AROUND the NBA:

[Mavs03]

Young or not, this was an absolute choke job by the Spurs. They led by double digits in all 5 games late in the game and won only 1 game.

Congratulations to former Dallas Maverick Jalen Brunson. Who would have thought he would win a championship before Luka.

[cow]

You are angry at the wrong person. Cuban could have signed him for the best contract value in the league.

But I'm not angry.

[Jym]

And Mitch Johnson was pretty horrible
Spurs probably win if they had a coach even on the Jason Kidd level

[cow]

Wemby might actually be a little too tall
Clearly gassed by the 2nd quarter

A Kornet upgrade would help out a ton there. That or they need to figure out a smallball lineup.

And Mitch Johnson was pretty horrible
Spurs probably win if they had a coach even on the Jason Kidd level

Something fixable, but I don't think they'll make that adjustment.  

Speaking of Spurs coaches, Pop looked really good in the suite tonight.

[Dirknows]

And Mitch Johnson was pretty horrible
Spurs probably win if they had a coach even on the Jason Kidd level

I’m not gonna shed any tears over the Spurs losing in the finals.

[SwisherPrice]

This was a must-lose series if you're against the Spurs. Wemby will probably win multiple championships throughout his career...if they won it now in only Year 3 for him, they would probably go through a Bulls/Jordan run.

But now, no matter how many rings Wemby ends up winning, he won't have that undefeated record like MJ. So MJ is probably very happy tonight as this is another player who won't join the very exclusive club of all-time great players who never lost in the Finals.

[GATA]

Wemby isnt it, man. He will never be a closer. Generational defense, but he’s never going to be a top 10 offensive player

[cow]

Wemby isnt it, man.  He will never be a closer.  Generational defense, but he’s never going to be a top 10 offensive player

It's his 3rd season.  He might not ever be a top ten offensive player, but if he develops a midrange game that would help a ton.  He's a basketballaholic so I don't think anything definitive can be said about him.  He also seems like the type that will use this finals embarrassment to get in the lab.

[KillerLeft]

It's his 3rd season.  He might not ever be a top ten offensive player, but if he develops a midrange game that would help a ton.  He's a basketballaholic so I don't think anything definitive can be said about him.  He also seems like the type that will use this final embarrassment to get in the lab.

Agreed, and frankly, his shooting touch from all over the court is already better than I expected it to be in year 7. I was pretty skeptical about him for the first couple of years, but I'm officially a believer now. He's pretty special.

[CooPerFan]

Congrats to knicks for winning 2026 nba title

[KillerLeft]

Mostly, I'm just really happy for Brunson - proud, even.

But also, I wonder...the Knicks have been a laughing stock for so, so long. Will this put them back on the "born on 3rd base" list of teams, next to the Lakers, Boston and, until recently, Miami? Are players going to start wanting to maneuver themselves there more frequently? It feels like they've always been in the conversation, but I don't think I've ever lived in a world where NY actually has the advantage in free agency (other than when the Mavs are losing a free agent, of course).

[Mavs2021]

It's his 3rd season.  He might not ever be a top ten offensive player, but if he develops a midrange game that would help a ton.  He's a basketballaholic so I don't think anything definitive can be said about him.  He also seems like the type that will use this finals embarrassment to get in the lab.

Look he´s super young and I´m not saying he won´t, but this same thing played out in FIBA with France twice already, where he kept chucking away threes, despite them not falling. So he could have had that lightbulb moment already. I think it´s just real difficult to play that way at 7´6. It was impossible for Porzingis at 7´4. 

Good for Brunson, but knowing the Mavs should have won one of these titles the last two years makes me hope somebody is spitting in Nico´s food again tonight.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Jorge Sierra: Jalen Brunson's 45-point game means Victor Wembanyama ended up not leading the playoffs in scoring. So LeBron James remains the youngest NBA player ever to top the postseason in points.

x.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

NBA Stat: The Spurs outscored the Knicks by 5.4 points per 100 possessions with Dylan Harper on the court during the NBA Finals. On: +5.4 Net Rating Off: -8 Net Rating Mitch Johnson cost the Spurs any shot at making this a competitive series, not playing Harper over De’Aaron Fox. (via E. Sidery) #NBA


Fox is in the 1st year of a 4yr, 229-million-dollar deal. Needless to say, that contract won't age well at this point.


bsky.app

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Tom Orsborn: Karl-Anthony Towns on Wemby: "He's going to be something special for a lot of years to come. Once-in-a-generation athlete. "Shout out to the Spurs, too. They're the real deal. "Shout out to Jersey's own, Dylan Harper; he's the real deal."

Tom Orsborn: Jalen Brunson on the Spurs: “That's a hell of a group. That's a well-coached (team). The culture they have is clearly evident. They have it. And so a lot of respect to them and what they brought to the table. I'm just happy were able to find ways to win four games."

x.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Shaquille O'Neal apologized to Charles Barkley for doubting him on Jalen Brunson being the greatest free agency signing in NBA history. “Charles, I owe you an apology. You've been saying for the past two years that Brunson has been the best free agency signing ever. Now, it is. Now it becomes that.”

x.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder open as co-favorites to win the 2027 NBA Finals at +250, followed by the Boston Celtics at +550. The New York Knicks, despite winning the championship on Saturday, have the fourth-best odds at +700. The next block of teams has significantly longer odds, beginning with the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets at +2800, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, and Cleveland Cavaliers at +3000.

RealGM

[vfromlmf]

So what did we learn from the Finals? Positional size and physicality matter as much or more than ever.

But what matters most is toughness, heart and balls.

Brunson will be remembered among the greatest PGs of the last 25 years. Steph, Chris Paul, Nash, Kidd, Westbrook, Tony Parker, Kyrie, Luka, Derek Rose... and Brunson is right there, a notch below Steph but arguably as good or better than any of the others. Pretty incredible.

Whats even crazier is five of those top 10 PGs played for the Mavs but they only won 1 Championship.

[dirkfansince1998]

Knicks VP of Sports Medicine Casey Smith is a two-time NBA Champion Smith & his staff have led the Knicks to the best medical track record in the league since his arrival in 2024 He won his first title with the Mavericks in 2011

Looking at a win share based metric. Knicks lost the least amount of wins through injuries this season. Mavs the most.

[Scott41theMavs]

Looking at a win share based metric. Knicks lost the least amount of wins through injuries this season. Mavs the most.

Lost us Brunson... lost us Casey... lost us Luka... So explain to me again why we can't draw and quarter Nico?