Jeremy Lin Calls Out Spurs’ Game 1 Strategy and Questions Mitch Johnson’s Decisions Down the Stretch

Jeremy Lin and Mitch Johnson (Photo by Imagn Images)

Jeremy Lin Calls Out Spurs’ Game 1 Strategy and Questions Mitch Johnson’s Decisions Down the Stretch

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports
By Debmallya Chakraborty | Last updated Jun 4, 2026 10:40 AM ET

The New York Knicks just stretched their postgame run to 12 consecutive games. Winning Game 1 with a scoreline of 105-95, the Knicks are looking to extend their lead in Game 2. On the contrary, despite being heavy favorites, things did not go the San Antonio Spurs’ way. Analyzing what went wrong, Jeremy Lin had some strong words for Mitch Johnson.

Fans expected Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama to be two of the biggest storylines heading into the game. But while the 29-year-old did make merry despite some hiccups, the ‘Alien’ had a decent outing. And one of the reasons for this, according to Lin, was Johnson’s overreliance on Wembanyama.

“The focus for sure is the second half, where they were minus-17, but specifically even in the fourth quarter, I didn’t love the late-game offensive game plan. It was too much Wemby ISO. It just seemed like everything was difficult, everything was hard, everything was contested,” Lin said.

Jeremy Lin heavily criticized Mitch Johnson and the Spurs’ fourth-quarter offense in Game 1, questioning the heavy reliance on Wemby isolations and the team's rotation choices:

"The focus for sure is the second half where they were minus-17, but specifically even in the fourth… pic.twitter.com/Us7yyY30Ym
— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) June 4, 2026

Instead, Lin argued that the Spurs should have given the 22-year-old more aggressive, attacking roles. He argued that Johnson could have set screens for him or involved the superstar in pin-down actions. Unfortunately, as the entire team forwarded the ball to the 7-foot-4 star, Karl-Anthony Towns did a superb job of thwarting the attack.

Meanwhile, Lin did not stop there, as he also criticized other aspects of Mitch Johnson’s approach.

Jeremy Lin Unhappy With Mitch Johnson’s Rotation Choices

It looks like, despite a stellar showing in the conference finals, the Spurs are suddenly feeling the heat. Pointing out a major error in judgment, Lin questioned why somebody like Keldon Johnson would only log in for eight minutes. Instead, the team gave Harrison Barnes heavy minutes, but that decision failed to deliver strong results.

“We need the Keldon Johnsons and obviously De’Aaron Fox to be able to step up. I do think there’s a lot to be said for in terms of how big that moment was for the Spurs,” said Lin.

Mitch Johnson (Image Credits: Imagn)

Thus, it is evident that San Antonio is under significant pressure. Now, fans will watch closely to see whether Victor Wembanyama and his teammates can help the team recover in the upcoming games.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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