Saturday, April 18, marked the first day of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, and only a week in, we’ve gotten an early idea of what teams are contending versus pretending, but some teams can sneak in and make deep runs if everything goes according to plan.

Contenders:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

Surprise, surprise. The number one team in the NBA and reigning champions are in the contenders group. But in all seriousness, they’ve been the undisputed best team in the NBA, having one of, if not the best player in the league, in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has averaged 31.1 points per game and the chance to win back-to-back MVPs. Even without him, supporting players like Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and trade deadline acquisition Jared McCain have been exceptional in their play. Their 1st round against the Phoenix Suns showed their dominance. SGA showed why he’s the MVP, averaging 33.8 points per game in the series and sweeping the Suns in four games.

2. Boston Celtics

At the start of the season, many questions were raised about how the Celtics would play without one of their best players, Jayson Tatum, after he went down with an Achilles injury in last year’s playoffs. He came back months before schedule and hasn’t missed a step since, and pairing with Jaylen Brown’s rise as a first option, this creates an even scarier duo than their championship-winning team in 2024. In their game one match against the Philadelphia 76ers, Tatum and Brown led the way, combining for 51 points (Tatum with 25 and Brown with 26), and securing a dominant win to go up 1-0 vs the 76ers. And they’ve kept the great performances going to now up to a 3-1 lead, but the heroics of Joel Embiid kept the Sixers alive, pushing the series to Game 6.

3. San Antonio Spurs

Honestly, I didn’t expect the Spurs’ rise to happen this quickly, but here we are. The Spurs have shown just how good they are this early, and most of the credit goes to their 7’4 alien, unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, and this year’s MVP candidate, Victor Wembenyama. However, during game 2 against the Trail Blazers, Wenbanyama suffered a concussion. Other than Wembanyama’s absence in Game 3, last year’s Rookie of the Year guard Stephon Castle came prepared with 33 points, along with rookie Dylan Harper supporting him with 27 points. When Wembanyama came back for Game 4, he put up a great game with 27 points and 12 rebounds, alongside De’Aaron Fox, who had 28 points and 7 assists in Game 4. In Game 5, the Spurs players fired on all cylinders, sending the Blazers home, winning the series 4-1.

4. New York Knicks

This year is the Knicks’ best shot of winning the title, after being close to it multiple years before. Jalen Brunson is continuing to be the number one option on the team, while players like Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart have played alongside him, but the series didn’t start as planned. The Hawks played amazingly to start the series, taking a 2-1 lead. But in games 4 and 5, the Knicks were able to focus. KAT was dominant, OG looked like a second option next to Brunson, and Brunson dropped 39 points to take the series back for New York, as they look to put the Hawks in the grave tonight.

Teams to Watch For:

1. Orlando Magic

After Game 1 vs Boston, a lot of people were ready to write off the Sixers (news flash: they proved why we shouldn’t in Game 2). Rookie of the Year candidate VJ Edgecomb and Tyreese Maxey have been on fire all season, even while missing former MVP Joel Embiid to injury. In their biggest game of the season so far, the duo put on a clinic, combining for 59 points (30 points from Edgecomb and 29 from Maxey), tying the series going back to Philly.

2. Atlanta Hawks

After barely missing the Play-In Tournament and trading their star guard, Trae Young, as well as adding CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga, the Hawks make their first playoff appearance since 2023, going against the formidable Knicks team. In Game 1, the Knicks stayed ahead with Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony-Towns, and a good game from OG Anunoby. But in Game 2, CJ McCollum took on the challenge of walking into Madison Square Garden and dropping 32 points and surviving the Knicks in Game 2, tying the series 1-1, even going up 2-1, but with a good game from OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns, the series is now tied at 2 a piece going into Game 5. This is shaping up to be one of the best matchups in the first round, with good supporting players like Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. This series has the potential to go to seven games.

3. Los Angeles Lakers

Going into their series versus the Rockets, the Lakers faced lots of adversity, missing their leading scorer, Luka Doncic, and supporting player Austin Reaves. One problem, though – arguably the greatest to ever do it, LeBron James. LeBron has carried the weight of being a first option, scoring 28 points in a Game 2 win. Luke Kennard has been lights out for the Lakers, averaging 25 points in these past two games and shooting a ridiculous 75% from three. The Lakers are now 3-0, going into Rockets territory, and looking to complete the sweep in Game 4.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves

After two straight years of playing in the Western Conference Finals, the Wolves came up short against the Nuggets in 2023 and the Thunder in 2024, and many are wondering if they can get there again and make it into their first Finals appearance in franchise history. All-Star forward Anthony Edwards averaged 28.8 points a game this season, putting him as the 3rd highest scoring average during the regular season, shooting 49% from the field, and 40% from three. But it hasn’t been just him; Jaden McDaniels is having the best season of his career with 15 points a game on 50% from the field, and Bones Hyland has finally found his role within the Timberwolves offense. And with recently losing Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo to injury in Game 4, they still overwhelmed the Nuggets and won to go up 3-1, with a chance to end the series in Denver tonight.

Although there are definitely other teams worth talking about, such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, and New York Knicks, all the teams listed are more than capable of having their own fair shot at winning a championship.