Ladies and gentlemen, it’s game day.
On Wednesday night, the Knicks and Spurs will face off in Game 1 of perhaps the best NBA Finals matchup we’ve seen in recent years. It's a momentous occasion for both teams—the Knicks, led by point guard Jalen Brunson and his fellow Villanova exports, are back at the mountaintop for the first time since 1999, and looking to capture their first title since 1973.
The Spurs, meanwhile, are young as can be; with an average age of 25.06, they’re now the second-youngest team to reach the Finals in the shot-clock era. But they’re not worried about that lack of experience because they're playing like pros ... and because they have 7'4" wunderkind Victor Wembanyama on their side.
We're expecting a fabulous series. But, as always, injuries could very well play a role in how things are decided. Below, let's take a look at who is banged up heading into Game 1.
Mitchell Robinson, Knicks center (finger)
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson underwent successful surgery on a right pinky injury just five days before Game 1. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, ESPN insider Shams Charania confirmed that Robinson is “expected to be available” on Wednesday night, and that the center fully participated in practice on Tuesday. He will most likely be wearing a brace on his hand during the game.
In the Eastern Conference finals series against Cleveland, Robinson averaged 4.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.3 assists off the bench in 13.3 minutes of play. If he must ultimately sit out in the Finals—let’s say something aggravates the injury—there is absolutely a chance that that absence becomes a major issue for New York. Indeed, as Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix recently noted, Robinson is expected to bring the physicality that New York needs to defend against Wembanyama; without him, there could be a “significant” hole on that front.
OG Anunoby, Knicks forward (hamstring)
You might recall how Knicks forward OG Anunoby missed two games of the conference semifinal series vs. the 76ers with a hamstring strain. And you might also recall how, at the time, it felt impossible to imagine the Knicks without him, considering he was (and still is) the team’s second-leading scorer in the postseason. But New York still swept Philadelphia, and Anunoby returned to play all four games in the ECF. A happy ending for all involved ... so long as it stays that way for what is expected to be a competitive and physical championship run.
De'Aaron Fox, Spurs guard (ankle)
Fox is not listed on his team's injury report; in fact, there is no one on San Antonio’s list right now. But it’s worth remembering that the guard had to sit out for the first two games of the Spurs’ Western Conference finals series vs. the Thunder while dealing with a high right ankle sprain. He was then quite impactful when he returned, averaging 11.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists across 31.4 minutes played. That's all to say—San Antonio certainly does not want this injury to act back up now (though we’d guess things would have to be particularly bad for Fox to actually sit out).
Dylan Harper, Spurs guard (right abductor)
The rookie Harper has impressed so far in his postseason debut. He filled in for Fox when he was out during the WCF, and averaged 12 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in that series. And although he didn’t have to miss any time for it, he did suffer a right abductor injury in Game 2 vs. the Thunder. It seems like he's alright now (he played 27 minutes in Game 7), but we’ll have our eyes on him just in case.
Fellow San Antonio guard Stephon Castle had 20 turnovers over the first two games of the WCF, and he said that was in part due to a lack of ballhandling depth with both Fox and Harper unavailable. The team wouldn’t want a similar situation in the championship series.
Honorable Mention: Victor Wembanyama (tall)
No, Wemby is not currently injured. But, at a towering 7'4", it does feel like that's a possibility every time he takes the court. And if something were to happen, that could absolutely swing the series in the Knicks’ favor. Yes, the Spurs won Game 3 of the first round while the Alien recovered from a concussion, but that was against the Trail Blazers. It will be much harder to defeat the red-hot Knicks with Wemby on the bench.
Moreover, New York is expected to play quite physically against Wembanyama, in the hopes of tiring him out and keeping him away from the rim. He’ll have to be careful in that kind of back-and-forth battle.
More NBA Finals From Sports Illustrated
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