3 Burning Knicks Questions as They Set to Wage War Against Spurs

Three crucial questions the New York Knicks must answer during the NBA Finals

Mar 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) defends New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in two of their three meetings this season, which includes the NBA Cup final. A lot has changed for both teams, though, and the difference in the NBA Finals might hinge upon three key factors.

Can the Knicks win the Wembanyama minutes?

The Knicks had a +8.8 NETRTG in those three matchups when Victor Wembanyama was on the floor, including a +19.8 NETRTG during their final meeting on March 1 at Madison Square Garden where New York blew out the Spurs by 25. There’s no perfect answer for the alien-like big man, but coach Mike Brown’s group have lots of qualities to trouble him.

On offense, five out is the perfect counter to the seven-foot-four Frenchman’s unique paint dominance. One of the biggest questions of the Finals will be, "Is Josh Hart hitting his threes?" The Spurs tried Wembanyama on Oklahoma City’s worst shooter (Alex Caruso) and he ended up making exactly half of his shots from long distance on 5.7 attempts per game.

The expectation is that San Antonio will try that similar ghost defense against Hart, who faced the same defensive look against Cleveland and made them pay after an ugly Game 1 performance. It’ll be crucial for Hart to knock down those open looks and force Wemby, who will be roaming near the basket daring Hart to shoot, away from the rim.

Josh Hart is key to the Knicks neutralizing Wemby. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

If Hart's shots aren't going in, expect to see more of the lineup New York closed with at the end of Game 1 against Cleveland, which saw Landry Shamet in his place alongside the other starters. The Spurs haven't played a true five-out team yet, but the Knicks have the shooters to do that.

On the defensive side, Wembanyama struggles most when opposing teams get physical and OG Anunoby is expected to be the primary defender. Although Anunoby is nine inches shorter, the All-NBA defender possesses the key physical traits to make it difficult – a 7-foot-2 wingspan, 9-foot standing reach and a 240-pound frame.

Since Wemby was drafted first overall in 2023, there are 20 players who have defended him for at least 100 half-court matchups. The player who he has tallied the fewest player points per 100 matchups against as his primary assignment is Anunoby, per NBA analyst Caitlin Cooper.

Will the extra rest factor in the Knicks advantage?

The Knicks are set to become the first team in NBA history to face three opponents in one postseason that were all coming off a seven-game series. NBA playoff teams coming off a Game 7 victory 3-14 when facing a team that just previously swept their previous matchup.

New York will enter the Finals with nine days of rest while the Spurs have three full days of recovery time before Game 1. Since the NBA-ABA merger, teams with nine-plus days of rest against opponents with four days or fewer have gone 24-13.

To take the fresh legs narrative a step further, New York will become the 18th team to have a rest disparity of five days or better before Game 1 of NBA Finals. Teams with extra rest are 11-6 all-time in the Finals but have split the last eight starting in 1998, per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press.

Thanks to the Knicks dominance of the Eastern Conference, they've played just 14 games across three series. The Spurs have played 18. That advantage could be a huge factor in this series, especially considering New York has the deeper bench as well.

Will the Knicks' experience matter?

Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder was an incredible road performance from a young team to take out the defending champions. But they reacted like they just won the title and perhaps it was.

It’s very rare to see a young team break through without experiencing some playoff disappointment first. Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant are rookies. Stephon Castle is a sophomore. Wembanyama turned 22 in January and Chamapagnie is only 24.

San Antonio's top eight playoff rotation (by minutes played) entered the postseason with a combined 50 games of playoff experience, according to NBA reporter Keerthika Uthayakumar. That's the fewest since the Blazers entered with 45 games of experience in 1977.

The Spurs missed the playoffs each of the last six years. Meanwhile, the Knicks have won at least one playoff series in each of the last four years. We'll see if New York being battled tested ends up mattering in high-pressure moments against San Antonio.