“The Thunder, they’re bringing better players off the bench than the Pacers. Pacers have got a terrific bench, but Oklahoma City got better bench players” said Charles Barkley in a recent episode of the ‘Dan Patrick Show’. The battle between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will be as much about the bench players as it will be about the starters. After all, both teams have garnered praise during the playoffs over their roster depth. When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton won’t be present to take charge of the team, it will be up to them to fight to help secure enough wins and get that Larry O’Brien trophy.

Charles Barkley has already made his prediction. However, does his opinion, and that of thousands of other NBA fans, hold merit? Read on to find out.

Top Bench in the 2025 NBA Finals Revealed

The Indiana Pacers’ bench, without a doubt, is a productive one. They reportedly led the league in scoring last season, having averaged 46.8 points per game. This year’s group hasn’t been as productive, averaging just 39.8 points per game. However, it allowed them to hold the 7th place, thanks to their impressive roster.

The bench contains big names like Obi Toppin, who finished 7th in the NBA in total points off the bench this season. 766 points as a rim runner, and finisher. Meanwhile, T.J. McConnell finished 11th in bench scoring thanks to his 708 points, and 1st in bench assists with 348. Bennedict Mathurin saw a role change in February after being moved to the bench when Aaron Nesmith was moved back into the starting lineup after his injury. Overall, he averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. During the recent series against the New York Knicks, he averaged 9.7 points in 14.3 minutes of average playtime. That still makes him a reliable small forward.

While this certainly highlights the depth the Pacers have, it is not something that would scare the OKC squad. After all, the Thunder’s bench has had at least eight players in rotation, with them reportedly starting in at least 16 games. The current unit, consisting of secondary players, is tough on the defensive front, and are capable of keeping Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and the other scorers at bay. On top of that, they certainly aren’t so bad on the offense, either.

Cason Wallace, despite being in his 2nd year in the NBA, has established himself as a top-level perimeter defender. By February of this year, he was ranking 5th in steals per game (1.8), 3rd in steal percentage (3.1%), and was tied for 3rd in deflections per game (3.8). Back then, he also had an opponent field goal percentage of 43.2%, a defensive rating of 104.0, and ranked 7th in total steals (81). On top of all that, he averaged 8.4 points per game this season, and 5 in the recent OKC-Timberwolves series.

Wallace isn’t the only one who can do things both ways. As SI reporter Nathan Aker highlighted, Alex Caruso was a consistent pest when matched up against Nikola Jokic or Julius Randle. Even LeBron James praised him in the recent episode of his ‘Mind the Game’ podcast. The Lakers star said “He’s like the ultimate Swiss Army knife. We’ve seen him guard Giannis, the Joker, ANT, Julius Randle, Jamal Murray, all in this postseason. You look at plus/minus after the game, and AC might have five points, three rebounds, two assists and his plus/minus will be a god damn +17.” His ability as defender allows him to pressure the basketball, and fight big men in the post.

In terms of offense, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe are the players that put the team on top. The former is an athletic wing scorer who averaged 12.0 points per game in the regular season through 4.3-8.4 (50.7%) field goals, 1.9-4.3 (43.1%) 3-pointers, and 1.6-1.8 (91.3%) free throws. His performance in the playoffs have been even better. Meanwhile, with 192 3-pointers made, Isaiah Joe ranks as the team’s best outside shooter. The two players who rank immediately below him, Luguentz Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, are starters. Aaron Wiggins, the secondary power forward, ranked 4th by shooting 130.

If that isn’t enough to put OKC on top during the 2025 NBA Finals, then relish in the fact that Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams give the Thunder size on the bench. That size helps to make it easy to switch players and still ensure the defense stays strong. In light of this, it can be easily deduced that Oklahoma City Thunder has the better bench. Nico Harrison would feel vindicated if OKC goes on to win, as it would prove his long-standing belief that ‘Defense wins championships’.

Players expected to make the difference in the 2025 NBA Finals

Though the depth of both teams is beyond impressive, the competition will, in the end, come down to the prowess of a few players. A few players that will dominate the headlines, the storylines, and the attention of the reporters during pressers. The players who will be patted on the shoulders during wins, and criticized the most during losses.

Without a doubt, the two players who will be expected to make the most difference are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton. Along with carrying the NBA MVP title, Shai was also the top average regular season scorer of the team with the most wins this season. Under his leadership, OKC has returned to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012. The player has already averaged 29.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 16 this postseason. He will once again be relied upon by the OKC squad to carry the offense by both getting to the rim, and operating in the midrange. He might even use his tactics to intentionally draw fouls, a move that has already earned him the ‘Free-Throw Merchant’ tag.

As for Haliburton, he already won over the Pacers fanbase with his dominance against the New York Knicks, and even before. Over the last 39 games of the regular season, Haliburton increased his average scoring to 19.5 points and 9.7 assists, shooting 51% overall and 43% on 3s. He created a league-high 25.3 points on passes during the playoffs, and his clutch shots were a welcome sight. The issues, however, lie in his inconsistency. Furthermore, the Thunder defense, loaded with elite point-of-attack defenders, will be mostly trained on him. Well, him and Pascal Siakam.

Pascal Siakam won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP instead of Haliburton due to him scoring the highest average points, 24.8, against the Knicks. He is the only member of Indiana’s rotation that has actual NBA Finals experience, having been a player on the 2019 Toronto Raptors team that defeated the Golden State Warriors to win the championship.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also has his own supporting star in the form of Jalen Williams, who averaged 20.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in the last 16 games.

Other players to be on the lookout for include Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso for the Thunder, along with Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner for the Pacers.

The Oklahoma City Thunder or the Indiana Pacers? Who will you be rooting for? Let us know in the comments section.