Jeremy Lin Won’t Backtrack on Bold Spurs Prediction as Knicks Take Control

· Yahoo Sports

Jeremy Lin is not backing down from his NBA Finals prediction, even with the San Antonio Spurs staring at a daunting 0-2 deficit. The former New York Knicks fan favorite picked the Spurs to win the championship in six or seven games before the series began, and despite the Knicks stealing the first two games on the road, he says he is sticking with that call.

That does not mean Lin likes what he is seeing. The ESPN analyst has openly questioned the Spurs late-game execution through the first two contests, pointing to predictable offensive sets, costly mistakes, and a lack of composure in crunch time. While he admits the prediction “does not look good right now,” Lin says changing his stance midway through the Finals would be unfair.

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Jeremy Lin Stands By Spurs Prediction Despite Knicks’ 2-0 Finals Lead

Feb 11, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. The Knicks defeated the Timberwolves 100-98. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking on social media and during ESPN coverage following Game 2 on June 5, Lin reiterated that he would not abandon his original Finals forecast. Before the series tipped off, he believed the Spurs had the edge because of the momentum generated from its Western Conference run, while the Knicks appeared vulnerable to a slow start after a lengthy layoff.

“I can’t go back on my prediction, obviously my prediction does not look good right now. My initial prediction that I had — and keep in mind this is not who you know my prediction was — the Spurs were going to win in six or seven. This is not what I want, obviously I want the Knicks to win, but before the series I thought the Knicks would come out rusty. I thought they would be a little bit slow, I thought that the Spurs had a lot of momentum beating the Thunder, and so I thought the Spurs were going to win it. Obviously that doesn’t look good now, but I can’t be somebody who goes back on his prediction or changes it midway through the series, that wouldn’t be fair.” 

Lin also clarified that his personal rooting interest remains with New York, the franchise where he became a household name during the unforgettable “Linsanity” run. Still, he believes changing predictions based on early results would undermine the original analysis.

The former NBA guard has been particularly critical of San Antonio’s offensive approach. During ESPN’s postgame coverage after Game 1, Lin argued that the Spurs became far too dependent on Victor Wembanyama’s isolation possessions late in the game. The reason behind this is that Lin believes the play was predictable, which made it easier for Towns and the Knicks’ defense to have an edge. Lin even criticized the rotations by mentioning how NBA Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson didn’t get much playing time. In order for the Spurs to turn things around, Lin believes that they need more production out of their bench, especially from De’Aaron Fox.

In addition to the poor shooting mentioned earlier, Lin also pointed out the inexperience and tiredness shown by the Spurs towards the end of the game. Lin believes that because the team are relatively young and inexperienced, they were confused about whose job it was to step up during crunch time.

The series will now travel to Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks currently lead the series 2-0. Lin remains loyal to his original prediction; however, based on his own assessment of the first two games, the Spurs have significant issues to solve before that forecast has any chance of becoming reality.

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