for that claim is that the last seven regular-season MVPs were foreign-born stars, including this year’s winner, SGA. The NBA Finals could further escalate this trend as both teams are being led by players from outside America. Of course, OKC is led by Shai, who is Canadian and is arguably the best offensive player in the league today.

Meanwhile, the Pacers are being led by Cameroonian star Pascal Siakam. Sure, Tyrese is the face of the franchise, but he has been highly inconsistent in this series. On Monday, he finished with his playoff career low of 4 points without making a single field goal. Amid his struggles, Siakam has kept the team afloat with his consistent scoring. He was even named the East Finals MVP after averaging 24.8 points against the Knicks. The two best teams in the NBA being led by international stars could be the beginning of things to come. Especially with Adam Silver’s massive expansion plan.

During a recent presser, the Commissioner announced that there will be a discussion about expansion at July’s board of governors meeting in Las Vegas. He further highlighted the team owners’ interest in this plan, “There’s been no lack of interest… So, if we were to say yes, we’re now going to move into a more formal exploratory phase. We would take those meetings, and in addition likely we would engage with outside advisers who would look at markets, look at economic opportunities and media opportunities, etc.”

Of course, league expansion would require more players, which could further increase the influx of international athletes. While nothing is concrete, it seems like a step in the right direction.

Moreover, Silver has also expressed interest in expanding into Europe. During his visit to the Paris Games, he stated, “We are looking very closely to see if there’s an opportunity to professionalize the game to another level here, to create a larger commercial opportunity.” As expected, French sensation Victor Wembanyama was the face of the campaign.

An international takeover seems imminent. With the new $76 billion media rights deal coming into effect next season and the OKC vs Pacers Finals setting a new trend, it sure looks like the dawn of a new era for the NBA. Are you excited for this next chapter?