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I already laid out my Eastern and Western Conference regular season standings predictions, and now, it’s time to project how those standings would play out in the postseason. For argument’s […]
I already laid out my Eastern and Western Conference regular season standings predictions, and now, it’s time to project how those standings would play out in the postseason.
For argument’s sake, and to make things just a little briefer, I’m not projecting the results of the Play-In Tournaments: we’ll just assume the #7 and #8 seeds stay where they are, because after all, I projected them to be better than the teams with #9 and #10 seed-worthy records.
So will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder run through the Western Conference playoff table again this season en route to back-to-back NBA titles? Or could Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets make it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2023 with a revamped roster? Time is also ticking for LeBron James to make one more NBA Finals appearance before he calls it a career: can Luka Doncic help the Los Angeles Lakers secure their first NBA championship since 2020?
In the Eastern Conference, anything is possible: just ask Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers of last season, or Jimmy Butler’s eighth-seeded Miami Heat in 2023. With the Boston Celtics largely considered out of the picture (losing not just Jayson Tatum for the majority of this season but also some key pieces in free agency), the Cleveland Cavaliers are the favorite to run the East after winning the conference’s top seed a year ago.
But the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, and Milwaukee Bucks all have a shot at making it out of the East as well.
What’s your prediction for the 2026 NBA Finals matchup? Join the conversation with @SakSports on Twitter/X, on Facebook, or by commenting directly on this post!
Eastern Conference, Western Conference, Playoffs and NBA Finals
#1 Cleveland Cavaliers over #8 Philadelphia 76ers in six games
#2 New York Knicks over #7 Boston Celtics in five games
#3 Orlando Magic over #6 Milwaukee Bucks in seven games
#4 Detroit Pistons over #5 Atlanta Hawks in five games
#1 Cleveland Cavaliers over #4 Detroit Pistons in seven games
#2 New York Knicks over #3 Orlando Magic in five games
#2 New York Knicks over #1 Cleveland Cavaliers in six games
#1 Oklahoma City Thunder over #8 San Antonio Spurs in five games
#2 Denver Nuggets over #7 Golden State Warriors in six games
#3 Houston Rockets over #6 Los Angeles Clippers in six games
#5 Minnesota Timberwolves over #4 Los Angeles Lakers in six games
#1 Oklahoma City Thunder over #5 Minnesota Timberwolves in six games
#2 Denver Nuggets over #3 Houston Rockets in six games
#2 Denver Nuggets over #1 Oklahoma City Thunder in six games
This was certainly a possible NBA Finals matchup last season, and remains one this year. Pure chalk would suggest that the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers meet in the NBA Finals, which also nearly happened last season. But in the Eastern Conference, without Tyrese Haliburton on the Indiana Pacers for the near future, it’s the New York Knicks, not the Cavaliers, that feel “next up.” The Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the Cavaliers did not. Cleveland may be a regular season powerhouse once again, but New York is right there with them, and the Knicks feel more built for the playoffs.
The Thunder should make it back to the NBA Finals, at minimum, to follow up last season’s championship. Oklahoma City retains the same roster that led the Thunder to a 68-14 record last season. The Thunder were the best team in every series they played in the postseason: but the margins became thinner. The Denver Nuggets, with a hobbled Aaron Gordon and shot-chucker Michael Porter Jr. trying to play with just one good shoulder, took the Thunder to the brink in the second round of last year’s playoffs. The Indiana Pacers, a scrappy four seed from the Eastern Conference, also took Oklahoma City near their limit: with a sense of “what if?” Haliburton wasn’t injured in a crucial Game 7.
Anything can happen for the defending champions, in today’s hyper competitive NBA. The Thunder could lose in the first or second round to a significant underdog. Conversely, Oklahoma City could conceivably come close to running the table in the playoffs, with a 16-3 record or something of the like.
I think if any team deserves to knock off the defending champions, it would be the Nuggets. Hopefully, both teams would be at full strength and the Western Conference rivals could put on a show for the ages.
It’s probably a good time to disclose that I live in Denver, and cover the Nuggets more closely than any other team. This could lead to inherent bias, but I also think it keeps me locked in to how good the Nuggets can and have played when at full strength.
And full strength this year looks different: Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, and Jonas Valančiūnas make Denver a much deeper team.
If you can’t tell by now, I’m also leaning towards the Western Conference winner, whether it be the Thunder, Nuggets, or someone else, winning the NBA Finals. This isn’t to say winning the Eastern Conference is merely a consolation prize: again, like the Pacers just proved against the Thunder, anything can be possible in a seven-game series. But barring injuries, the Western Conference winner is almost certain to be favored over the Eastern Conference winner this June.
But maybe I am a Nuggets homer, as I predicted this same NBA Finals matchup last season. While neither team made it to the final round, I still don’t think it was a bad prediction.
Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony-Towns, and the Knicks have a bright future, and an NBA Finals appearance for the first time since 1999 would be huge for New York City basketball.
But when predicting the league’s 2025-26 winner, barring injury, it’s hard not to go with the Western Conference champs. I have the Nuggets experience, offseason additions, and oh yeah, the best player on the planet in Nikola Jokic, all coming together for Denver’s second NBA championship in four seasons.
Denver Nuggets defeat New York Knicks in six games, Nikola Jokic named Finals MVP
Header Photo Credit: Getty Images
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