The 2025 NBA Playoffs are underway, and this year’s postseason is jam-packed with a cornucopia of All-Stars, powerhouse brands, and several surprise teams. With the first week of action in the rear view, find out who the best and worst squads are among the 16 remaining teams in the 2025 NBA playoffs with our special postseason NBA power rankings.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder were hit twice by huge injuries this season. However, they persevered and remained one of the league’s 99th-percentile clubs. Their defense has been among the best in the game all year. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the odds-on favorite to win this season’s MVP award, and they heads into the postseason following a dominant month of March.
The Thunder have the pieces to get to the Finals, and running over the Grizzlies in their first two games of the playoffs shows how powerful this group is.
2. Boston Celtics
The defending champion Boston Celtics don’t have the best record in the NBA. However, the regular season has all felt like one big dress rehearsal for the spring. They continue to mow down the teams they are supposed to beat, but have met some resistance from the league’s other top teams. Nevertheless, this is the most battle-tested group in the league. They can turn it on when it matters most. And that showed immediately in a Game 1 throttling of the Magic to begin the 2025 NBA playoffs.
Also Read: Boston Celtics game today – Get details on the next Celtics game
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers were a surprisingly dominant team this season. There is no better example of how good they have been under new head coach Kenny Atkinson than winning 16 straight and 19 out of 21 at one point in the second half. They head into the playoffs with the best record in the East, an elite offense, and a rock-solid defense.
But that was then, and this is now. If the Cavaliers can’t reach the East Finals, their 60-plus-win season will seem like a major letdown. There is a boatload of pressure on top star Donovan Mitchell this month.
4. Golden State Warriors
The 2024-25 edition of the Golden State Warriors was the rubber band team this season, as they snapped back from good to bad to good again after the trade deadline. Fortunately, despite the risk, the Jimmy Butler trade has been a massive success, and Dub Nation has been one of the best teams in the league since the deadline.
They stormed through the Play-In and immediately got a Game 1 win in Houston. The Warriors are, arguably, the most dangerous team in these entire playoffs.
Also Read: Golden State Warriors game today – Get time and channel for the next Warriors game
5. Indiana Pacers
After a surprisingly mediocre start to the season, the Indiana Pacers caught fire early in 2025 and looked like the team NBA pundits expected. The offense is one of the better groups in the game, but their defense continues to be their Achilles’ heel. Yet, it has not slowed them down as they have gotten off to an impressive 2-0 series lead against a very talented Bucks team in Round 1.
6. Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers were already a good team that was building serious momentum before the Luka Doncic trade. However, with the young superstar, they could be a serious problem in the playoffs. The Thunder has more talent than Los Angeles. But when you have a top-three player, a league legend that is still deadly at 40 (LeBron James), and a good young coach in JJ Redick, the Lakers are set up to be a very difficult out this spring.
However, they got a red-hot Timberwolves team in Round 1, and the Wolves’ Game 1 victory shows they are not to be trifled with.
Also Read: Los Angeles Lakers game today – Get time and channel for the next Lakers game
7. New York Knicks
While they have had one of the five best records in the league all season, there is reason for concern when it comes to the New York Knicks. Their defense is a weakness, and they have often come up small against the league’s best teams. Furthermore, Tom Thibodeau’s classic overuse of his starters resulted in injuries to his stars.
We are now at the point of the season this team was put together for, and April will be a major proof of concept for this front office’s grand plans from last summer. The fact that they have struggled at times against the Pistons and head to Detroit with the series tied at 1-1 is getting some in New York very worried.
Also Read: New York Knicks game today – Get time and channel for the next Knicks game
8. Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons were the worst team in the NBA last season. Now, they are the feel-good story of this season. After a historically bad showing in 2023-24, head coach JB Bickerstaff has helped turn his team into one of the better units in the East.
Many believe they could score a quarterfinals upset over the Knicks, and thus far, that is looking like a real possibility after splitting the first two games of the series in New York.
9. Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets have been one of the best stories in the NBA this season. After showing some very nice growth under Ime Udoka in 2023-24, they continued that momentum and evolved into an elite team in the West. They passed on making big trades to see how this young group handles itself in the playoffs.
The front office will find out how good this team is right away after they were handed one of the toughest matchups in the West against the Warriors. Their showing in Game 1 was not a great sign for how they will fair in these playoffs.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves
11. Denver Nuggets
When you have the best player on the planet, Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets will always be a very competitive squad. However, more than ever, the pieces around the NBA great have been a letdown this season. But instead of the roster taking the blame, ownership decided to make head coach Mike Malone and general manager Calvin Booth the fall guys a week before the playoffs kick off.
Denver could have been a dark horse in these NBA Playoffs. But the shocking late-season coaching change will kill their championship aspirations. Furthermore, they are no lock to get out of their Round 1 series against the Clippers.
12. Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers have been an interesting story in the 2024-25 NBA season. To the surprise of no one, Kawhi Leonard began the season in dress clothes due to another injury. However, in his absence, Norman Powell emerged and earned All-Star honors for the first time. With all of their veteran depth and a very good head coach, they could be a surprise during the playoffs. We saw that immediately in Game 1 versus Denver.
13. Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks have been on a roller-coaster ride all season. Despite a pair of superstars and a Hall-of-Fame-worthy coach, they struggled badly over the first month-plus. Yet, they turned it all around and ended up winning the Emirates Cup during the first half and having a solid finish to the season.
However, Damian Lillard’s availability during their series against the Pacers has been a huge story. While he was able to miraculously return from a blood clot issue for Game 2, it didn’t stop them from falling into a 2-0 hole.
Related: Milwaukee Bucks Game Today – TV Channels, Start Time, and Full 2024-2025 Schedule
14. Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies were expected to be far better this season with superstar Ja Morant back. And they were, due to the introduction of a new offense that had Memphis among the best in the NBA this season. However, it seems their top star was not happy with the new style. That, matched with underwhelming play in the second half, led to a bold move of firing head coach Taylor Jenkins weeks before the start of the playoffs.
While they made it through the Play-In tourney, they got handed the toughest matchup in the conference against the Thunder. Unsurprisingly, they have been rampaged on over the first two games of the series.
15. Miami Heat
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra again showed why he is among the best in the sport during the regular season. Despite the dark cloud that Jimmy Butler created over the team with his contract drama, the Heat remained competitive for much of the year. And despite a late-season slump, when the postseason lights turned on, they stormed through the Play-In Tournament. They have a massive uphill battle against the Cavaliers, but if we know anything about the Heat and Spoelstra, they are unlikely to go away quietly.
16. Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic got hit with a massive blow early in the season when top star Paolo Banchero and, later, Franz Wagner suffered major injuries. While both recovered and made their way back, the team did not have the same success as last season due to an offense that was one of the worst in the league. While they have an elite defense, their offensive deficiencies continue in their series with the Celtics. They will be lucky if they can get a game against a defending champion Boston team that can absolutely fill it up at will.
