Knicks' Mitchell Robinson Could Have Rough Time Against Spurs in Finals

Mitchell Robinson must be locked in if the Knicks are going to beat the Spurs in the NBA Finals. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 NBA Finals are officially set, as the Knicks' final postseason opponent has been set. After outlasting the defending champion Thunder in an electric seven-game Western Conference Finals, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will take on Jalen Brunson's Knicks in a rematch of the 1999 Finals, as well as this year's NBA Cup Finals—a contest that New York won 124-113 back in December.

Even though the rest advantage is on New York's side, beating San Antonio in the championship-deciding round will be easier said than done. The Spurs won't go down without a fight, as their head coach, Mitch Johnson, will do everything in his power to make life difficult for the Knicks' star players, including Mitchell Robinson.

Facing Spurs won't be easy despite Mitchell Robinson's previous success

Before diving into things, it's no secret that Robinson has had some success against the Spurs (and Wembanyama) in the past. For starters, during "The Alien's" rookie season in 2023-24, Robinson—as the primary defender—held Wembanyama to 0-of-6 shooting from the field in a 126-105 win at Madison Square Garden.

Mitchell Robinson has had previous success vs. Victor Wembanyama. Will that continue when it matters most? | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Obviously, a lot has changed since that meeting, such as Wembanyama's continued ascent to superstardom, but there are also recent examples of Robinson's success. Wembanyama was held to 18 points on 7-of-17 (41.2%) shooting in the Knicks' NBA Cup Finals win over the Spurs, and Robinson also outrebounded Wembanyama and his team 8-6 in the fourth quarter alone (h/t NBA_NewYork), with the latter notching zero of those rebounds.

Much to Robinson's dismay, though, continuing that success might be easier said than done. After all, the seven-footer from Pensacola, FL, is still recovering from surgery on his broken pinky finger, so it remains to be seen how he'll look on the floor. As of Sunday, though, his Game 1 status is still up in the air. The Knicks will need Robinson to be physical to keep Wembanyama at bay, which could be an uphill battle if the former doesn't want to bang up his pinky even more.

Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby will likely be tasked with guarding Wembanyama more often than not, but the Knicks will need a team effort to stop the 7'4" powerhouse, which includes Robinson. After all, Wembanyama is averaging 23.2 points on .510/.370/.870 shooting, 10.8 rebounds, 3.5 blocks (leads the NBA), and 0.9 steals through 17 games so far. He just averaged 27.3 PPG and 10.9 RPG against the Thunder, proving that he's becoming tougher to shut down as the postseason continues.

At just 22 years-old, Wemby led the Spurs to their first NBA Finals since 2014 with another spectacular performance in his Game 7 debut.

👽 22 PTS
👽 7 REB
👽 60.0 3P%

Spurs will face the Knicks in the NBA Finals, tipping off June 3rd on ABC!pic.twitter.com/zygqijfqEw

— NBA (@NBA) May 31, 2026

There's also a chance that needing to play physical defense vs. Wembanyama could put Robinson into foul trouble. The Western Kentucky product's discipline seemingly declined the longer the playoffs have lasted, as he averaged 1.2 personal fouls per game in the opening-round series against the Hawks, only for that number to rise to 2.0 calls per outing against the 76ers and Cavaliers.

Conversely, the Spurs likely won't be afraid to play 'Hack-a-Mitch,' as Robinson hasn't had much free-throw success this spring. He's an abysmal 13-of-43 (30.2%) from the charity stripe this postseason, which includes missing each of his last seven attempts. If San Antonio thinks that exploiting that trend will help secure the Larry O'Brien Trophy, New York fans (and Robinson) will know what to expect each night.

Robinson is a terrific paint defender and will likely give Wembanyama some instances of frustration whenever they go head-to-head. At the same time, the Knicks' big man's pinky injury, recent discipline issues and poor free-throw shooting are positioning him for an uphill battle in the NBA Finals. That isn't to say he won't succeed, but it does mean he'll need an elevated effort to help bring basketball's top prize back to the Big Apple.

Let's hope that Robinson is ready for Game 1 and that his previous success against Wembanyama will pay off under the brightest lights. Otherwise, the Knicks' path to championship glory will be tougher than it needs to be.