AI Summary
5 min readThe New York Knicks have won eleven straight playoff games, all by double digits, and enter the NBA Finals with the best point differential in postseason history. The San Antonio Spurs have Victor Wembanyama. For Ben Maller, the choice is simple: the Spurs will win, and the Knicks' momentum narrative is a fairy tale that will evaporate the moment reality shows up.
The Wembanyama Factor
Maller's central argument rests on Victor Wembanyama. He calls him "head and shoulders the top player in the NBA" — not just by a little, but by "three zip codes." The Spurs have a lightsaber, Maller says, while the Knicks are bringing a plastic knife. Wembanyama is going to do "UFO things," and New York will be left trying to read the instruction manual on how to stop him.
There is one caveat. Maller sends a memo to Wembanyama: "No naps, no lollygagging, and no mercy." He points to stretches against the Thunder where Wembanyama was too passive, "looked like a French soldier retreating." If he stays aggressive, the Spurs cannot lose.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (02:07) **Hour 2 Intro & NBA Finals Setup** - Ben Maller opens the second hour with the central toss-up question: Knicks or Spurs in the NBA Finals?
- 2 (05:50) **Spurs Prediction: Wembanyama as the Decisive Factor** - Maller picks the Spurs, arguing Wembanyama is head and shoulders above everyone else.
- 3 (10:28) **Key to the Series: Harassing Brunson** - Maller says the Spurs must disrupt Jalen Brunson with length and physicality.
- 4 (11:37) **Debunking the Knicks' Momentum Narrative** - Maller argues the Knicks' 11-game win streak is overrated because they faced weak opponents.
- 5 (15:30) **The James Dolan Paradox** - If the Knicks win the title, it would destroy the narrative that you need a great owner to win.
- 6 (20:22) **NFL Bookham Rounds 3 & 4** - The NFL Bookham segment continues with celebrity picker Manuel from Gardina representing the listeners.
- 7 (39:33) **Instant Trivia: Aaron Judge's May** - Trivia question: Aaron Judge became the first player since whom to have 5+ HR, 20+ walks, and 35+ strikeouts in May?
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Ben Maller talks about the NBA Finals matchup between the Spurs and the Knicks and who is his pick to win it all, if there is anything to the idea that the Knicks have momentum heading into the Finals, what a Knicks win would do to the legend of James Dolan, Maller to the Third Degree, and more!
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