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Thunder or Spurs in NBA Finals: Who should Knicks want to face?

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On 7th Ave., outside the arena that will host its first NBA Finals game in 27 years, fans poured onto the streets with brooms. They climbed streetlamps and scaffolding and withstood a fine rain that fell all night.

On the mayor’s smartphone — with a hat tip to the New York City Department of Sanitation — a well-timed troll was posted in 43 total characters.

In Harlem, a smattering of “Let’s go Knicks” chants could be heard deep into the night Monday, May 25, well after the New York Knicks demolished the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.

But now that New York (and its fans) have this time to sit back and scout their future opponent, whom should they prefer to face: the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs?

Though the Knicks appear likely to enter the NBA Finals as underdogs regardless of opponent, the answer is the Spurs, the primary reason being San Antonio’s inexperience in the playoffs.

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Victor Wembanyama leads Spurs to a huge win in double OT. See game highlights

Oklahoma City Thunder fans react during Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center on May 18, 2026.

(Alonzo Adams, Imagn Images)

While the Spurs have been tremendous this postseason and have played well beyond their expected maturity, this is still a young team whose players — at least in most cases — are making their first postseason runs.

That inexperience showed Tuesday, May 26 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, a pivotal game in the series, when San Antonio failed to match Oklahoma City’s desperation and urgency.

The Thunder, the defending champions, understand the effort and grind it takes to compete with consistency. They present a far more formidable test, at least in terms of the intangibles of experience.

And while regular-season results shouldn’t carry too much weight, the Knicks nonetheless topped San Antonio 2-1, including the NBA Cup championship in December.

Elsewhere, and as crazy as it sounds, the Knicks can actually use the Victor Wembanyama matchup to their advantage. Wembanyama might be the toughest to guard in the solar system, but the Knicks are actually well equipped to slow him down.

For one, New York has tremendous defensive versatility because of its size, length and athleticism at wing. Each of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart can defend Wembanyama, though that assignment would likely fall to Anunoby, a second-team All-Defensive selection.

Anunoby defended Wembanyama (and to some success) during their regular-season matchups, but this would be a team effort.

But New York can take different tactical approaches against Wembanyama: when the Knicks want to go smaller, they can deploy Anunoby, and when they want to defend him with size and physicality, they can ask centers Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson — both of whom outweigh Wembanyama — to throw their size around to make Wembanyama uncomfortable.

The key for both Towns and Robinson, who each can be susceptible to foul trouble, would be to maintain discipline.

On the other end of the floor, New York’s offensive portfolio can pose problems for Wembanyama. If the Spurs would decide for Wembanyama to defend either Towns, Anunoby or Hart, all three can roam the perimeter, which would force Wembanyama to vacate the paint. In this respect, Towns poses the biggest issues with his extensive range.

By drawing Wembanyama out of the paint, Jalen Brunson and other Knicks players would have more space to attack the rim.

Granted, that’s all easier said than done, but the Knicks are playing historic basketball.

The New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby dunks the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during the NBA Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 16, 2025. The Knicks won the game, 124-113.

This is another case where Oklahoma City — with its active hands, persistence at the point of attack and rim protection with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein — can pose larger problems.

The Thunder also have a deeper team and often play 11- and 12-man rotations.

Either way, whether it’s the Spurs or the Thunder, this will be New York’s toughest test of the postseason, and by a wide margin.

All the more reason why the Knicks should hope that the Western Conference finals extends to seven games. It has been a hard-fought, physical battle, and a series like this can wear on the winning team.

And if the Knicks are to win their first NBA championship in 53 years, against these opponents, they’ll need all the help they can get.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks should be rooting for Spurs as 2026 NBA Finals opponent

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