The 2026 NBA Finals are upon us, as the Knicks and Spurs have each escaped their conferences to face off in a rematch from 1999.
New York ripped its way through the Eastern Conference playoffs, topping the Hawks in six games before sweeping the 76ers and Cavaliers. The Knicks are riding an 11-game winning streak entering the Finals and have dominated, winning five of those games by 25 or more points.
San Antonio faced a bruising path through the Western Conference gauntlet. The Spurs bested the Trail Blazers in five, but had a tough six-game battle with the Timberwolves before topping the defending champion Thunder in seven games.
Both teams have proven themselves worthy of a championship this season. Here’s a look at how they match up and who has an advantage with a position-by-position breakdown.
Point Guard: Jalen Brunson (Knicks) vs. De’Aaron Fox (Spurs)
While much of the focus will be on Wembanyama, guard play will be huge in this series. Brunson and Fox are both All-Stars who are cornerstones for their respective franchises.
Brunson is the key to everything the Knicks do. He’s their leading scorer and has proven himself to be a clutch closer who comes up huge in crunch time. He enters the Finals with the highest offensive rating in the NBA playoffs (126.3), and his defensive rating (105.1) is a massive improvement over the regular season (114.1). He’s also third in playoff scoring (26.9 points per game) and, more importantly, averaged 26.5 points per game against the Spurs this season while shooting 47.4% from deep.
Fox can be a forgotten man given all the focus on the Spurs’ young core. Yes, he’s an All-Star, but during this postseason run he has often been the third option. Fox has been excellent on defense this postseason, and he’ll need to shine in the Finals to keep the Spurs competitive on the perimeter.
Advantage: Knicks
Wings: Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges (Knicks) vs. Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell (Spurs)
This is a fascinating matchup, as all four players are excellent perimeter defenders. Hart and Bridges have been spotty at times offensively this postseason, while Castle and Vassell have been fairly consistent.
Luckily for the Knicks, their wing duo was at its best during the conference finals against the Cavs. Bridges had his best series, averaging 18.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, while Hart averaged 14.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.3 steals.
Other than OG Anunoby, Castle is the best point-of-attack defender in the series and has picked up his scoring this postseason. He’s up to 19.2 points per game, is leading the Spurs in assists (6.7) and has fully morphed into Wembanyama’s Robin. Vassell is a really solid two-way guy and shot the ball really well from deep (39.6%) against the Thunder.
New York’s wings also get a tick for age and experience, while the Spurs have the more skilled pair. It’s a matchup that could determine the series, and it’s incredibly close.
Advantage: Push
Power forward: OG Anunoby (Knicks) vs. Julian Champagnie (Spurs)
This is where the Knicks have a clear advantage, as long as Champagnie doesn’t hit six threes in a contest as he did in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.
Anunoby is an elite wing defender who will likely be tasked with slowing down Wembanyama for much of the series. He has also become New York’s second-leading scorer in the postseason, averaging 19.7 points per game to go along with 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals. He is hitting an eye-popping 48.3% from deep during New York’s run as well.
Champagnie is a floor-spacing shooter who set the Spurs’ record for made three-pointers in a single season (195) and is the definition of a role player. It is worth noting that he hit a franchise record 11 threes against the Knicks on December 31 this season, so he’s walking into a bit of a comfort zone. That said, he isn’t a match for Anunoby’s all-around game.
Advantage: Knicks
Center: Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) vs. Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
This is obviously where the Spurs have their biggest advantage.
Wembanyama is the NBA’s best defender, and his offensive game has taken another step forward in the postseason. The 22-year-old can score at all three levels and can be downright unguardable at times. He’s an elite rim-protector whose presence impacts almost every play in the paint. He’s also on an all-time run after averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.4 steals per game during the conference finals.
Towns is no slouch. He’s a six-time All-Star who averaged 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game during the regular season. He has taken a step back offensively in the playoffs, but he has been efficient, hitting 57.2% from the field and 48.9% from three-point range. He’ll need to keep that up to stretch the floor for the Knicks in the Finals.
Advantage: Spurs
Bench
The Knicks have one of the deepest, most impactful starting lineups in the NBA, but the Spurs can match them thanks to an excellent bench.
San Antonio’s depth is led by rookie guard Dylan Harper, who has come into his own this postseason. The 20-year-old had 18 points, six rebounds and four assists in Game 6 of the conference finals, then followed that up with 12 points, seven boards and three assists in Game 7. He can pop for points at any time and his confidence is growing. Keldon Johnson is a former starter who has carved out a role as an instant-offense type off the team’s bench as well. Meanwhile, Luke Kornet and Carter Bryant are also key pieces.
The Knicks have a solid bench as well. Deuce McBride is second among qualified players in offensive rating (125.8) and defensive rating (99.6) this postseason. He didn’t score much in the conference finals, but he popped for 25 points in Game 4 of the conference semifinals and shot 41.3% from deep this season. Finger surgery has sidelined backup center Mitchell Robinson, but he hopes to play in the Finals, while Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson have both had moments this postseason.
Robinson’s uncertain status gives San Antonio the edge here.
Advantage: Spurs
Coach: Mike Brown (Knicks) vs. Mitch Johnson (Spurs)
Johnson was a finalist for Coach of the Year in his second season at the head of San Antonio’s bench. He’s only 39 years old, but he’s been on the Spurs’ coaching staff for eight seasons now as an assistant under Gregg Popovich for six years before he took over. He’s done a great job in a short amount of time, as he has the full trust of the organization from top to bottom. He has seamlessly integrated the franchise’s youngest players and new faces and ensured the collective operation flows as best it possibly can around Wembanyama.
On the other side, Brown is in his first season as the Knicks’ boss with considerable experience under his belt from his stops with the Cavaliers, Lakers and Kings. He was even an assistant on Popovich’s staff when the Spurs won the title in 2003. As an assistant with the Warriors, he served as the acting head coach in the 2017 playoffs as Steve Kerr dealt with chronic back pain. That Golden State team put together the best postseason record in NBA history at 16–1 on its way to the title. Brown helped lead the Warriors to a perfect 12–0 postseason record as he filled in.
With the Knicks, Brown has made up for Tom Thibodeau’s flaws as New York has improved on both ends of the floor since he walked through the door. Coupled with the significant playoff experience, Brown gives the Knicks a slight edge here.
Advantage: Knicks
Verdict: 3–2, advantage Knicks
On paper, the position battle favors the Knicks. Can they take home their first title since 1973? We’ll soon find out.
