Alexander Wilson
The NY Knicks still do not know whether Oklahoma City or San Antonio is coming to the NBA Finals, and now the scouting work has split into two completely different assignments.
Jalen Williams being ruled out for Game 7 changes the Thunder side of the homework. If Oklahoma City survives San Antonio without him, New York’s defensive plan becomes cleaner in one obvious way: more bodies, more attention, and more pressure can tilt toward Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Williams is out with a hamstring issue after aggravating it following Game 6, per NBA.com. Spurs-Thunder Game 7 is Saturday, and the winner gets the Knicks in Game 1 on June 3.
Oklahoma City looks different without Williams
Williams is not some side piece in Oklahoma City’s offense. He averaged 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists during the regular season while shooting 48.4% from the field, and his 28.7% playoff usage rate shows how much of the creation burden runs through him when healthy.
The hamstring matters because of that workload. The Thunder can still win because Shai is an MVP-level engine, Chet Holmgren changes the geometry, and Oklahoma City has enough athletes to keep the game flying. Williams is the secondary creator who can punish a defense for loading too hard toward Shai.
Without him, the Knicks can build a more aggressive defensive board. Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Deuce McBride can spend more energy shrinking Shai’s space without worrying as much about Williams breaking the shell as a downhill scorer and passer.
San Antonio would be a completely different problem
The Spurs board would barely resemble the Thunder board. San Antonio forces a different kind of discomfort because Victor Wembanyama changes where help can come from, where shots can be taken, and what counts as a good possession.
If the Spurs win Game 7, the Knicks have to prepare for length, size, and a completely different half-court puzzle. If the Thunder win without Williams, the focus shifts toward pace control, Shai containment, and whether Oklahoma City’s supporting creators can handle Finals pressure without their cleanest wing connector.
The Knicks’ rest advantage becomes more valuable because of the split scouting job. They swept Cleveland, avoided the seven-game grind, and bought themselves enough time to build two serious plans instead of guessing. Mike Brown’s staff should be living on matchup edits right now.
The Williams injury does not make Oklahoma City easy. Nobody with Shai and Holmgren is easy. It does, however, change the math enough that the Knicks would have a clearer first priority if the Thunder advance.
New York can beat either team, but the Finals ask will look wildly different depending on Saturday night. If Oklahoma City comes out of the West shorthanded, the Knicks cannot waste the opening. They need to test that missing creation immediately and make the Thunder prove one superstar can carry the whole offensive board.
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