“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win” — Sun Tzu
When the season began, I fully expected the Knicks to represent the Eastern conference in the NBA Finals. The West? Different story.
If the defending champions opening their title defense with a 24-1 start was in any way typical, then Oklahoma City would’ve been the clear-cut faves. But it doesn’t happen all that often, and these days neither does repeating as conference champs,
much less going the full Monty in June. The main reason to pick against the Thunder was as simple as “the last seven champs didn’t repeat, either.” Still, back in October I would have picked the Thunder, the Nuggets, the Timberwolves to meet the Knicks in the Finals. Could’ve squinted my way to the Lakers or Rockets, even. But the Spurs? Who even are these people?
ORIGIN STORY
For their first six years, the San Antonio Spurs were the ABA’s Dallas Chaparrals. I assumed that’s short for “chaps,” and was briefly excited at the prospect of two teams named after pants battling it out for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. There was a racing team called Chaparral Cars back in the day, named after the chaparral bird (i.e. the roadrunner), but no, that ain’t it, either. A chaparral is basically a bunch of shrubs in a climate that’s mild and wet in the winter, then hot and dry in the summer. Fires in these regions are uncommon, and uncommonly intense.
The Chaps were led by Hall of Famer Cliff “Lil’ Abner” Hagan, their 36-year-old player-coach. A Hall of Fame player, Hagan was Josh Hart before Josh Hart: a 6-foot-4 do-it-all maestro who piled up points, rebounds and assists. In 1974 the Chaparrals became the San Antonio Spurs, ditching their red, white and blue uniforms for the silver and black better known today. The owners decided to sell the team, either to San Antonio or El Paso. Spoiler: El Paso lost. Originally they were to be called the “San Antonio Gunslingers,” but somehow ended up the Spurs instead.
On the last day of 1978 season, Denver’s David Thompson scored 73 points to pass George Gervin as the league’s leading scorer. The Iceman needed 58 that night to win the scoring title. He put up 63.
MODERN-ER HISTORY
For 14 of their first 16 seasons in the Association, San Antonio finished .500 or better. Of the four former ABA sides to switch leagues (Indiana, Denver and New Jersey the other three), the Spurs were the most successful at first. Playing in the Eastern conference back then, they nearly reached the Finals a couple of times in the 1970s, only to be thwarted by the then-Washington Bullets. Imagine the Bullets and Gunslingers fighting it out to the bitter end.
The mid-1980s were a low point, including a six-year run without a winning record, but when it comes to the Spurs low points are often where bouncebacks begin. When the 1986-87 season ended, the 12-win Clippers were far and away the league’s worst team, followed by the Knicks and Nets (24 each). Lottery luck was lacking: the Nets picked Dennis Hopson third, the Clippers chose Reggie Williams fourth and the Knicks didn’t draft until 18th, thanks to them having shipped Chicago that year’s first and the following year’s second for Jawaan Oldham. Oldham played 44 games for New York that year, then 64 the rest of his career. The Bulls turned those picks into Scottie Pippen and B.J. Armstrong.
The Spurs waited two years for their draft pick to join them, but once David Robinson did they joined the NBA’s glitterati and they haven’t really looked back. Over his first seven seasons, the Admiral’s crew between 47 and 62 games, and even seemed a legit title contender in some of them. But a house built on mercurial meanderers like Larry Brown and Dennis Rodman cannot stand standing still for long, and in 1996, after Robinson suffered from a back injury and then a broken foot, the Spurs sunk to a franchise-worst 20-62. But remember: when these cats fall, they bounce.
In the ’97 draft, a loving God kept the tanking Celtics from Tim Duncan, instead sending the swimming Virgin Islander to the Alamo (skip to 11:27 in the video if you want the money shot). By the time Bob Pettit 2.0’s playing days were finished, San Antonio had lapped the field.
The Spurs won 50-plus games a record 18 years in a row, had a winning record 22 years straight and tied another record with 22 consecutive playoff appearances. Did you know the Spurs once won a playoff series eight straight seasons? Pretty good, right? Doesn’t match the Knicks’ best mark (nine straight from 1992-2000), but still. Not bad. The Spurs have almost always been above-average, and on the few occasions they’ve stumbled they turned that loss of balance into a leap of brilliance.
THE SPURS TODAY
How young are the Spurs today? Mason Plumlee and Kelly Olynyk are their only players old enough to remember life the last time they met New York in the Finals in 1999.
In this postseason the Spurs play six dudes 25-plus minutes a game; all five starters average over 30. Three Spur reserves have suited up in every one of their playoff games: Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet and Harrison Barnes.
