What happened: NBA writer Eric Pincus promoted a free Substack post carrying his NBA Finals prediction, urging followers to subscribe to see his series-winner call. In the same post he conceded that his preseason forecast of a Boston versus Oklahoma City Finals did not hold up. The two teams he is now backing were not named in the signal itself.

Why it matters: Finals predictions from established beat writers draw outsized attention during the championship round, and Pincus framing his pick as one he is "never wrong" on while admitting his preseason Boston-OKC call collapsed underscores how far the 2025-26 postseason has diverged from early expectations. The post is promotional, aimed at converting playoff interest into Substack subscriptions.

What to watch: Watch whether the series winner Pincus names in the post holds up once the Finals matchup plays out.