What a start to the Finals we witnessed on Wednesday night. Two bonafide, heavyweight contenders were trading blow for blow. The physicality, intensity and defense were all top notch. In the end, the Brunson Burner was throttled up to the max as Jalen Brunson pivoted around and through the Spurs defense to drain shot after shot after shot.
Mitch Johnson has been great making adjustments all throughout the playoffs, and I have no doubt many will be employed for Game 2.
San Antonio does not want to go down 0-2 to what should be a Mad Max, Thunderdome-esque environment at MSG and surrounding Manhattan.
We should be in for a treat for Game 2.
DraftKings Sportsbook lists San Antonio as a 5.5-point favorite over New York, with the total set at 214.5 points.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $750K Finals Shootaround [$200K to 1st, 3PT Throne Eligible] (NYK at SAS)
Captain’s Picks
Dylan Harper ($8,400 CP): Harper was fantastic in Game 1, shooting 6-for-10 and finishing with 16 points, eight rebounds, an assist and a steal. He played fearless and was able to get into the paint at will. Harper only played 28 minutes, though. That’s because De’Aaron Fox is back and starting, but Fox injured his ankle earlier in the playoffs and looks to be still hampered by it. His meep meep Roadrunner quickness is lacking the eep eep. He ended up shooting 3-for-13 and 0-for-4 from downtown in Game 1. While not guaranteed, there’s a chance Harper sees a few extra minutes in this one, especially if he’s hot early on. Even if he doesn’t, Harper is going to play in the high-20s and he allows a better roster construction overall due to the price. In terms of upside, Harper put up 62.2 FPTS in Game 1 against Oklahoma City. Granted, that game went into double-overtime, but the Thunder are one of the best defensive teams in the league, and Harper had no issues.
UTIL Plays
Victor Wembanyama ($12,800): Wembanyama had a poor Game 1, shooting 6-for-21 from the field and turning the ball over six times. He looked rushed and was fumbling and bumbling on a few drives. He still ended up with 51.5 FPTS! I’m expecting Wembanyama to bounce back in a big way and be a force at both ends of the court. I wanted to put him in at Captain, but I didn’t like how the overall roster looked.
Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,600): Towns was great at both ends of the court in Game 1. He scored 18 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out four dimes. He also was aggressive driving to the rim when Wembanyama got up too close to him. I think the Spurs make an adjustment to how they guard Brunson, not letting him cook one-on-one so often. More blitzes, hedges and doubles. If so, that should force the periphery players to knock down shots. And that’s something Towns has no issues with. In addition, to alleviate pressure on Brunson, Towns has been more of an offensive hub during these playoffs, so there should be plenty of opportunities for assists.
Devin Vassell ($5,800): Vassell has been so consistent during these playoffs, putting up over 20 FPTS in all but one contest with five over 30 and two over 40 FPTS. He’s attempted double-digit shots in all but four contests and he should continue getting plenty of good looks as defenses focus on Wembanyama and the other paint-attacking guards. He’s a very good defender and racks up his share of stocks. He also skies for rebounds and dishes out a fair share of assists.
Fades
Jalen Brunson ($10,400): Brunson was magical in Game 1, dancing, prancing and pirouetting his way to big shot after big shot. He ended with 30 points on 12-for-31 shooting. You know what, though? That was only good for 35.8 FPTS. Brunson will rarely contribute in the defensive stats and doesn’t grab many boards. I think Brunson finds it more difficult to score in this one as the Spurs make adjustments. The assists should increase, though. Brunson is going to score fantasy points. He’s just that good and the usage rate will be high. I just don’t think he will put up a score that makes me regret it.
The Outcome
I like the Spurs to bounce back in a big way.
Final Score: Spurs 102, Knicks 98
