Why Stephen A. Smith is worried about Knicks in NBA Finals regardless of opponent

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith expressed concern about the New York Knicks potentially reaching the NBA Finals despite the team taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 109-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.

The Knicks continued their strong postseason run by defending home court at Madison Square Garden and moving two wins away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. However, Smith explained on the latest episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show” why he still believes New York could face significant problems against whichever team emerges from the Western Conference.

“Because when I look at Oklahoma City and San Antonio, I see the two best teams in basketball,” Smith said. “Now, there some that believe that Knicks would lose to OKC. I’m one of those people. But that they would beat San Antonio. I’m not so sure. I’m not so sure and it ain’t because of Wemby.”

Smith specifically pointed to the overall depth and guard play of the San Antonio Spurs as a major reason for concern despite much of the national attention centering around Victor Wembanyama.

“It’s because of Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper and [Julian] Champagnie and Sixth Man of the Year, Keldon Johnson,” Smith explained. “I mean San Antonio’s got weapons all over the place at the guard spot, maybe not the point guard spot because of De’Aaron Fox being out, Stephon Castle has on-ball responsibilities and he’s had 20 turnovers in the first two games.”

Stephen A. Smith says unless the Knicks win the championship, chances are you still going to have to make changes this summer:

“Because when I look at Oklahoma City and San Antonio, I see the two best teams in basketball. Now, there some that believe that Knicks would lose to… pic.twitter.com/XRE0qNXmDC

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) May 22, 2026

Smith also emphasized the strength of both Western Conference finalists overall, especially if De’Aaron Fox is eventually able to return for San Antonio.

“If you got all your ducks in order, if De’Aaron Fox can play… San Antonio and OKC are probably the two best teams in basketball,” Smith added.

Stephen A. Smith questions whether Knicks can match up with the West in NBA Finals

The Knicks, meanwhile, have continued to gain momentum behind a balanced roster and strong defensive performances throughout the playoffs. New York limited Cleveland to just 93 points in Game 2 after forcing another difficult offensive outing from the Cavaliers’ backcourt.

New York has also received significant contributions from Jalen Brunson throughout the postseason, with the All-Star guard continuing to establish himself as one of the league’s top playoff performers. The Knicks have now positioned themselves firmly in control of the series as it shifts to Cleveland for Game 3.

Out West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs remain locked in a competitive Western Conference Finals series tied 1-1 after Oklahoma City’s 122-113 win on Wednesday night, with Game 3 set for Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

Despite New York’s dominant playoff stretch, Smith’s comments reflected lingering skepticism about how the Knicks would match up against the top contenders from the Western Conference on basketball’s biggest stage.

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