It’s Victor Wembanyama’s world right now, and everyone else is living in it.
The NBA’s larger-than-life superstar center has emerged on the NBA Finals stage as the biggest draw the league has seen in years.
The 7-foot-5 Alien has defied logic for the entire NBA Playoffs and enters the NBA Finals as the odds-on favorite to win the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | -180 |
| Jalen Brunson | +210 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 22/1 |
| OG Anunoby | 60/1 |
| Stephon Castle | 60/1 |
| De’Aaron Fox | 100/1 |
| Mikal Bridges | 150/1 |
| Dylan Harper | 150/1 |
| Josh Hart | 200/1 |
| Devin Vassell | 500/1 |
| All others | 1000/1 |
It would be a considerable accomplishment for such a young player, but a familiar occurrence for a San Antonio franchise steeped in Finals glory.
Tim Duncan won his first Finals MVP award in 1999 at age 23, and Kawhi Leonard won Finals at age 22 during their 2014 championship run.
Wembanyama, however, would be the youngest Finals MVP winner since Magic Johnson, who was a 20-year-old rookie when he took home the honors in 1980.
While it’s clearly Wembanyama’s world, Knicks Nation will have its eyes on Jalen Brunson. The Knicks captain has the second-shortest odds to win Finals MVP at +210.
Brunson has maintained his scoring numbers this postseason while playing more off the ball and facilitating when the play calls for it.
A win for Brunson would place him on a short list of guards 6-foot-3 and under to take home MVP honors: Stephen Curry, Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups, Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Jo Jo White, and Jerry West.
The drop from the top two players is remarkable. Karl-Anthony Towns, who is having the best postseason of any player this year based on advanced metrics, is 22-1 to win Finals MVP. His ability to operate as an offensive hub raised the Knicks’ ceiling in the first round and is a large part of the reason the team is in the championship round.
OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges also put their fingerprints on nearly every matchup during the 11-game win streak with efficient offense and suffocating defense. Anunoby is 60-1 and Bridges is 150-1.
On the Spurs’ side, Stephon Castle has been a two-way force for the Spurs, especially in the Thunder series as the main assignment on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Castle is 60-1 with his back-court mate De’Aaron Fox listed at 100/1.
Finals MVP awards tend to go to the best player on the winning team because it’s hard for a team to get the final four playoff wins without their leader putting out maximum effort. But there are plenty of instances where a role player’s contributions can overshadow a star player’s, especially when a team has an ensemble cast.
This Finals could certainly play out in that way if the Knicks pull off the upset. The Knicks have played a style in which the sum has been greater than its parts during their postseason run and if that ends up being the formula to a win, Towns at 22-1 has a ton of value.
Offensively, the Knicks big man is a matchup problem for any team. He can stretch the floor with his shooting and pull Wembanyama away from the rim. He finds cutters streaking to the basket or hit shooters in the corners for 3-pointers. Plus, he’s been punishing smaller players in the post more consistently.
Towns doesn’t need to finish the series with eye-popping scoring numbers to stand out, and if the Knicks win, his all-around game will need to be the catalyst.
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
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