2025 NBA Power Rankings: Cavaliers enter home stre...

Melissa Rohlin

FOX Sports NBA Writer

Most NBA groups have about 15 video games remaining this season. The playoffs are across the nook, and it is a huge thriller which two groups might be standing come June.

However with the season winding down, listed below are our greatest guesses of the more than likely groups in every convention to succeed in the Finals.

Within the East, it is between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Celtics received the championship final yr. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have confirmed that they’ve what it takes to go all the way in which and might set their egos apart when it counts most. The Celtics struggled in January however have since turned issues round, successful 18 of their final 21 video games. No crew has repeated as NBA champions since Golden State in 2017 and 2018. It is an extremely robust factor to do, however it could be even more durable to guess towards the Celtics at this level.

As for the Cavaliers, they have been hovering all season. Led by Donovan Mitchell on the court docket and new coach Kenny Atkinson on the helm, the Cavaliers have been atop the Jap Convention all season and have hardly had any missteps. The crew is in sync, they like one another and everyone seems to be starring of their function, from their three All-Stars on down.

Within the West, issues are extensive open. My three picks are the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.

The Thunder have been the highest crew within the West all season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in a two-horse race with Nikola Jokic for the MVP Award. They usually fortified themselves final offseason with some expertise by including Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso. The Thunder are rearing for a deep playoff run, with Gilgeous-Alexander telling FOX Sports activities he is defining this season by one metric. “Championship or bust,” he stated. “If we do not win, it is a failure.”

As for the Lakers, they have been an enormous query mark after stunning the world by buying and selling for Luka Doncic in February. Certain, they have been brimming with expertise. However would LeBron and Luka play effectively collectively? Would their gap on the heart place after shedding Anthony Davis be insurmountable? Because the commerce deadline, they’ve shined, climbing to second place within the West earlier than James suffered a groin damage that may possible sideline him by way of this week. James is energized. Doncic has one thing to show to the world after being embarrassed by the commerce. And Austin Reaves could be the very best third choice within the league. Who would need to face this crew within the playoffs?

The opposite crew that has turned issues round because the commerce deadline is the Warriors. After buying Jimmy Butler, the Warriors appear to be contenders once more and have received 14 of their final 17 contests. They’ve climbed from tenth place within the West to sixth. Butler has been the right complement to Steph Curry and Draymond Green, imbuing them with the assumption that the dynasty might nonetheless be alive and effectively, following successful 4 championships from 2014-2022. This crew is aware of the best way to win. They usually’re hungry to do it once more.

NBA POWER RANKINGS

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA author for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand coated the league for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Occasions, the Bay Space Information Group and the San Antonio Categorical-Information. Comply with her on Twitter @melissarohlin.

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