The NBA has a bit of a reputation for chalky playoffs. Recent history suggests otherwise. It was only two years ago, for instance, the second round featured one team holding every seed between No. 1 and No. 8. Last year’s conference finals featured only one top-two seed. This is the NBA’s parity era. That means condensed standings in the regular season and upsets in the playoffs.
It’s our job now to figure out where those upsets are going to come. Now that (most) first-round matchups are set, the CBS Sports NBA staff went matchup-by-matchup to make our picks to advance to the final eight. Some of these matchups are pretty straightforward. You’ll be shocked to hear that we expect the defending champion Boston Celtics to advance against the Orlando Magic. Others, especially in the packed middle of the standings, are far more complicated.
Below are our staff picks for the first round. Some of us will look brilliant. Others, foolish. If recent NBA history is any indication, expect a bit more of the latter than the former. While there are a few juggernauts at the top of the bracket, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will emerge as their greatest threats as the playoffs progress.
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic
Series odds: Celtics -8000, Magic +2200 (via FanDuel)
Botkin: Celtics in 5. Sweeps are hard in the NBA, and the Magic may make a couple of these games close with their defense and a random decent offensive showing. But this is a mismatch. Celtics cruise.
Herbert: Celtics in 4. The Celtics dropped one game in the first round against the Heat last year. They dropped two the year before against the Hawks. It’s time, I think, for them to start the playoffs by just stomping on somebody. (Also, the Magic are going to have an incredibly tough time scoring against Boston.)
Maloney: Celtics in 4. The Magic have the worst offensive rating (108.9) of any playoff team, and simply do not have the firepower to post a serious threat to the defending champions.
Quinn: Celtics in 5. The Magic defend the 3-point line well enough to steal a game, but without Jalen Suggs, they pose no threat whatsoever to the defending champs.
Ward-Henninger: Celtics in 4. Even if the Celtics have one anomalously poor shooting night, the Magic simply can’t score enough to keep up with them. With multiple physical defenders to throw at Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero throughout the series, Orlando’s poor offense might be even more destitute. I’d like to think the Magic could steal a game, but that’s probably not very realistic.
Wimbish: Celtics in 4. Orlando just doesn’t have enough shooting. The Magic win with their defense, we saw that as they suffocated a shorthanded Hawks team in the play-in. But against a team that averages 48.2 3-point attempts a game, it’s going to be difficult to keep up with that.
Series odds: Knicks -420, Pistons +330
Botkin: Knicks in 7. Detroit is going to make life hell for the Knicks. This is more than a nice story; this team defends like crazy and Cade Cunningham is impossible to keep out of the paint. But the Knicks have more reliable secondary offensive options, and I think that wins it for them in a very tight series.
Herbert: Knicks in 6. Cade Cunningham has given New York (and everybody else) problems this season. He’s going to target Karl-Anthony Towns in pick-and-rolls, and, in that situation, I don’t love any of the coverages the Knicks can choose from. On the other hand, the Pistons are (mostly) inexperienced, and I don’t trust them to defend an elite offense like this without fouling. They have less high-end talent, too.
Maloney: Knicks in 6. This could be a trendy upset pick for some, but as well as the Pistons have played in the second half of the season, the fact of the matter is they don’t have as many good players as the Knicks, or as much experience.
Quinn: Knicks in 7. This is a sneakily dangerous series for the Knicks. Ausar Thompson is going to make life miserable for Jalen Brunson. In the end, though, there are just too many Pistons the Knicks can help off defensively, so Detroit will struggle to score enough to win.
Ward-Henninger: Knicks in 6. The Pistons are a great story, but I just trust the Knicks’ experience — particularly that of Jalen Brunson — over a team led by a talented point guard in his first postseason. One of Cade Cunningham’s few flaws is that he’s a little loose with the ball, and the Knicks have the defensive strength, length and speed to make his life hell for the entire series.