Don’t waste your breath getting into any big- vs. small-market beefs this series. San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States, with a bigger population than Dallas, San Francisco or Boston.
There is a sizable, risible percentage of people who believe that Jalen Brunson can’t possibly have success in these Finals against the Spurs defense, because of how much Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled against it. Certainly Brunson has his work cut out for him, between unanimous Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama and the size, strength and defensive tenacity of Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper. Relatedly, the premiere scorers the Spurs have dealt with this postseason have been Deni Avdija, hobbled Anthony Edwards and shorthanded Shai. He may not go for 61 again, but JB’s not just some guy.
There’s plenty to be concerned about from a Knick perspective, duh. The Spurs killing off the Thunder is good news, given the Knicks have struggled more with OKC than anyone else the past few seasons. Every player the Thunder have is seemingly between 6-foot-6 and 7-foot-Holmgren, which figured to wear on Brunson over a seven-game series, especially with OKC’s defense something straight outta ICE training. At least the Spurs feature De’Aaron Fox mightily, leaving one defender Brunson is bigger and stronger than.
But Spiderman can’t breathe easy when Venom is dead, not when he has to deal with the monster still breathing. Wemby is Carnage. It’s hard to imagine the Spurs not hacking the ever-living s#$% outta Mitchell Robinson and his bum right hand all series. And unless Mitch gets over some of his male insecurities and starts shooting free throws underhanded, he could become downright unplayable — not what you want when he’s literally one of like four people alive who can credibly guard Wembanyama. If Mitch is compromised in any way, the Knick title hopes could boil down to whether Karl-Anthony Towns can play 40-plus minutes a night and staying outta foul trouble.
In addition, the Spurs are just way more talented, particularly in two-way players, than anyone the Knicks have seen in these playoffs. If Castle weren’t such an incredibly accomplished and ahead-of-his-time second-year star, Harper could start his own Netherlands with all the flowers he’d be (rightfully) getting. Fox is a two-time All-Star, still closer to 28 than 29. Justin Champagnie made as many 3s as Brunson and more than any other Knick. And you just know Harrison Barnes is gonna come off the bench and somehow give KAT all kinds of problems on defense. Maybe both ends.
But here’s the thing: the Knicks present the Spurs with questions they have yet to be asked in the playoffs. For starters: Wembanyama’s defensive domination has — in part — benefited from all three of his playoff opponents being unable to play five-out offense. In the first round, Portland’s Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III combined to shoot 8-of-34 from deep; in the second, Naz Reid drilled 15-of-33; and in the Western finals, Chet Holmgren was 3-of-12. Rudy Gobert and Isaiah Hartenstein both missed their one and only 3-pointer.
With respect to Reid, he’s not anywhere near the offensive package or fulcrum Towns is; whatever 3s he took were likely the result of his teammates’ dribble penetration and Reid himself attacking or side-stepping closeouts. And even if we include Reid’s production with the other centers the Spurs have faced, that lot combined to go 26-of-90 (29%) from distance over three rounds. KAT’s taken half as many, going 22-of-45 (49%). If Wemby guards him, he won’t be as free to help his teammates; if Wemby’s on Hart or somebody else and tries to close-out on KAT, the 7-foot Towns is one of the few players in the league who won’t feel like it’s an eclipse.
Another ray of hope: Harper, Castle, Wembanyama, Champagnie and Vassell are 19, 21, 22, 24 and 25. This is the first playoff run for each of them. The Spurs enter the Finals having played 100 regular-season and playoff games so far (101 if you count the time the Knicks beat them that counts, but doesn’t). The Knicks are older, presumably stronger, and hopefully better conditioned for long playoff runs.
Until they take off for San Antonio, they haven’t flown anywhere but Atlanta since April Fool’s Day; in that same stretch the Spurs have taken 13 flights. The Spurs’ crowd will be the first hostile fans the Knicks have played in front of since March in Houston. And as distressingly and speciously corporate as the Garden crowd gets the higher the ticket prices go, I’m here to tell those of you who’ve never witnessed MSG in the Finals that it hits more than a little different than The Rose Garden, the House that A-Rod Will Ruin and Never Forget What We Did To Seattle Coliseum.
The Spurs are really, really quite good. They often are. The Knicks are really, really good too. They’re often not. Now that I’ve given you the background on both: forget all you’ve read. Don’t try to guess what will happen. Let it wash over you. Let it unfold. If the Knicks lose, trust me, that’s the easiest way to prep yourself for the fallout. And if the Knicks win . . . . . .
