The 2024-2025 regular season is complete. The play-in games are now set with Orlando, Atlanta, Chicago, and Miami competing in the Eastern Conference tournament, and the Western Conference tournament features Minnesota, Memphis, Sacramento, and Dallas. Below is a breakdown of the 2024-2025 NBA playoff team power rankings.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City finished the season with the NBA’s best record. They are the clear favorite to reach the Western Conference Finals and have one of the best odds to win the NBA Finals.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers finished the season with the NBA’s second-best record and have the best odds to reach the Eastern Conference finals. Cleveland and Boston are the favorites to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, with the winner likely to face Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals.
3. Boston Celtics
The veteran Celtics team enters the playoffs with a second-straight championship in their sights. Their core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis are poised to carry the team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
4. Houston Rockets
Houston enters the playoffs as the Western Conference’s #2 seed. They await the play-in tournament results and will face the #7 seed. One of the better defensive teams in the NBA, Houston will rely on stout defense to carry them throughout the playoffs.
5. Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles will face Minnesota in the first round and have their work cut out for them. The Lakers/Timberwolves first-round matchup is intriguing as Los Angeles will face a tough test as they may not have an answer for Minnesota big men Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid.
6. New York Knicks
New York begins their championship quest against Detroit. The Knicks played steady offense throughout the regular season. Combining their offense and tough defense could prove too much for Detroit.
7. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers’ first-round series against Denver will be a must-watch. The Clippers can go as far as Kawhi Leonard can take them.
8. Denver Nuggets
Mike Malone was relieved of his head coaching duties before the end of the regular season. It was a shocking move by the front office and the Nuggets will either enter the playoffs highly motivated or see a disruption in chemistry that sees them fall early in the playoffs.
9. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers finished the season as the Eastern Conference’s #4 seed and face Milwaukee in the first round. Veteran Pascal Siakam will lead Indiana’s young roster, but Milwaukee’s experience may prove to be too tough a test for the Pacers.
10. Golden State Warriors
Golden State enters as a play-in team. They are the favorite to move on and will be a tough matchup for either Oklahoma City or Houston. Should they finish as the top team in the play-in tournament, they have fantastic odds of winning the first-round series.
11. Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota’s success in their first-round series against Los Angeles comes down to high tempo and dominating the glass. If they succeed at both, they will move on to the second round with ease.
12. Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo will have his work cut out for him. He will shoulder most of the workload but needs Damian Lillard on the court. Milwaukee’s playoff run will come to an end when they face either Cleveland or Boston.
13. Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis finds itself in the play-in tournament and must stay even-keeled throughout the tournament. They figure to find their way out alongside Golden State, but Sacramento may have other ideas.
14. Detroit Pistons
Detroit faces New York in the first round of the playoffs. Tom Thibodeau will have the Knicks ready for their first-round series, and this may be nothing more than gaining playoff experience for Detroit.
15. Orlando Magic
If Orlando makes it through the play-in games, they will play either Cleveland or Boston. They will put up a fight, but realistic expectations suggest Orlando’s playoff run ends in their first-round series.
16. Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta will survive the play-in games should they find a way to mitigate opposing teams’ offensive possessions. Even if they reach the playoffs, their run will end quickly, facing either Cleveland or Boston.
17. Sacramento Kings
Domantas Sabonis will lead Sacramento in the play-in tournament. His domination will be the sole reason the Kings move on. However, the team does not have the firepower to move on from the first round.
18. Dallas Mavericks
Anthony Davis is Dallas’ main threat in the play-in tournament. This will not be enough to see the Mavericks reach the playoffs.
19. Chicago Bulls
Chicago ended the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the league. If they move on from the play-in games, they will make some noise in the playoffs, but it is hard to imagine them upsetting either Cleveland or Boston.
20. Miami Heat
Without a true superstar, Miami figures to fall short of moving on from the play-in tournament.
