It’s that time of the year, the NBA Finals. The New York Knicks got past the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 4-0 sweep to win the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma Thunder in a grueling seven-game war.
With this being an opportunity for both franchises to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in a long time, we are in for a showdown! Will Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs win their first title of the “Wemby Era,” or will Jalen Brunson and the Knicks finally bring the championship back to New York?
Tale of the Tape
The San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks have met at the finish line of a collision course that has been brewing all season long. These two elite teams faced each other three times during the regular season. New York would take two of the three games, including the NBA Cup Final. You can almost throw out the regular-season success both teams had, given the heights they’ve reached this postseason.
The New York Knicks have been a juggernaut, to say the least. They are riding one of the hottest streaks. Any NBA team has had in the history of the league. During their 11-game winning streak, they have been bludgeoning teams by an average of 23.8 points per game.
To put it in Lehman’s terms, that is ridiculous. It is difficult to string that level of success together in the regular season, but the postseason is something else entirely. They dismantled the Atlanta Hawks after trailing them two games to one, then swept the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA finals since 1999.
Jalen Brunson has proven in this postseason run to the finals that he is a playoff riser. His 26.9 points per game lead New York in scoring, and his ability to win his 101 matchups, get into the lane, and dish out to wide-open three-point shooters has given this entire group confidence. You can argue that they have the better starting five of the two teams in the finals.
With OG Anunoby, Mikal, Bridges, Josh, Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks will be a difficult matchup for San Antonio. This team is long, athletic, clutch, and battle-seasoned enough to withstand any deficit that could come their way in this series.
Let’s turn our attention to the Spurs. What this young core has achieved is nothing short of sensational. To have a team in which their core is 22 or younger, no one could’ve imagined their poise and success this postseason. After defeating the Portland Trailblazers in five games and the Timberwolves in six games, they would go head-to-head with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
Against OKC, they looked physically imposing at times against the defending NBA champions. They turned Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the back-to-back MVP, into a shell of his regular-season success over the past two years. Could they do the same to the Knicks’ superstar? Maybe.
Despite Victor Wembanyama only being in his third season, there are no words for the postseason run he has put together. From setting the playoff record for blocks in a single game to the 40-point and 20-rebound performance he put up in game one of the Western Conference Finals, it has gotten to a point where you run out of words to describe him on the court. If you were to draw or create the perfect basketball player, it would look like Wemby. His supporting cast has been fantastic as well.
Whenever young teams and players make the postseason, the biggest question people ask is how their youth will affect them in dire situations. Not only has it appeared not to affect them, but the Spurs also appeared to thrive in the moment. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, in their second and rookie seasons, have exceeded any expectations any fan or analyst could have had for the dynamic guards.
Knicks & Spurs X-Factors
Let’s talk about an individual matchup that will be one of the biggest components of the series: the bench production. Both of these teams have fantastic benches, and both coaches aren’t afraid to go to their bullpen. Both bench units are averaging almost identically the same points for this postseason.
With the Knicks averaging 31.3 and the Spurs averaging 32.6, it can be hard to find consistent scoring from your tertiary starters on a night-in-night-out basis. What does that mean? It means someone has to step up from the bench. Who has that been for both teams?
For New York, it has been Landry Shamet. He might not appear to be a dominant bench player, only averaging 5.7 points per game. However, when you look at the games, the Knicks have needed an exhale from their second unit; it’s been hampered from stepping in, stretching the floor, and hitting big-time threes.
What about the Spurs? It has been a mix between the six-man of the year winner, Keldon Johnson, and Harper. Their elite perimeter defense and ability to be in the right spot when called upon have been otherworldly during this postseason run.
To move from the benches, let’s discuss one player per team that I think will be the key contributor outside of your superstars. For San Antonio, it will be interesting to see how Deon Fox, the lone veteran on this team, shows up. Despite his best performance in game seven, there were many stretches throughout the Western Conference finals when Fox appeared anything but his usual electric self.
Maybe it was because of the ankle injury that kept him sidelined for the first two games of the series, but I don’t believe the Spurs can beat the Knicks if Fox doesn’t show up in this series. He is the most experienced player out of the Spurs starters; he needs to play like it.
As for New York, this series could come down to Josh Hart’s ability to hit corner threes. It might sound funny that the NBA finals could come down to Josh Hart hitting threes; however, with Victor Wembanyama guarding Hart for his inability to be a true perimeter threat, that frees up the paint, where Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby can be so effective near the rim.
Hart is shooting slightly above 30% from downtown this postseason. In the regular season, he shot 41.3% from three, on 3.7 attempts per game. He has increased his volume to 4.7 attempts per game, but his mixer remains the same. Am I saying Josh Hart needs to shoot as Alex Caruso did in the Western Conference finals? Absolutely not, but he needs to shoot closer to what he was in the regular season.
Who Wins The Finals
The New York Knicks will defeat the San Antonio Spurs in a grueling, seven-game series and win their first NBA title since 1973. Despite the Spurs beating tougher competition to reach the finals, they are on an all-time heater and have nine days of rest before the finals begin tonight.
I believe KAT and Mitchell Robinson will be able to control the glass much like they did all season long. The stellar play on the offensive end of Bronson and the perimeter defenders of Anunoby and Bridges will be too much for Wembanyama in the San Antonio Spurs.
Knicks Def. Spurs 4-3
Final Thoughts
This will be the closest the NBA Finals have been since the 2019 season. These two teams are almost as evenly matched as possible. I can’t wait for Game 1 tonight. The star power of the Knicks against the Spurs’ youth dominance will be the definition of cinema. Who do you think wins the NBA Finals and who takes Game 1 tonight?
As always, thank you so much for checking out my thoughts and preview of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs! Be sure to check out our other amazing content here at New Leaf News! Thank you for making us part of your day, and look forward to seeing you again soon.
