The NBA Finals are here, and the mediasphere seems unsure of what to do with a series that doesn't include big cities or the most name brand stars. 

Still, a Finals that features the league's MVP, along with a fantastic story out of the East (Tyrese Haliburton, going from spare part/meme on the Olympic team to Eastern Conference champ) should be something the NBA can market. And they should lean into it, because at some point it has to move past the LeBron/KD/Steph/Giannis/big markets-or bust mindset that has gripped the league. 

That this seems to be such a point of stress is a reflection of how often the NBA's media partners have failed to help promote the league in a positive way. But the good news? TV contracts are locked in. Ratings don't matter. If the league decides to showcase this group and treat it like an opportunity, it could do some long-term good. 

Meanwhile, when the Knicks lost to the Pacers, there were immediate questions about the future of Karl-Anthony Towns in New York. Not because KAT was bad in the playoffs—he wasn't— but because the defensive combination of Towns and Jalen Brunson is, to say the least, a challenge. The Knicks have surrounded those two with about as many capable defenders as you can, and still fell short. Does that mean it can't work at all? Do the Lakers face a similar question with Austin Reaves paired with Luka Dončić? Yes... and no.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: These Finals should be an opportunity. 
SEGMENT 2: What the league keeps getting wrong. 
SEGMENT 3: Do the Knicks and Lakers have similar problems? 

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