The Spurs and Thunder are each formidable, yes, and popular convention is that the winner of the West will be the eventual champion. But do not overlook this Knicks team; it can absolutely win a title.

New York can score, defend and has plenty of depth, all of which are necessary in an NBA Finals.

New York has been bulldozing through its opponents, and can kindle on offense. From asking captain Jalen Brunson to anchor scoring, to playing through Karl-Anthony Towns as a point-center, to sprinting out in transition, the malleable Knicks are built to compete with San Antonio and Oklahoma City and can adjust on the fly to either.

“Our group, they’re playing good basketball, and they’re doing it in different ways,” Knicks coach Mike Brown told reporters after Game 4. “They’re doing it differently, depending on who our opponent is. When you show that type of versatility on both ends of the floor, it just adds to your belief.”

Throughout the Eastern Conference finals, the Knicks shot 38.1% from 3-point range, sinking 53 made triples.

Eastern Conference finals MVP Jalen Brunson dropped 38 points in Game 1, sparking an improbable 22-point fourth quarter comeback. Against the Cavs, Brunson averaged 25.5 points on 47.8% shooting.

Against the defenses of the Spurs or Thunder, that offensive versatility will be crucial because either opponent would easily be the toughest test New York will face this postseason.

New York, on the other end of the floor, is smothering opponents with its defense, led by the trio of OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges. The group allows for flexibility, since New York can switch pick-and-rolls with all three.

Similarly, the versatile trio can alter their assignments to be matchup-dependent. Hart is comfortable guarding Hawks All-NBA third-team forward Jalen Johnson just like he is Cavs center Jarrett Allen. Bridges can clamp down Sixers All-NBA third-team guard Tyrese Maxey and Anunoby, an NBA All-Defensive second-team selection, is the best of the bunch.

The Knicks forced the Cavaliers to commit 66 turnovers in the East finals and posted a +16 in turnover differential across the four games in the series.

During the regular season, the Thunder ranked second in the NBA in turnovers committed per game (12.6) and the Spurs ranked fourth (13.5), so those active hands and deflections will be essential in gaining an edge.

And coming off the bench, Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride, Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado have each embraced their roles.

Robinson is a defensive spark. McBride is a 3-point sniper. Shamet does a little bit of everything and Alvarado might be the most annoying defender, aside from Thunder guard Luguentz Dort.

With 7:47 left to play in Game 4 on Monday night, with the lead so lopsided that Knicks coach Mike Brown emptied his bench, New York held a 39-7 edge in bench points.

The Thunder are the deepest team in the NBA. The Spurs aren’t too far behind.

But one area where the Knicks will carry an edge into the Finals is rest and freshness. The Spurs and Thunder are tied at two games apiece and this series, at a minimum, will span two more games and will finish Thursday, May 28, at the earliest. The series, frankly, looks like one that’s headed for seven.

“This team is hungry, and that’s the most important thing,” Towns told reporters after the game. “Even with an amazing, historical win we had tonight, the celebrations were minimal. We really want to get back to work. We asked coach if we could get back to work quick. We knew what happened last time when we had a long layoff, so we already talked after the game about preparing.”

It has been 53 years since the New York Knicks won an NBA championship. This is the mentality it takes to win one.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks in NBA Finals, but both Spurs and Thunder pose huge challenge