Hoops Hobby

25 years since the Pacers were in last in the NBA Finals. I was 14 years old the last time. This time I have friends and family texting me after every game, my wife and kids cheering along with me.

Some very good and even championship worthy teams in between Finals appearances, but nothing is guaranteed. Teams that look like they’re set up for years can dissipate because of injuries, players becoming malcontents, overreactions from front offices, prematurely pushing chips to the center, there are all kinds of reasons.

And so I’m soaking up every minute of this playoff run. Some of these comebacks have been so ridiculous to the point where it feels like the Pacers are always in the game, no matter the score.

For this week’s post, I’m going to share cards from both Finals squads, side by side by position.

From 2000, the floor general, Mark Jackson. His post-ups of smaller guards, his steady presence, and court vision made him a perfect floor general, and he’s still 6th all-time in NBA history in assists.

Nembhard is more of a defensive force who can hit the big shot when needed. I’m impressed by his ability to create space against taller defenders. What a steal as a 2nd round draft pick. When the team struggled early in the year, it was while Nembhard was out (team record of 6-11).

What is there to say about these two clutch players? My childhood hero and all-time favorite player, paired next to the most exciting player on the team today. These two are the faces of the franchise for their respective eras, and even Haliburton has already earned his place among the Pacers all-time greats.

I don’t have an autograph for Haliburton yet so I chose one of my favorites I’ve seen so far. The images used in Photogenic are phenomenal and it’s one of the Panini products I’ll miss. It’s one product where I wish blaster boxes were available in retail stores, because this is one product I would actually purchase for the base cards themselves.

Next up we have Jalen Rose, a steady lefty scorer who I can just picture taking a smooth deep jumper as I write this. A great wing complement to Reggie, he emerged as an elite player during the 1999-00 season and was actually named the league’s Most Improved Player that year, ahead of Dirk Nowitzki. He and Reggie averaged almost the same PPG during that regular season, 18.2 for Jalen to 18.1 for Reggie.

You might think Nesmith should go here as a small forward, but I’m going to pair Jalen Rose with Pascal Siakam because of Siakam’s consistency and stability, and his ability to go off scoring the ball on any given night. We saw it in three games in the conference finals. So I’m pairing the 2000 MIP with the 2025 ECF MVP.

I don’t have an autograph card for Siakam yet, and I only have 1 card of his as a Pacer, a mojo parallel out of 25. That needs to change, but I’d like to wait for a licensed autograph card.

The great thing about this year’s Pacers team, and it parallels the 1999-00 squad as well, is that on any given night someone can step up and provide a big game. Some nights it’s Siakam, others Nembhard, others Turner, and when you need 5 threes in the 4th quarter, maybe it’s Aaron Nesmith.

I paired him with Dale Davis because of Nesmith’s pure effort and toughness, which Davis had plenty of.

At the center position, we have two players that I think are widely underrated for their respective eras. Smits battled with the best centers of the 90s and more than held his own. Another player who I admire for both his offensive game, and spending his entire career with the same team.

If I had my way, Myles Turner would be a Pacer for his entire career, too. He loves Indy, and Indy loves him. Makes me so happy to see the team, and him in particular, in the Finals.

Moving on to the bench, Best and McConnell are quality backup guards, playing huge roles for their respective teams. Best finished games in some big moments, and McConnell can take over games in his own way, by being a pest on the defensive end and getting to the right spots on the floor to either find his shot or put teammates in a great spot. Big fan of both of these guys.

I’ll pair Croshere and Toppin as two players with high energy and electric plays off the bench. Both can also stroke it from 3 point range as well. Croshere had a huge 2000 playoff run, and I’m hoping Toppin shows up big in the Finals, as he has in the playoffs so far. Toppin used to bug me with turnovers, but he’s toned that down in the playoffs and I’m absolutely loving how he’s playing.

This pairing doesn’t quite fit, but I’m going to call it a ‘whatever the team needs’ kind of fit. McKey was a whatever you need type of player. He played great defense and could score within the team’s offensive framework.

I’m tying Mathurin to McKey as a bench player who can get a bucket when you need one. He doesn’t fit perfectly into the up-tempo offensive style of the current Pacers, but he’s a great one-on-one scorer who isn’t afraid to take a big shot when the team needs a basket.

Up next is a pair of backup centers. The Pacers were fortunate enough to have Perkins for the last 3 seasons of his career, including the team’s Finals run. Big Smooth was more of a floor spacer at that point in his career.

Nowadays players at any position are expected to be able to step out and knock down a 3 point shot. Bryant is not afraid to attempt 3 point shots when he’s on the floor. He made 3 huge ones in game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks, in some of the most important moments of his career. After Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman went down early in the season, the Pacers traded for Bryant, and he’s filled in admirably at the backup center spot.

A theme for the 1999-00 Pacers squad is a roster filled with veterans who’d been in big situations before. Again, the Pacers were fortunate to have Mullin, and while he didn’t have a huge role in the Finals, and didn’t play big minutes during that regular season, you knew you had a flat out shooter out there when he was on the floor.

Sheppard is early in his career and by no means am I comparing his career to Mullin’s. But I’m never upset to see Sheppard on the floor. He plays solid defense and has a smooth 3 point shot. Like national media is recognizing with this Finals run, the Pacers front office has nailed its draft picks and transactions in recent years.

The young guys on these Finals teams. Still haven’t picked up a Jarace autograph. May end up waiting for Pacers licensed autographs. Hoping he has a spot on the future of this team. Maybe he’ll end up with a Pristine autograph in a future Topps release to pair with this Bender?

The Thunder are heavily favored, but win or lose, it’s been a blast following the 2025 Pacers where continuity, balance, and quality depth, and some clutch moments have led to a Finals berth. Going to enjoy every minute and I’ll look back on this series and team with similar feelings to the 2000s team.