INDIANAPOLIS — Go ahead, try to think back to the 2022 Finals — just three years ago — and tell me who started the clincher for the winning Warriors.&nbsp;

You obviously know Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. Maybe you recalled Andrew Wiggins. But that fifth starter? It was Otto Porter Jr., who is now retired at 31 years old.&nbsp;

Or, let’s go back to the most consequential contest in NBA history — Game 7, 2016 Finals — and tell me if you genuinely remembered that Festus Ezeli and Tristan Thompson matched up at tipoff.&nbsp;

Or how about five years ago with the Lakers in the Bubble, when Alex Caruso and Danny Green lined up with LeBron James. Are their starts etched and memorialized in NBA history? Hardly.&nbsp;

Hart, who floated the idea of going to the bench as far back as preseason, said he started this discussion with Tom Thibodeau in earnest during the conference semis.{ai:summary}<p>The 2022 NBA Finals featured Otto Porter Jr. as a starter for the Warriors, a fact many fans may not easily recall. Similarly, key matchups in past Finals, like Festus Ezeli against Tristan Thompson in 2016 or Alex Caruso with Danny Green in the 2020 Bubble, often fade from memory.</p><p>These examples highlight how certain players, despite their roles in pivotal games, may not be remembered as prominently as stars like Steph Curry or LeBron James. #sports</p>

Josh Hart has bigger Knicks goals that transcend the starting lineup

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