With the whisper of Spring now turning into a shout, there is only one thing on NBA fans’ minds: playoff season. After yet another thrilling regular season and the play-in tournament underway at the time of writing, we are now seeing the seedings take shape for the most exciting time on the NBA calendar. The first round is due to tip off on April 20 with the 2nd seeded New York Knicks taking on the 7th seed which is to be decided via the play-in tournament. There are a number of high flyers who have done enough throughout the regular season to believe they can go all the way should they carry their form into the playoffs. Let’s take a look at the teams to watch out for come April 20.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics entered the 2023-24 NBA season with a point to prove. They were among the standout performers for much of the season last year, carrying that form into the playoffs to reach the conference finals. However, life came at them fast and the Miami Heat shocked them to go 3-0 up in the series. Despite clawing themselves into game 7 decider, they were disappointing in the decider and bowed out after losing 4-3. Heading into this season, they made the bold decision to trade Marcus Smart to Memphis Grizzlies as well as acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards. It was a move that paid off however and after a strong start to the season Boston have rarely looked back. The trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Porzingis have scored incredibly, averaging 26.9, 23.0 and 20.1 points per game respectively. Those performances have helped propel them towards the playoffs as runaway top seeds in the eastern conference and NBA finals odds have them as the understandable favourites.
Denver Nuggets
The competitiveness of the western conference was spectacular this season. The win percentage differential between the 1st and 7th seeds was just .097%. The Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder had to be separated by a tiebreaker, with the Thunder claiming the top seed for the first time in over 10 years. However, the reigning champions have a 6-foot-11 Joker blazing them forward. Nikola Jokic had yet another incredible season in Denver, leading their charts for scoring, assists and rebounds and asserting himself as the odds-on favorite for the NBA MVP award. His supporting cast has performed excellently too with point-guard Jamal Murray enjoying his best season since being drafted in 2016, hitting career bests during the regular season for both field goal and 3-pt percentage as well as tying his previous best scoring record with 21.2ppg. There is no doubting the championship pedigree of this team and Denver will tip-off the Western Conference playoffs on April 20 as they look to repeat 2023’s success.
LA Clippers
The LA Clippers had a strong 2022-23 season, finishing 5th in the conference and looked in good shape heading into the playoffs. However, everything came crashing down in the first round as they fell to a sorry 4-1 series loss to the Phoenix Suns. They made a huge transaction in October however, attaining James Harden in a three-team-trade deal from the Philadelphia 76ers. He has made an instant impact at the Crypto.com Arena, averaging 8.5 assists per game. His playmaking has helped Kawhi Leonard to 23.8ppg. Though there were some question marks over their aging squad with Leonard, Harden, Paul George and Russell Westbrook all between 33-35, that experience has elevated them among the favorites for the NBA finals. They look in good standing to finally make their first ever finals appearance.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been the biggest shock performers across the entire league this season and for all the right reasons. They entered 2023-24 as major outsiders, priced at +10000 to reach the finals. Fast forward to April and as the top seeds in the West, those odds have shortened to +1600. The performances of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have been nothing short of mesmerising. His 30.1ppg put him third overall in the league with a split of 54/35/87. He has looked like a bonafide MVP player throughout the year. The Thunder may not have a number two to back him up when he has an off game, but the kicker is he seems incapable of having a bad game. They average more points than any team in the west as well as boasting the best points differential. Despite their monumental performances at both ends of the court, they will still enter most playoff games as the series underdogs. However, their form so far indicates that, that will suit them down to the ground.
