Tank's 2026 NBA Finals Preview

NBA Finals

David Dee Delgado. Getty Images.

• New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs
• Knicks in Six

Who would have ever guessed that the fugazi NBA In-Season Tournament would be a preview of the NBA Finals? The New York Knicks won the NBA Cup in December, and now they hope to end a half-century of misery by winning an NBA Championship. Despite making the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau and replaced him with Mike Brown. The move paid off as Brown used the bench more often, keeping the Knicks fresher by the time the postseason began. After stumbling early against the Hawks, the Knicks have been surging, winning their last 11 games, including a six-game series win over the Hawks, with the last three coming easily. They followed it up with sweeps of the 76ers and the Cavaliers, with all but one win by double-digits. This included their stunning Game 1 comeback against the Cavs, in which they trailed by 22 points with seven minutes left and forced overtime, where they took command and never looked back. 

Led by Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs were expected to be a team on the rise. Ending a six-year playoff drought, the Spurs showed the future is now, winning 60 games in the regular season before beating the Trail Blazers in five, the Timberwolves in six, and dethroning the defending-champion Thunder in seven. Wemby has been dominant in the postseason, leading the team with 23.2 ppg and 10.8 rebounds per game. His clutch shot-making has been crucial throughout the playoffs as teams have had no answers for stopping him. 

The Knicks might have the right answers to stop the Spurs, who have been playing at the highest level throughout their magical postseason run. Everyone has seemingly played a role in this run, with Jalen Brunson leading the way with 26.9 ppg. Additionally, Karl Anthony Towns has also been huge, making big shots while leading the team in rebounding with 10.6 boards per game and averaging 16.7 ppg. The Knicks' balance will be crucial to winning this series, as it is the only way to counter Victor Wembanyama. 

The Spurs will win championships in the next few seasons, but they will not win this series. The Knicks are a machine and have found the right formula. Mike Brown's season-long rotation has helped the Knicks prepare for this moment. They have been dominant, and they have had the ability to overcome big deficits and to take the soul out of the opposing team. KAT should be able to force Wembanyama away from the basket and create open looks for the Knicks on big shots. With OG Anunoby and Josh Hart both being able to make the long-distance shot, New York's balance will be too much to overcome as they win the series in six games.

Emilee Chinn. Getty Images.

NBA Finals MVP:

Jalen Brunson