The Post asked its staff for their favorite NBA Finals props with the Knicks and Spurs kicking off their series Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m.ET in San Antonio.
This may sound crazy, maybe even impossible if you only look at the odds, but Mikal Bridges has the best matchup in this series. If you go back and watch the regular-season battles between these two teams, Victor Wembanyama saw plenty of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson when they matched up. There was a bit of OG Anunoby sprinkled into that equation, but I suspect that Anunoby primarily lines up against Stephon Castle, which would set Bridges up to guard Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox. Those are the lightest matchups on the floor for a player like Bridges. I like Bridges to lead the series in steals (+350), and if his offense comes along, he could win Finals MVP as Jalen Brunson might have difficulty scoring against Wembanyama’s rim presence.
There isn’t enough value in taking Jalen Brunson (+210) rather than the Knicks to win the title (+165). He could struggle to find rhythm against repeated traps and with Victor Wembanyama lurking, which the Spurs used to hold Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to under 41 percent shooting from the field, while daring someone else to beat them. Anunoby, who was the Knicks’ best player in the postseason before suffering a hamstring injury, ranks second on the team in scoring (19.7), third in rebounds (6.9), second in steals (1.6), second in blocks (1.0), and has been more successful than any player in the NBA in guarding Wembanyama, giving him a chance to follow the footsteps of Andre Iguodala, who won the 2015 Finals MVP largely based off his defense against LeBron James.
Everything has gone right for the Knicks this postseason — they avoided the Celtics, Pistons and Thunder — and that includes the much more favorable matchup in the Spurs. After closing out the first three series on the road, the Knicks celebrate their first title in 53 years at Madison Square Garden.
Champagnie has been torching the nets in the playoffs. Only six players have taken at least 100 3-pointers in this postseason and Champagnie has the second-most made 3s and the second-best 3-point percentage among those players. The Knicks have conceded above-the-break 3s to opponents and haven’t been burned yet, but that is where Champagnie has done most of his damage for the playoffs. I think he’ll edge out his teammate Devin Vassell (+300) to lead this category.
I’m willing to take the bait here. In six career games with the Knicks against the Spurs, Jalen Brunson averages 32.8 points and seven assists, on shooting splits of 47-42-84. Unlike previous playoff runs, when fatigue was an issue, consecutive sweeps have him and the Knicks well-rested heading into this series. The offense is flowing more smoothly, and Brunson’s skill in finding his spots off the ball is an underrated aspect of his game that has been present since his Villanova days. Throughout his basketball journey, Brunson has faced skeptics who have consistently undervalued his impact. There is no greater statement to cement his status than by becoming the first Knick since Willis Reed to hoist the Finals MVP trophy. A championship banner hanging in the rafters would be a great cherry on top.
The king of New York has to show why, right? I like Brunson to include his team and carry them late on their back like he has since he got here. Go New York, Go New York, Go.
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