I know I am a little late with this as the NBA Finals started last night, but I am very interested in this series.
I can not even explain how happy I am that the NBA didn't screw this up and ensure that the OKC Thunder made the Finals again. I was very nervous about half way through the Western Conference Finals that the referees would be give orders to continue to force Victor Wembanyama to play one handed while a conveyor belt of OKC Thunder players grabbed Wemby's off hand every time he was trying to play defense or get a rebound. If OKC had won, I honestly don't think I would have bothered watching the series. But now I get to see even more Wembanya!
The New York Knicks versus San Antonio Spurs is actually a really interesting matchup. While San Antonio has three of the most exciting young players in the game in Wembanyama, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle and one of them happens to be the best player in the world right now, the Kicks actually math up well. They have a Big Man who can score from both in the paint and from three in Karl Anthony Towns, one of the best scores and most clutch players in the league in Jalen Brunson, and a supporting cast that is built incredibly well to play defense and shoot threes.
While I do think the Spurs have the advantage when it comes to talent, the Knicks play with toughness, have significantly more experience, and had only played four games in 24 days going into last night. The questions was going to be would rust outweigh the benefit of all that rest. Clearly rest won out as The Knicks took over late in the fourth quarter.
But now the series really begins. The Knicks threw the first punch. Now we have to see how the Spurs respond. Can Wemby and his teammates find a way to crack the Knicks' physical defense? If the answer is "no" it is going to be a quick series. If it is "yes" then we might have one for the ages!
