How Many NBA Teams Will Make the Playoffs?
We break down how many teams from each conference are likely to make the playoffs this season.
Eastern Conference
The East has been pretty dominant lately. The last time a team from the West won the NBA Finals was in 2010, when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics. Since then, the East has won nine of the last 10 championships. This dominance is reflected in the current standings, as the East has eight teams above .500, while the West has just six.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of the league’s original eight teams, the team play their home games at TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League (NHL)’s Boston Bruins. The Celtics are one of the most successful teams in NBA history; they have won the most championships of any NBA franchise with 17 (as of 2019), and currently hold the record for the most recorded wins of any NBA team with 3, decoding it’s all time win-loss record to be 3240-2135 as of May 6th 2019.
Brooklyn Nets
As of February 11th, the Brooklyn Nets are sixth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23 wins and 28 losses. They are only two and a half games behind the fourth-seeded Miami Heat, and four and a half games behind the third-seeded Boston Celtics. The Nets have been inconsistent as of late, winning four out of their last ten games. However, they have looked better as of late and if they can string together some wins, they could easily find themselves in the playoffs.
Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are currently in 9th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-42. They are 5.5 games behind the Orlando Magic for the 8th and final playoff spot. The Hornets have lost 3 straight games and are just 2-8 in their last 10 games.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are a professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Central Division. The Bulls play their home games at the United Center, an arena shared with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. The Bulls saw their greatest success during the 1990s when they were responsible for popularizing the NBA worldwide. They are known for having one of the NBA’s greatest dynasties, winning six NBA championships between 1991 and 1998 with two three-peats. All six championship teams were led by Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson. The Bulls are the only NBA franchise to win multiple championships and never lose an NBA Finals series in their history. They have also won more regular season games than any other team in NBA history
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are members of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Cavaliers began play in the NBA in 1970 as an expansion team and won their first Eastern Conference Championship in 2007. They have reached the NBA Finals five times, winning the championship in 2016.
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a team in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As of the 2019-20 season, they have qualified for the playoffs 33 times, winning three NBA championships (1989, 1990, 2004). They also won two conference titles (1988, 1989) and six division titles (1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005).
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first established in 1967 as a member of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and became a member of the NBA in 1976 as a result of the ABA–NBA merger. They play their home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The team is named after Indiana’s history with the Indianapolis 500’s pace cars and with the harness racing pacers that raced at the State Fairgrounds.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The Heat play their home games at American Airlines Arena, and have won three NBA championships.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and play at the Fiserv Forum. Former United States Senator Herb Kohl was the long-time owner of the team, but on April 16, 2014, a group led by billionaire hedge fund managers Mario Gabelli and Wesley Edens purchased the team from Kohl
Western Conference
The Western Conference is loaded with talent and it is going to be a dogfight to see who makes the playoffs. The Warriors are the defending champions, but they have been injury-prone this season. The Rockets are the top team in the conference, but they have been up and down as of late. The Nuggets, Blazers, and Jazz are all fighting for position. It is anyone’s guess as to who will make the playoffs in the Western Conference.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at the American Airlines Center, which it shares with the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the Denver Larks in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA), but changed its name to Rockets before the first season. It changed its name again to the Nuggets in 1974. After the name change, the Nuggets played for the final ABA Championship prior to its absorption into the NBA in 1976. The team has had some periods of success, qualifying for the ABA Playoffs for all seasons from 1967 to the 1976 ABA playoffs where it lost in the finals. The team joined the NBA in 1976 after having been absorbed along with the ABArival Indiana Pacers.
The Nuggets have had nine trips to the NBA Playoffs, two ABA Championships (in 1974 and 1975), and won their first Western Conference Championship in 2009. As of 2019, they are one of two NBA teams—the other being Portland Trail Blazers—yet to make it past conference finals; they lost to Lakers 3–4 in conference semifinals of 2009 Western Conference Playoffs, which is their best performance so far in NBA playoffs.
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are a professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Pacific Division. The Warriors have reached nine NBA Finals, winning five NBA championships in 1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, and 2017.
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are a professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center, located in downtown Houston. The Rockets have won two NBA championships and four Western Conference titles. The team was established as the San Diego Rockets, an expansion team originally based in San Diego, in 1967. In 1971, the Rockets moved to Houston.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Clippers compete in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division. The team plays its home games at Staples Center, an arena it shares with fellow NBA team the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Lakers compete in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division. As of 2020, the Lakers are coached by Frank Vogel and play their home games at Staples Center, an arena shared with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in NBA history, having gained 16 NBA championships, their last being in 2010.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Southwest Division. The Grizzlies play their home games at FedExForum.
The team was established as the Vancouver Grizzlies, an expansion team that joined the NBA for the 1995–96 season. After the 2000–01 season concluded, the franchise relocated to Memphis. The Grizzlies played their first game in Memphis on November 3, 2001.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Timberwolves played their home games at the Target Center from their inaugural season until 2020, when they moved to the new arena, now named CHS Field.
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are a professional basketball team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at the Smoothie King Center.
The Pelicans were established as the New Orleans Hornets in the 2002–03 season when then-owner of the Charlotte Hornets, George Shinn, relocated the franchise to New Orleans. Due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the franchise temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City, where they spent two seasons officially known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets.
The team returned to New Orleans full-time for the 2007–08 season. On January 24, 2013, the franchise announced it would rename itself the Pelicans, effective after conclusion of the 2012–13 season. Their achievements include one division title (in 2018–19) and one playoff appearance (in 2015).
Playoff Predictions
It’s almost that time of year again! The NBA regular season is coming to an end and teams are fighting for their spot in the playoffs. So, how many teams will make it? We’ll take a look at the standings and make some predictions.
Eastern Conference
In the Eastern Conference, we predict that the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Orlando Magic will all make the playoffs.
Western Conference
In the Western Conference, there are currently 9 teams within 5.5 games of each other fighting for the final 6 playoff spots.
The Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets are heavy favorites to win their respective divisions, but it will be a battle for the top seed in the conference with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz close behind.
With so many teams bunched up together, it’s hard to predict who will make the playoffs and who will be left out. But based on current standings and recent play, we think the following teams will make up the Western Conference playoff field:
Golden State Warriors (1)
Denver Nuggets (2)
Houston Rockets (3)
Los Angeles Clippers (4)
Portland Trail Blazers (5)
Utah Jazz (6)
