NBA playoffs 2025: All 20 teams vying for a championship

The 2025 NBA playoffs are set! An exciting final week saw the Eastern Conference bracket finalized on Friday. The West wasn't set until the last game, an overtime clash betweenStephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors and Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers. There are now officially 20 teams fighting for a chance to win the Larry O'Brien trophy, five of which have never won it all.

In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers claimed the top seed after a dominating, 64-win regular season. But the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics, landed close behind in the No. 2 spot, hungry for a back-to-back Finals win. No team has repeated since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, making this one of the longest droughts without a repeat champion in NBA history.

The West was a chaotic mess down to the final minute of the regular season. When the Clippers took down the Warriors, claiming the No. 5 seed, and the "opportunity" to face three-time MVP Nikola Jokic'sDenver Nuggets, the No. 6 seed and guaranteed playoff spot went to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will face off against LeBron James and the No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers. The 7-seed Warriors now have to face Ja Morant and the 8-seedMemphis Grizzlies in the play-in..

The play-in tournament begins Tuesday, with the two No. 7 vs. 8 games, and the first round starts Saturday. Until then, our NBA insiders break down all 20 teams -- the good, bad and ugly: their seasons in review, best-case scenarios and key aspects to watch for the play-in and first round.

Note: NBA title and first-round odds for 2025 provided by ESPN BET.

Jump to a team:br/>ATL| BOS| CHI| CLE | DALbr/>DEN | DET | GS| HOU | INDbr/>LAC | LAL| MEM| MIA | MILbr/>MIN | NYK| OKC| ORL | SAC

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

But they don't have great perimeter size, which is a concerning vulnerability and especially so against Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and East nemesis Boston. That's why the Cavs made a midseason trade for De'Andre Hunter. But they finished the season going 8-8 over their final 16 games. Not exactly the type of momentum a team wants heading into the postseason. -- Brian Windhorst

Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are great playmakers and shotmakers, and the Cavs cover for their defensive shortcomings with a great defensive back line in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. But it works a lot better when their lead guards are making 3s. Mitchell shot 39% before the All-Star break and 30% after. Garland shot 43% before and 34% after. They combine to take 16 triples a game, so these percentage swings make a big difference in their margin for error. -- Windhorst

2. Boston Celtics

3. New York Knicks

If New York is healthy, it has the talent to beat anyone in a series. The starting five is that good. But there's little reliable depth beyond that group. The defense has struggled to slow the NBA's best opposing offenses and, most of all, the bracket won't do them any favors. The Knicks should advance to the second round, but once there, it would be a massive surprise if they managed to push the Celtics into a long series, let alone upset the defending champs. -- Kram

4. Indiana Pacers

5. Milwaukee Bucks

6. Detroit Pistons

The way Cunningham in particular performs could help shape the Pistons' decision on how aggressively to approach this offseason and beyond. If Cunningham remains the All-NBA contributor he has been during the regular season, Detroit could soon make a run like the Indiana Pacers had in the 2024 playoffs. -- Pelton

7. Orlando Magic

8. Atlanta Hawks

9. Chicago Bulls

Getting Lonzo Ball back healthy after he sat out 47 games with a variety of injuries should help. Chicago gave up eight fewer points per 100 possessions with Ball on the court, per NBA Advanced Stats. Still, the Bulls struggle to protect the rim without a strong shot blocker -- no other team allowed more attempts per game in the restricted area this season -- and rarely force turnovers. -- Pelton

10. Miami Heat

Miami's road to the postseason: