Knicks’ path to the finals comes with one major warning from Shannon Sharpe
· Yahoo Sports
Knicks’ path to the finals comes with one major warning from Shannon Sharpe originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Shannon Sharpe sees a major obstacle for the Knicks if they reach the NBA Finals. The Knicks lead the Cavaliers 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals after Saturday's 121-108 Game 3 win.
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Brunson scored 30 points in Game 3, moving New York within one win of the Finals. Mikal Bridges added 22 points as the Knicks won their 10th straight game.
But Sharpe and Nightcap analyst Joe Johnson flagged Oklahoma City's defensive depth as a critical concern. Both believe the Thunder present a schematic challenge that the Cavaliers simply cannot match.
The Thunder advanced to the Western Conference Finals behind the league's most versatile perimeter defense. Cleveland's structure allows Brunson to operate without facing consistent ball pressure. Oklahoma City rotates defenders in waves to exhaust high-usage ball-handlers over a seven-game series.
Johnson explained that the Thunder do not depend on a single primary defender to stop elite scoring guards. Lu Dort delivers physical on-ball defense with strength and intensity at the point of attack.
Alex Caruso brings smart help-side instincts and disruptive hands when he enters the game. Cason Wallace adds length and lateral quickness to contain guards off the dribble. Isaiah Joe supplies perimeter depth to maintain defensive pressure across all four quarters.
Oklahoma City's rotation ensures Brunson faces a new physical defender every few minutes. "Are they going to put Lu Dort on him?" Sharpe asked on Nightcap. This highlighted how many defensive options the Thunder possess for a Finals assignment.
Joe Johnson and Shannon Sharpe believe if the Knicks get to the finals . The Oklahoma City thunder players ain’t going to let Jalen Brunson run through their players like the cavs did pic.twitter.com/Ft3wstix47
— joebuddenclips/fanpage (@Thechat101) May 24, 2026
The deeper concern involves New York's limited shot-creation beyond Brunson on the roster. Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges operate primarily as slashers, transition threats, and catch-and-shoot wings. Neither player regularly initiates the offense or creates scoring chances from isolation situations.
Karl-Anthony Towns provides interior scoring but does not solve the perimeter creation problem against Oklahoma City's defense. If the Thunder force Brunson to give up the ball, role players must create independently.
New York has not yet faced a defense with this many interchangeable perimeter stoppers during their playoff run. Sharpe's warning about the Thunder defense looms as the Knicks' single biggest test in the NBA Finals.
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