Locked On Knicks - Daily Podcast On The New York Knicks

The Knicks Will Continue To EXPOSE Victor Wembanyama Unless He Solves This One Thing

September 3, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The New York Knicks did not just beat Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals—they exposed a specific, solvable weakness in the 21-year-old’s game. The strategy was blunt: challenge Wembanyama early, let him block shots in the first quarter, and trust that the cumulative toll of 42 high-leverage minutes would make him a different player by the fourth. It worked. The Spurs lost in five games, and the lesson for San Antonio is not that their young core is flawed, but that they need to learn how to manage energy, composure, and offensive structure when the game slows down.

The Finals as a Crash Course in Experience

The Spurs entered the 2024-25 season with an over-under around 45 wins and proceeded to blow past every reasonable expectation, making the Finals as a team whose best players were 19, 20, and 21 years old. Locked On Knicks host Gavin Shaw and Locked On Spurs host Matthew Tynen agree that the better team won, but not because of a talent gap. “Experience matters, man,” Tynen says. “When your best players are 21 years old, 20 years old, 19 years old, this is what you go up against when you’re looking at a Jalen Brunson who wanted more than anything to win that series.”

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What you'll learn

1 (03:18) **Spurs’ Finals Lesson: Youth vs. Experience** - Matthew Tynen (Locked On Spurs) joins to break down what San Antonio learned in the Finals loss to the Knicks.
2 (10:11) **The Wembanyama Fatigue Problem** - Gavin identifies the key tactical issue: the Knicks intentionally wore down Victor Wembanyama by challenging him early in games.
3 (12:51) **The Minutes Ramp-Up Challenge** - The discussion pivots to the broader challenge of preparing Wembanyama for playoff-style minutes.
4 (16:17) **Billy Donovan’s Offensive Impact** - The Spurs’ biggest offseason addition is assistant coach Billy Donovan, who solves a critical offensive weakness exposed in the Finals.
5 (19:44) **Knicks Are Slightly Weaker This Season** - Gavin argues that the defending champion Knicks, as currently constructed, are a bit worse than the team that won the Finals.
6 (22:19) **The Eastern Conference Gauntlet** - The Eastern Conference is dramatically deeper than last year, making the Knicks’ path to the Finals much harder.
7 (25:50) **Scariest East Teams for the Knicks** - A speed-rank of the most dangerous playoff opponents for New York.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Gavin Shaw

Show Notes

The San Antonio Spurs face harsh NBA Finals reality as the New York Knicks' championship experience proves decisive. Can Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox bridge the gap next season, or will youthful mistakes haunt them again? Gavin Schall and Locked On Spurs Matthew Tynan dissect the Spurs’ offseason moves, from acquiring Tobias Harris to bringing in Billy Donovan as an assistant—questioning whether these changes are enough for a true title push.

The discussion explores Mitch Johnson's coaching growth, the importance of playoff-tested leadership, and the unique demands of the grueling Eastern Conference. With Andre Drummond replacing Mitchell Robinson for the Knicks and potential turmoil surrounding key opponents like the Raptors and Sixers, the NBA landscape feels more competitive than ever. Are the Spurs and Knicks prepared for another war of attrition, or will depth and experience again dictate who lifts the trophy?

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