NBA Playoffs 2025

As another fantastic NBA regular season is nearing its end, it’s time to look forward towards the playoffs and narrow down the list of favorites to win the championship. While the Eastern Conference is most likely to come down to a bout between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, the fight to win the Western conference is shaping up to be an epic battle of survival.

Top Contenders

Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City are front runners to win the NBA Championship this season. The Thunder have put together a complete season from the get go. They are the first team to 60 wins and are the only team in the top 5 offence/defence. OKC leads the league in point differential, so not only are they winning games, they are dominating. On top of those stats, they have Shay Gilgeous-Alexander who is neck-in-neck with Nicola Jokic in the race for MVP. Throughout the regular season, OKC has shown they can win the big games against the best teams in the league.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs showed signs of potential last season but not many people saw this season coming from the Cavaliers. Another consistent run from unselfish Dovovan Mitchell who sneakily leads the league in Fantasy Basketball points. Cleveland is leading the league in points per game and are top 10 defensively. Their depth and balance make them a serious threat to come out on top of the Eastern conference.

Boston Celtics

Defending champs are looking equally as good as last year. Bringing back all the core members of last year's championship team puts Boston in prime position to repeat. Jason Tatum has continued his elite level play and has proven his 5-year Supermax extension he signed last summer was worth it for the Celtics. Somehow, Al Horford is still playing a key role in his 18th season in the league. A healthy Kristaps Porzingis could be pivotal to another championship run.

Middle of the Pack

Houston Rockets

Surprise team of the season. While they are not in the top 5 of any of the major statistical categories in the NBA, the Rockets keep winning. Fred VanVleet is as steady of a PG as there is and he has already led the Toronto Raptors to an NBA championship in 2019. Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun have shown they are serious threats while Jalen Green is proving to be a consistent scorer for Rockets four years running.

Denver Nuggets

Any team with Nicola Jokic leading the squad will have the West worried come playoffs. Joker is averaging a triple double and the 3 time MVP is playing the best basketball of his career. Jamal Murray has shown more consistency later in the season and the addition of Russell Westbrook has proven to be a wise decision by the Nuggets. Denver’s lack of squad depth could be their undoing but they still have the potential to win their second championship in 3 years.

Los Angeles Lakers

The incredible trade for Luka Doncic immediately transformed the Lakers into one of the most dangerous teams in the league. LeBron is still playing fantastic basketball at age 40 and breakout player of the year Austin Reaves has shined. The big question for LA is can LeBron and Luka stay healthy for a deep playoff run.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors have a ton of playoff experience but do they have another deep playoff run in their bag is the real question. Trading for Jimmy Butler midseason has obviously re-energized and added a proven playoff star to the Golden State roster that has 9 players averaging at least 10 points. Never count out Steph Curry and a healthy Draymond Green.

Long Shots

New York Knicks

It’s difficult to tell what kind of team the Knicks truly are. They have dominated against lower and mid level teams but have struggled to win against top tier teams. Their trade for Karl-Anthony Towns was criticized initially but their third place standing in the East has proven the critics wrong thus far. If Jalen Brunson returns from his ankle sprain in top form for the playoffs, the Knicks could be a scary team to run into for Boston and Cleveland in the East.

Los Angeles Clippers

5 years ago having James Harden and Kawai Leonard on the same squad would be a dream for any team in the league. Most had written the Clippers off as a team of has-beens but they have proven those naysayers wrong. With Harden, Leonard, and Norman Powell all averaging over 20 points a game, the Clippers are a dark horse to contend with if Kawaii can manage to stay healthy.

Who will win it all?

The 2024-2025 NBA season has shown the league has serious depth, especially in the Western Conference. In the East, Cleveland and Boston split their head to head regular season matchups 2-2 but Boston surely has the advantage bringing back their entire squad from last year's championship run. The West is harder to pin down with so many solid teams in the conference. Given their regular season dominance, OKC is the favorite to come out of the West but their lack of deep playoff experience could keep the trophy in Boston for another year. Expect the Celtics to become the first repeat NBA champions since 2018.

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