Finals Prediction Thread

[Who]

I'll go for NYK in 7 games.

I have no idea what to expect from this series. I am listening to Chris Mannix and Rachel Nichols now and I like what they were saying about the series. (1) We know who San Antonio are (2) We do not know who the Knicks are. That makes it hard to predict. SAS would have strolled through the East in similar dominant fashion if they were in the East instead of the West. NYK has also had a red hot shooting steak that is going to burst at some point.

I have seen a few people going for NYK. Jason Timpf of Hoops Tonight said Knicks in 6 but he was only 55-45 in terms of who wins the series. I saw Jim Jackson pick NY in 6. I have seen quite a few Knicks in 6 predictions. And I have seen others who think it will be a Spurs rout.

Anyway, I will go for NY in 6 or 7 but there is a lot of wishing and hoping in that prediction. Still I feel they matchup well with SAS. I like the many people who are pointing out that OG Anunoby is a great matchup for Stephon Castle. I also like Brunson much more against SAS than I do SGA. SGA was a strange outlier because he can't shoot from outside. If that was Luka instead of Shai, OKC would have won the series. I also think if that was Brunson instead of Shai, OKC would have won the series.

[Yuckabuck33]

I predict the world will see how Brunson flops almost as much as SGA. And the world will see what a huge crybaby Towns is.

[Goldstar88]

Spurs in 6.

[Moranis]

Spurs in 4

[SparzWizard]

Spurs in 5. They'll lose one of the first two home games before winning the final 3 games and celebrate Banner #6 in San Antonio

[Phantom255x]

Yeah idk, now I am starting to think the Knicks could win this in 6. Brunson and their team just looks locked in meanwhile the lights might be too bright for this young Spurs team now

[SparzWizard]

Yeah idk, now I am starting to think the Knicks could win this in 6. Brunson and their team just looks locked in meanwhile the lights might be too bright for this young Spurs team now

Like you said, perhaps these SAS team remind us of the 2022 Celtics lol

Hopefully that's not the case cuz I can't stand another New York team winning a championship

[Moranis]

Spurs in 4

Spurs in 5?

[Vermont Green]

Spurs in 4

Spurs in 5?

Nice attempted recovery. But sorry, you are the first one out. 

[Vermont Green]

Yeah idk, now I am starting to think the Knicks could win this in 6. Brunson and their team just looks locked in meanwhile the lights might be too bright for this young Spurs team now

If Brunson holds up.  They only play like three times a week in the finals so that should help. But that is now my concern with my prediction. 

[SparzWizard]

All good.

2012 OKC Thunder won the first game and lost 4 straight later.
2016 Warriors won the first game, took a 3-1 lead and lost in 7 later.
2021 Suns win the first two games and lose 4 straight later.
2022 Celtics won the first game and lost in 6 (sigh).

Winners of Game 1 in the Finals don't win the series yet lol

[Phantom255x]

All good.

2012 OKC Thunder won the first game and lost 4 straight later.
2016 Warriors won the first game, took a 3-1 lead and lost in 7 later.
2021 Suns win the first two games and lose 4 straight later.
2022 Celtics won the first game and lost in 6 (sigh).

Winners of Game 1 in the Finals don't win the series yet lol

Pacers won Game 1 last year, and lost.

Spurs need to play Harper more than Fox, and also Wemby is gonna have to just step up and play heavy minutes this series. They got torched in the non-Wemby minutes but it's the Finals, just give it your all. If they need 38-40+ minutes from Wemby, he's got to get ready for it.

[Vermont Green]

Any predictions for tonight?s game?

[Moranis]

Spurs in 4

Spurs in 5?

Spurs in 6?

[Vermont Green]

Bumping this thread (yes, this is a brag).  I think Who (NYK in 7) and I (NYK in 6) were the only ones that had predicted NYK before the series started.  I think the NYK in 4 vote came after game 1 but there is no post with a stated prediction of NYK in 4.  In any case, I am claiming victory.  There was not a ton of participation in this contest, pretty small sample size, but overwhelmingly, people picked SAS.

I truly felt the NYK were being underestimated and that there was too much hype around SAS.  It isn't surprising that the SAS young players did not hold up in crunch time in the finals and the much more veteran NYK team did.  This was part of my calculation.  But I would not have expected multiple double-digit comebacks.  It was pretty dramatic.

So where does this put Brunson in terms of legacy.  It is a pretty amazing feet to carry this team to a title.  And they absolutely crushed every team.  16-3 in their playoff run.  This is no fluke