What Happened
The New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs will meet to decide this season's winner in what has got to be one of the most exciting matchups we've had in years. We're coming off a thrilling seven-game Finals series from last year between the Thunder and Pacers and, as tantalizing as that one was, this series has the possibility to top that. It's not just the matchups that provide intrigue.
The pure spectacle of this matchup is unlike anything we've seen in some time. It's the first time since 1999 that the Knicks have been in the NBA Finals. A fanbase that has been starved for success since the Y2K bug was talked about with genuine concern. The biggest media market in the country sending its local team to the NBA Finals has the potential to turn this from a matchup of the ages to a cultural moment.
The n the re's the Spurs, a franchise steeped in championship history and endless Hall of Fame legacy. In years past, seeing San Antonio in the NBA Finals would've garnered eye rolls as the team that consistently makes it this far and often wins the whole thing. But this isn't your dad's Spurs team.
Why It Matters
Gone is Greg Popovich patrolling the sidelines and a stable of reserved but dominant players who played a brand of basketball that many fans found boring. In the ir place, we've got a 7-foot-4 Frenchman who wears his emotions on his sleeve in Victor Wembanyama. A player so talented that the word "unique" loses all its meaning.
The only word that feels fitting to describe Wemby's otherworldly gifts is "alien," which he and Nike's marketing team are proud to sell on shirts and shoes. Everyone will be looking at all the major questions and storylines, but what about the guy on each side who may swing the series?
This series has the potential to go seven games, so let's take a look at which player from both sides will be an X-factor and capable of giving the ir team an edge in this matchup. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper It feels unfair to suggest that a rookie could be the X-factor on an NBA Finals team, but with what Harper's shown throughout the playoffs, you'd understand why.
What Comes Next
The No. 2 overall pick has been a versatile threat for the Spurs in the postseason. Need him to be aggressive and look for his own shot? Perfect, Harper dropped 24 points in San Antonio's Game 1 win in the Western Conference Finals. He also did that while starting for the first time in the playoffs with D'Aaron Fox nursing an ankle injury.
Harper can be the spark plug off the bench, can bring defensive aggression and provides so much upside as a rebounder. He's recorded three games this postseason where he's put up 10+ boards, and is averaging over five in the playoffs. On a team where Wembanyama vacuums up so many of those rebounds, it's impressive that Harper can still make an impact in that category.
Harper doesn't fall victim to many of the typical rookie tropes, like forcing things or low efficiency. Instead, his true shooting percentage of 57.9% ranks first amongst guards in the playoffs. He also ranks first amongst guards on non-corner 3s in the postseason, going 14 for 31.