Who lifts
the Bill Russell?

Reigning Finals MVP, two-time regular-season MVP, and now one win from a return trip. Game 5 was the closer-stamp — 32 points, 9 assists, 127-114 swing. If OKC closes the WCF, he becomes the Finals favorite by a wide margin.

If Wemby drags the Spurs back from 2-3 and ends OKC's run in Game 7, SGA's path closes entirely.

Most fourth-quarter playoff points since 2021. Carried New York through every closing run of the ECF, including a 38-point Game 1. With the Knicks locked into the Finals, the only question is whether his team gets there — and he's their lever.

Knicks are the underdog in either Finals scenario. If New York loses, voters usually look to the winner's best player — and Brunson would need a Jerry-West-1969 statistical avalanche to take it on a losing team.

The only Spur with odds shorter than +10000 — if San Antonio wins the title, this is unanimous. Best two-way player in the league right now; the 41/24 Game 1 line is the kind of moment voters anchor to.

Spurs are down 2-3 and have to win Game 6 at home and Game 7 in OKC just to keep this storyline alive. And against the Knicks in a hypothetical Finals, his floor-spacing teammates have to actually hit shots — a coin-flip proposition.

The Knicks' second-best closer and the matchup nightmare against any non-Wemby frontcourt. If New York wins and Brunson is held in check for stretches, KAT becomes the obvious co-MVP candidate — and the obvious vote.

Brunson is the brand. Voters rarely split a narrative away from the engine guard unless the gap is enormous — and KAT would need a Jokić-style series to swing it.