Wimbish: Knicks in 6. Make no mistake, the Knicks shouldn’t take Detroit lightly. This isn’t the team from a season ago that set an NBA losing-streak record. But I’m leaning on the experience and craftiness of Jalen Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns to overpower a young Pistons team that is likely a year or two away from serious contention.
Series odds: Pacers -176, Bucks +148
Botkin: Pacers in 6. Great news that Damian Lillard has been cleared to return. But he’s still out for Game 1 and nobody knows when, exactly, he’ll return, or whether he’ll be able to just hit the ground running at full speed, so to speak. Giannis is enough to make this a competitive series if the Bucks are making a fair amount of their 3s, but in the end, it’s been the Pacers who’ve been one of the best teams in the league for the last three-plus months. With or without Lillard, the Bucks lose this series. They’ll just make it a little closer with him.
Herbert: Pacers in 6. With or without Damian Lillard, Milwaukee doesn’t have the personnel to slow Indiana down. I’m more confident in Indiana’s role players than Milwaukee’s, and I’m not sure what to expect of Lillard after more than a month off. This pick makes me a bit nervous because I can envision Giannis Antetokounmpo repeatedly getting the Indiana bigs in foul trouble, but I can also envision the Pacers’ speed wearing down Milwaukee over the course of the series.
Maloney: Pacers in 7. Damian Lillard’s impending return makes this series far more interesting, but he’s going to miss at least Game 1 and it’s still unclear when he’ll be back on the court. And as well as Giannis Antetokounmpo has been playing lately, it’s just too hard to trust the Bucks’ supporting cast in a playoff setting.
Quinn: Pacers in 6. Milwaukee is just at too much of a talent disadvantage to compensate here with Damian Lillard out for at least Game 1. But even if the Bucks get him back mid-series, he just gives Indiana’s offense a target to attack on other end. The Pacers have been great for three solid months now and should advance to the second round.
Ward-Henninger: Pacers in 7. It’s hard to predict this series not knowing how much — if anything — the Bucks will get from Damian Lillard, but even without him the Pacers, like most teams, simply have no answer for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ultimately Indiana just has more weapons than Milwaukee if Dame is even moderately compromised, and I trust them in a Game 7 at home with Tyrese Haliburton at the helm.
Wimbish: Pacers in 7. Without Damian Lillard — at least to start the series — this is going to be a tall task for Milwaukee. The Pacers are entering this series with the eighth-best defense since the All-Star break, and Tyrese Haliburton is looking like the All-Star version of himself from last season. That being said, I don’t see a world where Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t try and push this to a seven-game series.
Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be distracted by testy Bucks-Pacers history, explains why even losing is ‘win-win’
Colin Ward-Henninger
Series odds: Rockets +138, Warriors -166
Botkin: Warriors in 7. Forget about the Rockets being “young” — this is a nasty team in all the right ways. They are way more athletic than the Warriors and defensively armed to make Stephen Curry’s life miserable at least for long stretches, if not entire games. Point will not come easily for the Warriors, but ultimately, they have two guys in Curry and Jimmy Butler who can create offense out of nothing for the handful of possessions that I believe will swing this series. Disclaimer: Houston has guys who can create, too. People are talking about them like they can’t score. They’re almost a top-10 offense. Jalen Green can be the best scorer on the floor in any game. Same for Alperen Sengun against Golden State’s small lineups. This has dogfight written all over it.
Herbert: Warriors in 6. The case for the Rockets is simple: They are bigger and more athletic than the Warriors, and Stephen Curry has never faced a playoff opponent this equipped to defend him. I’m going with the Warriors, though, for equally straightforward reasons: Their defense has been even better than the Rockets’ since the Jimmy Butler trade, and their offense has been far superior.
Maloney: Warriors in 6. The Rockets’ length, athleticism and tenacious defense is going to make this a very frustrating series at times for Steph Curry and Co., but where are the baskets going to come from, especially in the clutch?
Quinn: Warriors in 7. This series reminds me quite a bit of Golden State’s seven-game victory over Sacramento two years ago. It’s going to be a brutal, physical series, and Houston’s athleticism will pose real problems, but I’m not picking a team this young against Stephen Curry.
