NBA Finals: Knicks, Spurs continue depth and effort era for another year
The Pacers and Thunder used their depth and 48 minute, full-court effort to generate a seven-game Finals series last year and now the Knicks and Spurs will try to repeat the drama.
The Knicks are in the midst of a postseason heater, having ripped through the Eastern Conference playoffs to earn an shot at the NBA Championship in what sets up to be an electric NBA Finals series against Victor Wembanyama and plenty of capable friends scoffing at their youth to go ring hunting.
Both of these teams have earned their way to the ultimate matchup by letting their stars shine and utilizing depth on the roster to play their guts out regardless of the circumstances, fighting for the win.
Of course, I’m happy to throw a snarky asterisk on the Knicks run through the East since they didn’t have to play their recent nemesis, your Indiana Pacers. The one team that outworked and definitely “outclutched” the Knicks in the prior two playoff matchup.
Recall last season in the Pacers Game 6 win, Jalen Brunson needed 18 shots to score 19 points with 5 turnovers while battling the defensive effort of Andrew Nembhard. Brunson is one of the coolest competitors in the league, but with Nembhard physically nagging the Knicks’ guard all over the floor, one of those late turnovers that lead to Nembhard leading another transition bucket, the normally cool-headed Brunson had a John Starks moment, thrusting a head butt to Nembhard’s chin. Game over, Pacers to the Finals.
But the Knicks took all of the lessons learned from those losses, changed their coach from Thibs to Mike Brown and maintained the edge they play with to light up the Garden. Brown has no problem using 10 players in a game in the playoffs, but more importantly during the regular season. The Knicks are in far better shape and without the Pacers to push them physically, the Knicks turned the playoffs into their own playground.
Much like the Pacers last year, the Knicks wore down the will of the Cavs who once again show the lack of guts-spilling effort needed to win in the playoffs as the stakes rise. The Knicks are healthier and able to fight through the scars the Pacers inflicted to be an improved playoff team this time around. But now they will face a team that had to fight their guts out to knock our the defending champs.
The Spurs have a young core in Wemby, Stephen Castle and Dylan Harper that are the envy of the league, but their depth shines through with excessive effort and timely three-point shooting. It have been interesting to hear all of the analysis of the upcoming series with no mention of how the Knicks lost last year in the playoffs. The Spurs have the guards that can switch on Brunson when needed to try to slow down the head of the snake.
Castle alone should be a tough cover on Brunson, but the size and quickness of De’Aaron Fox and Harper along with Devin Vassell give the Spurs plenty of juice and fouls to throw at Brunson. But avoiding double-digit foul shots will be important for the Spurs. For Castle, the young fella just needs to stay in front and stay down. The braid-bouncing head fakes are a Brunson staple…don’t take the bait!
Easier said than done. The Knicks have so many vets and good size of their own that the matchup has plenty of juice. These games will be physical and testy and winning four games will require an extremely solid effort at both ends of the floor.
The good news for the Pacers is that their style of play may need a few tweaks, but when it matters most. the all out effort they leaned on the past two seasons remains the best way to make a deep playoff run to the Finals.
Until Wemby says otherwise, the depth and effort era continues.
Enjoy the Finals. And don’t forget…