2026 Finals Results — The Case Builds Game by Game
The Brunson article you are reading was published before the Finals started. Everything written about his physical profile has only been confirmed more decisively with each game.
| Game | Date | Result | Brunson Stats | The Story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | June 3 | Knicks 105-95 W | 30 pts, 2 ast | Left with injury, returned, scored 13 in Q4 |
| Game 2 | June 5 | Knicks 105-104 W | 28 pts | Won on the road by 1, shot 34% in first two games |
| Game 3 | June 9 | Spurs 115-111 L | 32 pts, 5 ast | Found his shot at MSG — not enough |
| Game 4 | June 10 | Knicks 107-106 W | 36 pts, 7 ast, 3 stl | Down 29 in Q3 — greatest comeback in Finals history |
| Game 5 | June 13 | TBD — @ SAS | — | Knicks lead 3-1, one win from first title since 1973 |
31.5 points per game through four Finals games. Against the player with the highest peak reach in NBA history. With a 6-foot-4 wingspan. The article below — written when the Finals had not yet started — explains exactly why this is not a surprise once you understand what the combine actually measures and what it misses.
The Verified Combine Measurements
These are not disputed numbers. Brunson tested at the 2018 NBA Draft Combine and every measurement is on the official record. His wingspan is 3 inches longer than his height — one of the smallest wing differentials of any starting point guard in the NBA. His height places him in the bottom 11 percent of all players ever measured at the combine. His standing reach of 8'0" is also in the bottom tier for guards.
He is averaging 31.5 points per game in the 2026 NBA Finals.
The Historical Rank — Bottom 10% of Everyone Ever Tested
The picture that emerges from the full combine profile is precise: Brunson is extremely small, has very short arms, jumps well for his size, and moves laterally at an elite level. The two things combine testing measures well — size and length — say he should not be a quality NBA starter. The two things it measures poorly — technical skill and basketball IQ — happen to be where Brunson is exceptional.
Brunson vs Wembanyama — The Numbers vs the Scoreboard
The physical gap between the two central figures in this Finals is the largest between opposing stars in recent history. Through four games, the player with the worst physical profile is winning.
| Measurement | Jalen Brunson | Victor Wembanyama | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height (no shoes) | 6'1" | 7'3.5" | Wemby taller by 14.5" |
| Wingspan | 6'4" | ~8'0" | Wemby longer by 20" |
| Standing Reach | 8'0" | ~10'0" | Wemby higher by 24" |
| Peak Reach | ~10'1" | ~12'8" | Wemby higher by 31" |
| Vertical Jump | 37" (verified) | 32" (verified) | Brunson jumps 5" higher |
| 2026 Finals PPG | 31.5 | ~24 | Brunson scores more |
| Series | Knicks 3-1 | — | |
Wembanyama's peak fingertip height is approximately 31 inches above Brunson's. That is a genuine and enormous physical advantage that shows up on every contested shot. And yet — four games in — Brunson is scoring more, winning more, and doing it with a leg injury he played through in Game 1. For a full breakdown of Wembanyama's dimensions and why they make him historically unique, see our Wembanyama vertical jump analysis.
How Does Your Vertical Compare to Brunson's 37"?
Brunson's vertical is above average for an NBA point guard despite his below-average size. See where your jump ranks against NBA combine averages at every position.
Calculate My Vertical →What the Combine Cannot Measure
The combine measures eight physical attributes. None of them is basketball IQ. None is processing speed under pressure. None is footwork precision, release quickness, or the ability to make the right decision in half a second with a 7'3" defender's hand in your face.
The Game 4 Comeback — What Physical Tests Miss
Down 29 in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden — the largest deficit in Finals history — Brunson scored 36 points on 12-of-25 shooting with 7 assists and 3 steals. The Knicks outscored San Antonio 49-19 over the final 17 minutes. None of that is measurable at a combine. The calm required to run a precise half-court offense down 20 with five minutes left. The footwork to create a pull-up jumper against a 12-foot-8-inch peak reach when a single turnover ends the game. The decision speed to find the right pass when every defender collapses. These are real and decisive athletic qualities that the combine has never attempted to measure.
Change of Speed
Brunson's most dangerous tool is the ability to change speed within two dribbles — slow to 30 percent, then explode to 100. Against Wembanyama, who hedges on pick-and-rolls but cannot fully close out laterally, this creates the half-second windows his pull-up jumper requires. His elite 10.59 lane agility score is the one combine number that hints at this quality — but even that is a proxy, not the thing itself.
Foul Drawing
Brunson draws fouls at one of the highest rates in the league relative to shot attempts. Against Wembanyama, whose extraordinary length creates incidental contact on every close contest, free throw generation is one of the two or three most reliable paths to scoring. Brunson shot 9-of-11 from the line in Game 4. No combine test predicts that.
How Brunson Compares to Other Elite Point Guards
| Player | Height | Wingspan | Wing Advantage | Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGA | 6'4.5" | 6'11.5" | +7" | Size, length, quickness |
| Steph Curry | 6'2" | 6'3" | +1" | Movement, shooting, IQ |
| Jalen Brunson | 6'1" | 6'4" | +3" | Skill, change of speed, IQ, clutch |
| Donovan Mitchell | 6'1" | 6'10" | +9" | Explosion, length, athleticism |
| Isiah Thomas (1990) | 6'1" | ~6'3" | +2" | Closest modern historical comp |
The closest historical comp for Brunson's physical profile producing Finals-level results is Isiah Thomas on the 1989-1990 Detroit Pistons. Thomas was 6'1" with below-average length and won two championships by being the best player on the floor when it mattered most. Forty years later, Brunson is running the same script with updated numbers.
What Happens If the Knicks Win Game 5
Game 5 is Saturday, June 13 in San Antonio. The Knicks need one win. If they close the series, Brunson will become the shortest Finals MVP winner since the award was formalized — and one of the physically least imposing stars ever to win a championship as the primary engine.
The physical measurements will not change. His wingspan will still be 1,679th out of 1,812 tested. His height will still be 1,617th. What will change is the data point at the top of his page: NBA champion. The combine did not predict that. It never measures the things that produce it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Full 2026 Finals Athletic Breakdown
Complete measurements for Brunson, Wembanyama, KAT, and Dylan Harper — and why the most physically dominant team in Finals history is losing to the least physically gifted star.
Finals Athletic Hub →