In the NBA Finals, many people believe that only the most talented teams and players make it this far into the league’s hardest challenge, but almost always, this is not the case. Yes, talented basketball rosters are one of the driving factors for advancing to the Finals, but talent won’t be the only thing deciding the final results this season.

Execution on those players, elite coaching abilities, and matchup decisions all matter, but the narrative in this NBA Finals is that both teams have one major concern that outweighs everything else: keeping their most important players healthy and functional at the highest possible level.

The Spurs’ Entire Finals Run Depends on Victor Wembanyama

The San Antonio Spurs might have a talented, young roster, full of promising prospects and thriving role players, but without Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs sadly are just not skilled enough. Victor Wembanyama is the foundation of everything the San Antonio Spurs are known for.

He is their defensive anchor and rim protector, leading the NBA in Blocks for the 3rd straight season, earning him the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, at only the age of 22. At 7-foot-4, Wembanyama’s offensive game is second to none, with him showing up when San Antonio needs him most.

When Victor Wembanyama is playing his best basketball, the San Antonio Spurs look like champions. No player in the NBA is more important to his team’s identity and success than Victor Wembanyama, and managing his health is going to be a key factor for the Spurs’ success.

Health Has Followed Wembanyama Throughout His Rise

Even though Victor Wembanyama has played 3 seasons in the NBA, he has already experienced his fair share of health issues, from blood clot concerns in 2023 to calf and ankle injuries since he was drafted. Every major upside always has a negative, and Wembanyama’s concern is, and always has been, health.

This season, though, has been a surprising revival for Wembanyama in the health department, playing over 60 games for the 2nd time in his career, but in the 1st and 2nd round of the playoffs suffered from a concussion, ankle, and wrist issues, which are all minor injuries, but can add up quickly.

Even through all of this, the Spurs have consistently managed and prioritized long-term health over short-term gains, even before Wembanyama was in the picture, but now all of that comes on the biggest stage. The Finals demand maximum usage, but San Antonio wants to go about the whole thing cautiously.

Jalen Brunson Carries a Different Burden From Wembanyama in the Finals

Jalen Brunson has been a relatively healthy player throughout his career, minus the ankle issues, but Jalen Brunson’s biggest concern for the Finals is not injuries; his challenge is workload.

Through heavy minutes, constant shot creation, and late-game responsibility, Jalen Brunson has built a name for himself all because of his relentless workload, leading the Knicks with 3,095 total minutes between the regular season and the playoffs, which is equivalent to 2.15 days of playing basketball at the highest level.

Fatigue Can Be Just as Dangerous as Injury

If you even make it this deep into the playoffs, by June, every player is tired. The only difference is that Jalen Brunson is consistently asked to step up for the Knicks, who refuse to trade or sign him a true 2nd option. Every playoff round adds more minutes, every extended series adds new levels of fatigue.

Even though, as I said at the start, talent is one of the key reasons why these teams are in the NBA Finals in the first place, managing that talent through load management, resting, and constant check-ins could be the difference between carrying the Larry O’Brien trophy or being sent home.

The Real Battle For the Finals: Health

The Knicks will try to force Wembanyama to play aggressive basketball, absorb contact, battle for positioning under the hoop, and work relentlessly to defend and score on every possession, while the Knicks will attempt to force Jalen Brunson into exhausting defensive assignments, making scoring a battle.

At the end of the day, both teams’ plans to win the Finals are simple: San Antonio needs peak Victor Wembanyama without overextending or overplaying him, while the New York Knicks need Jalen Brunson’s elite scoring and playmaking abilities without burning him out further.

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