The NBA playoffs are right around the corner. The regular season ended on Sunday, April 12, 2026. This season was one for the history books. Records broken, rivalry’s in action, and many stellar performances.
Here’s what you should know going into the playoffs and what to expect to enjoy this postseason.
Last season’s playoffs
The 24-2025 playoffs were one the highest viewed postseasons in decades. The matchups and rounds were thrillers. There were three game 7’s, and that’s the most since 2020.
The NBA Finals were one of the three series to go to 7 games.
The Finals was between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.
“With a league-best regular season record of 68–14, the Thunder held home-court advantage in the Finals. They came into the series as heavy favorites against the 50–32 Pacers,” said Aj Saxx of ESPN sports. The Thunder were heavy favorites so no one expected the Pacers to take them to a game 7.
Despite taking the Thunder to game 7 the Pacers fell 91-103. This wasn’t a total loss for the Pacers. This was the first NBA Finals in over 25 years, and they had a historic path to the Finals.
Tyrese Haliburton is the star point guard for the Pacers. Haliburton had one of the most historic playoff runs of all time. “Haliburton delivered clutch moments every player dreams of, including three game-winners and a game-tying shot across four rounds. He tallied 197 assists, the most by any player in Pacers playoff history, and scored 399 total points, sixth-most overall for Indiana in a single playoff run,” said Jordan Morey, analyst for the NBA.
Haliburton was proving that he was a star and the Pacers weren’t going to be an “easy win”.
The 24-2025 playoffs were the most viewed in over 14 years, ”through the Conference Semifinals (22 games), ESPN is averaging 4,883,000 viewers per game, making it the second-most watched NBA Playoffs since 2011,” from the NBA.
Teams to keep an eye on for this upcoming playoffs
With the 25-2026 playoffs starting on April 15, there are many teams that have the potential to make a deep and exciting playoff run.
One team is the Detroit Pistons, Detroit is having an excellent year, they clinched the one seed in the East and have a record of 60-22 (franchise best). What makes this even more impressive is the fact that two seasons ago the Pistons had the worst record in the NBA at 14-68.
This proves that they can overcome challenges and play some of the best basketball. They will be playing the winner of the play-in-tournament. They are projected to win the Eastern Conference Finals and make the Finals.
Another team that is causing disruptions is Atlanta.
“Atlanta Hawks: Arguably the hottest team late in the season, moving up rapidly in the East rankings,” per Yahoo sports.
The Hawks have had a phenomenal year. They started off rough, but after Christmas break they transformed into a completely different team. They have one of the best defensive ratings and their young stars in Jalen Johnson and Nickel Alexander-Walker consistently play at such a high level.
They secured the sixth seed and will play the New York Knicks. They are projected to lose, but you shouldn’t count them out. They could easily take the Knicks to a seven game series and even win.
The number two seed in the Western conference, the San Antonio Spurs, have been undeniable this year.
“Teams don’t go from missing the playoffs entirely one season to winning 60 games the next merely by luck. It requires not just great basketball players, but great basketball minds in the front office that puts the team together, including Spurs great Gregg Popovich,” said Marcus Risen, sports analyst for KENS5.
The San Antonio Spurs have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season. They are the second seed in the west, with a 62-22 record. Victor Wembanyama has been the anchor for the Spurs. His defensive presence changes the way teams play.
They have one of the best odds to win it all this season. Wembanyama is one of the favorites to win MVP and DPOY, showing the success that he is having this season.
Most impactful players for their teams
Teams are only as good as the players they have on them, in today’s game there are so many superstars. All providing different attributes that makes them and their team so successful.
“Victor Wembanyama’s combination of size, shooting, playmaking, defense, and competitiveness makes him the most unique player in the world — maybe of all time,” said Ernesto Cova, analyst for the NBA.
Wembanyama is one of the greatest players in the league, his impact on the court is like no other. He has consistently put up 25+ points a game, 10+ rebounds a game, and 3 blacks a game. These numbers are what make his team so good and secured the two seed.
He is a front runner for winning the MVP this season.
Another front runner for MVP that impacts his team in an extraordinary way is Luka Doncic.
“Doncic was named the NBA’s Western Conference player of the month for March after racking up 13 consecutive 30-point performances, including seven 40-point games, a 51-point barrage against Chicago and a 60-point masterclass in Miami.” Said Greg Beacham, NBC sports journalist.
Doncic has been the scoring leader back-to-back seasons. This season he averaged 33.5 PPG. He has easily been the best scorer, teams do not have a way to stop him defensively.
He was a major reason the Lakers got the four seed. Doncic was injured on April 1. He suffered a grade two hamstring strain, he is sidelined for 3-6 weeks. His status remains in the air for the playoffs. It would be a detrimental blow to the Lakers if he doesn’t return.
An unstoppable force this year has been the star from Detroit.
“Cade Cunningham has been considered an MVP candidate, leading the team in scoring and playmaking while guiding them to their best season in nearly two decades. At the time of his injury, he was on pace to be the first player in Pistons history to average 24+ points and 9+ assists in a season,” per ESPN sports.
Cunningham has been tremendous this season. He is the head of the Detroit Pistons. When he is on the court the Pistons transform into a whole new team. He has consistently proven that the Pistons are a legitimate threat in the East. They secured the 1 seed in the East. They are predicted to make a very deep playoff run and potentially win the Finals.
Every year the playoffs are different, this is what makes them so entertaining. The uniqueness and talent in this season’s playoffs are truly special. As a viewer, you couldn’t ask for anything more.
Myself and many other viewers are ready to see what team is able to make the jump and bring the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy home.
