Jeremy Lin on the Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals: “They’re paying for their inexperience”
At the NBA Finals, inexperience comes at a steep price. Former NBA guard and current analyst Jeremy Lin shared his thoughts on the Spurs’ first two games of the series
Heading into the NBA Finals, the biggest concern among analysts and bettors regarding the San Antonio Spurs was their lack of experience, despite the remarkable playoff run that saw Victor Wembanyama dethrone the defending Western Conference champions.
After the first two games against the New York Knicks, that concern has become a harsh reality. The Spurs came out strong in both contests but unraveled when it mattered most, ultimately falling again in Game 2, 105-104.
Immediately after the game, former Knicks guard Jeremy Lin and ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith pointed directly to the youth of the Spurs roster. Speaking during ESPN’s postgame coverage, Lin broke down San Antonio’s disastrous execution in the closing moments, particularly Wembanyama’s turnover with 12 seconds remaining.
The Spurs play with heart. They went on a 14-0 run to get back into the game, but in the final 30 seconds their inexperience showed completely – call it youth or fatigue. First there was a forced isolation for Wemby against Mitchell Robinson, then the turnover, then the foul. They had the ball with 12 seconds left in a tie game. There’s no way you should lose a game from that position. If the roles were reversed, the Knicks would have gone straight to Brunson, and he would have found the ideal mismatch
Jeremy Lin
Stephen A. Smith doubled down on that point during the Hoops Collective podcast, shifting the focus to the psychological challenge awaiting Mitch Johnson’s team at Madison Square Garden.
We know the one thing this team lacks is experience. You couldn’t win at home, and now you’re heading on the road into an environment like this with all these young players. We’ve seen veterans melt down at the Garden. What am I supposed to expect from young, energetic, basketball-inexperienced players? I mean that in a technical sense – they don’t know what they’re about to walk into. The Garden can be overwhelming, and I think these young guys are going to feel it
Jeremy Lin
With seven of the nine main players in the rotation experiencing the playoffs for the first time, San Antonio has already accomplished something remarkable by reaching this stage. But at this level, inexperience carries a heavy cost.
Now down 0-2, the Spurs are staring at a historic obstacle. In NBA history, no team has ever lost the first two games of the NBA Finals on its home floor and come back to win the championship.