Five Things the Knicks Must Do Well to Beat the Spurs in the NBA Finals

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The New York Knicks have a significant rest advantage over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.

Those fresh legs, however, aren’t enough to convince basketball fans that New York can knock off San Antonio for the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973.

Kalshi prediction markets currently give the Knicks a 36% chance of winning the 2026 NBA championship. And while those odds aren’t great, they aren’t impossible.

I dissect the NBA Finals matchup and highlight the five things New York has to do – and do well – if it’s going to shock the Spurs and hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy.

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1. Next-up scoring

Jalen Brunson shoulders the scoring load for the New York Knicks, but their postseason push has enjoyed balanced efforts across the starting lineup.

All five starters are averaging more than 11 points, and New York has watched players step up when Brunson struggles, be it Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, or Josh Hart. Even super-streaky Mikal Bridges has been constant the past two rounds.

The X-factor for New York will be bench production.

The Knicks need guys like Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, and Mitchell Robinson to contribute when the starters need a blow. The San Antonio Spurs have a couple of capable bench players in Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson, and New York’s reserves need to at least counter that.

2. Mitchell Robinson healthy

Unlike an Oklahoma City squad falling apart at the seams versus the Spurs, New York comes in relatively healthy – save for center Mitchell Robinson.

Robinson enters the NBA Finals with a broken right pinky finger and is questionable for Game 1.

Kalshi is offering prediction markets on Robinson’s next game and whether it will be before June 4 (with Game 1 scheduled for June 3) or after June 4. They’re giving him an 80% chance of playing in Game 1 even though he’s been spotted wearing a splint ahead of the series.

Having Robinson in the lineup is vital to defending Victor Wembanyama. The Knicks don’t have much size beyond Karl-Anthony Towns, and with Robinson in, the…

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Publish date : 2026-06-01 18:44:00

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