The NBA playoff picture is official following the nail-biting finishes to the play-in tournament. With the playoff matchups set, let’s rank and evaluate the remaining sixteen teams. The sixteen teams are broken down into tiers: teams that should be happy to be there, teams with star talent but question marks, teams with a realistic chance to win, and teams that should be considered true title contenders.
NBA Playoff Power Rankings
Teams That Should Be Happy to Be There
16. Brooklyn Nets
Mikal Bridges has been playing great with an increased role in Brooklyn, but this post-trade deadline version of the Nets roster doesn’t have the talent to compete in the playoffs. As a result, the Nets should be an early exit, especially with a tough first-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.
15. Miami Heat
This isn’t the same Miami Heat team all of us are used to seeing in the playoffs. Playoff Jimmy Butler can only take this team so far on offense. They lack a true playmaker and are sometimes inconsistent offensively.
14. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks aren’t too far removed from making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. Head coach Quin Snyder was a great addition to this team. Although they have talent on their roster, most notably Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, it’ll be challenging for them to compete on the same level as a complete team like the Celtics.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota has had an interesting route to the playoffs following the Rudy Gobert–Kyle Anderson altercation and Jaden McDaniels fracturing his hand, punching a wall in the same game. Not quite the ranking you’d hope for as an organization that put all its chips on the table to acquire Gobert in the first place.
12. New York Knicks
Jalen Brunson has proven to be worth every penny of his four-year, $104 million contract he signed this offseason to join the Knicks. With Brunson and Julius Randle, the Knicks have a good one-two punch. The question is whether they have elite enough talent to get out of the first round against an excellent Cleveland Cavaliers team.
11. Sacramento Kings
The Kings have been the NBA’s best story this season; they made the playoffs for the first time in 16 years, snapping the longest playoff drought in NBA history. They even earned the three seed in the Western Conference. Their reward? The defending champion Golden State Warriors in the first round. Time will tell if their fast-paced style of play will transition to the playoffs.
Teams With Star Talent but Question Marks
10. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are among the most challenging teams to rank, primarily due to Paul George‘s injury. George sprained his knee three weeks ago, and there have only been vague updates regarding his expected return. The Clippers were picked by many to make it out of the Western Conference in the preseason due to their talent, but they have relatively underperformed so far this season.
9. Cleveland Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell has been on a tear this season, averaging 28.3 points, 4.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals a game. However, he’s far from a one-person show in Cleveland, which boasts one of the best starting lineups in the league. Darius Garland has made an incredible jump at point guard. In addition, their frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen is arguably one of the best defensive big duos in the NBA. The Cavs don’t have much playoff experience, but they will be far from an easy out.
8. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies have had an up-and-down season. They ended up with the two seed in the Western Conference but made headlines a few times for the wrong reasons. Center Steven Adams still hasn’t been cleared for playoffs and will most likely miss it with a knee injury. Brandon Clarke is also out for the season with an Achilles injury. Still, the Grizzlies shouldn’t be slept on as a team to make it out of the West. Ja Morant is a bonafide star, and Memphis has many players that always seem to step up when called upon.
7. Los Angeles Lakers
The Grizzlies-Lakers series is arguably the NBA’s most anticipated matchup of the first round. The Lakers have been a completely different team since after the trade deadline and finally seem to have the right pieces around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. This Lakers team differs from your traditional seven-seed with two legitimate stars and a revamped supporting cast.
Teams With Realistic Chance to Win NBA Finals
6. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors have been the most confusing team to watch all season. On the one hand, they are the NBA’s defending champs and retained all their key players. On the other, they have a horrible away record of 11-30 this season. Of course, it doesn’t help that they are the sixth seed in the West and will have to play more games on the road. Still, it’s hard to dismiss Stephen Curry and company due to their talent and track record.
5. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets slowed down towards the end of the season but still retained the coveted one seed in the West. Jamal Murray seems fully back from his ACL injury. We know what the Nuggets will get from two-time MVP Nikola Jokic in the playoffs, but this team will go as far as their other starters will take them.
4. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers might have the most at stake in this year’s playoffs. The good news? They have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA, led by MVP favorite Joel Embiid and assists league leader James Harden.
NBA Playoff Power Rankings: True Title Contender Teams
3. Phoenix Suns
The Suns are the NBA’s most top-heavy team. The playoffs are heavily star oriented compared to the regular season, which should bode well for the Suns. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are an unstoppable scoring tandem. In addition, they have Chris Paul orchestrating the offense and DeAndre Ayton exploiting mismatches in the paint. Their only questions will be their stars’ health and their role players’ reliability. Even with those question marks, Phoenix should be considered the best team out West heading into the postseason.
2. Boston Celtics
The Celtics come in one game behind the Bucks for the best record in the NBA. They have everything required to win it all – a star player in Jayson Tatum, a co-star in Jaylen Brown, defensive-minded players in Marcus Smart and Robert Williams, and too much bench depth to even list out. The Celtics should have a solid chance to make it to the Finals yet again.
1. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks enter the playoffs as the NBA’s number one overall seed after finishing with a 58-24 record, meaning they will retain home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Giannis Antetokounmpo again has the talented and deep supporting cast he needs to win the title, as they did in 2021.
