The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder are getting prepared to face off in the NBA Finals, as they were the last two teams standing. Not only do they have the talent on their teams to be here, but they have been coached by the league's best. Head coach Rick Carlisle is one of the best in the game, and he's been around for some time to see how the league has evolved.

One thing he has seen is the face of the league talk, and it's picked up over the past year, as many are trying to find the next big star who will carry the NBA. Carlisle was asked about his thoughts on the matter during Finals media day and gave his honest opinion.

“Things are changing… It's possible that there are always going to be stars. Identifying with teams may be more of a significant thing than the star aspect of it. It's such a dynamic business and it's so quickly changing and it can change in a moment. Time will tell. LeBron James and Stephen Curry; Those guys are still it,” Carlisle said via Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints on X, formerly Twitter.

Though some people have been quick to mention Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or even Tyrese Haliburton as the face, Carlisle says that James and Curry are still the standards in the league.

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Rick Carlisle gives credit to the Pacers' offseason 

The Pacers didn't just make it to the Finals for what they did this season, but it started after they lost in the Eastern Conference Finals last year against the Boston Celtics. The way the Pacers play it requires being able to get up and down the court quickly, and their offseason was key to how they got here.

“It’s a commitment. You don’t just come into training camp to get in shape,” Carlisle said. “Nowadays in this NBA, you’ve got to do your conditioning stuff in the summer, and you’ve got to come in really tuned up.”

The Pacers are one of the fastest teams in the league, and they beat teams with their pace and speed. If they're able to play their game, they can make it hard for a lot of the teams they face. As for the Thunder, they've shown they have to answer to almost anything a team throws at them.