The NBA Finals are here. We have had some incredible series, but neither of the top seeds in the West or East made it to the Finals. The San Antonio Spurs are back on the big stage for the first time since 2014. The New York Knicks are here for the first time since 1999. Which ironically, they lost to the Spurs that year. Both franchises have both gone through major overhauls in recent years. Let’s dive into our preview for the 2026 NBA Finals.
Biggest Storylines
The Knicks are chasing their first title since 1973. The team has been the butt of a lot of jokes over the years. Somehow, Carmelo Anthony nor Amare Stoudemire could never get the job done. Mike Brown took over a roster that was already in place and taken it to new heights. The Knicks are built around an undersized guard in Jalen Brunson, and a couple of his former Villanova NCAA championship teammates. If the Knicks can pull this off, expect total chaos in the streets of Manhattan.
There is a changing of the guard in San Antonio. There was a time that we expected to see the Spurs in the Finals year-after-year. They have won five championships since 1999, but none since 2014. There is no more Gregg Popovich. There is no more Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, or Manu Ginobili. This is a new era for the Spurs. Their rebuild took a lot less time than you’d have thought and this could be the start of a new, special dynasty in the West.
This will be the first of likely many appearances in the Finals for Victor Wembanyama. Wemby is the best young player in the game and the future face of the league. It’s just his third year and he has already taken the Spurs to this stage. He is showing up in the clutch moments, which is what great players do.
Key Players
Knicks: Jalen Brunson – Brunson is the heart and soul of the Knicks offense. He has been belittled and doubted at every turn. The Knicks were seen as losers who overpaid for Brunson a few years ago, but he has developed into one of the best point guards in the NBA. Brunson is averaging over 26 points a game in these playoffs with over 6 assists. The Spurs play great defense, what are they scheming for him?
Spurs: Dylan Harper – You probably expected this to be another blurb about Wemby who is going to be a player circled on every scouting sheet, but I want to zoom into Harper here who certainly isn’t playing like a rookie. In these playoffs, Harper is averaging over 13 points a game and is giving the team over 25 minutes a game. He has turned into a floor general at times and scored 18 points on 66 percent shooting in a critical game six vs OKC.
Prediction
I think a new dynasty starts in this series. The Spurs are young, hungry, and have too many weapons. San Antonio in six.