Ward-Henninger: Warriors in 6. This is one of those predictions that could potentially look really bad. The Rockets are young, hungry and athletic, and we could be sitting here in two weeks talking about how slow and old they made the Warriors look. Instead, I’m going to go with what I’ve seen from Golden State over the past two months and posit that Houston simply won’t be able to score enough to keep up with them. Either way, it’s going to be an absolute slugfest.
Wimbish: Warriors in 7. You can say I’m underestimating the Rockets, and that may be so. But the years and years of championship experience that the Warriors have on their roster in Stephen Curry and Draymond Green matter. Not to mention Jimmy Butler, who showed that “Playoff Jimmy” still exists after dropping 38 points in Golden State’s play-in win against the Grizzlies.
With Playoff Jimmy Butler next to Stephen Curry, Warriors show exactly why they’re a threat to beat anyone
Brad Botkin
Series odds: Lakers -186, Timberwolves +156
Botkin: Lakers in 6. Another close series. Anthony Edwards + defense is a winning formula against most teams, but the Lakers have two superstars, meaning one is going to get the double and one is going to be catching against a scrambling defense. When Edwards is inevitably doubled, do you trust Julius Randle and Minnesota’s shooters to punish the Lakers? If the answer to that question is yes, Minnesota can win this series. For me, it’s a no.
Herbert: Lakers in 7. Luka Wolves will get to go at Rudy Gobert again, but Anthony Edwards will get to go at Wolves (and neither Dereck Lively II nor Daniel Gafford will be waiting for him in the paint this time). This is a fascinating contrast in styles, especially if JJ Redick decides to bench Jaxson Hayes and spread the Wolves out. I don’t know, man. I guess I’ll pick the team that will have one of the best playmakers in NBA history on the court at all times.
Maloney: Lakers in 7. The Timberwolves have been awesome down the stretch, and they could win this series. This pick comes down to one thing: the Lakers will be able to keep at least one of LeBron James or Luka Dončić on the court at all times.
Quinn: Lakers in 6. Minnesota will own the glass in this series, but that’s not going to be enough. The Lakers have so much ball-handling that they will be able to hunt for the weak links here. The Lakers have weak links too, but given the non-shooters in Minnesota’s rotation, they’ll just double Anthony Edwards and make someone else beat them. The Lakers are better equipped to win that sort of series.
Ward-Henninger: Lakers in 7. I think the Wolves will make this a tougher series that some give them credit for, but at the end of the day I trust the postseason resumés of Luka Dončić and LeBron James when it comes to a Game 7. Anthony Edwards can go toe-to-toe with anyone and will be looking for his moment, but the Wolves lack that true second option to take some of the burden off of him.
Wimbish: Lakers in 6. This one is simple: Luka Dončić loves playing Minnesota. Specifically, Dončić loves playing Rudy Gobert. He alone won’t beat the Wolves, but him, coupled with LeBron James and Austin Reaves are going to be a tough trio for Minnesota to contain over the course of a series.
Series odds: Nuggets +100, Clippers -118
Botkin: Clippers in 6. This is going to be an incredible series. Nikola Jokić is the best player on earth and Jamal Murray has, for the most part, reprised his Robin role. Denver can and will extend the minutes of its starters to limit the damage the Clips can do against the bench. If that sustains, this will be a very close series. But listen, the Clippers are SUPER legit. If there’s anyone to challenge Jokić as the best player in these playoffs, it might be Kawhi Leonard. He is fully back. James Harden is coming off an incredible performance against Golden State in what was essentially a playoff game and remains an All-NBA problem. The Clippers have an elite defense, an elite big man and an elite third scorer in Norman Powell. That’s all around an elite 1-2 superstar punch. The more I write about them, the more I’m already preparing to pick them in round two to upset the Thunder.
Herbert: Clippers in 7. Despite all the drama in Denver, the Nuggets have been virtually impossible to guard when Nikola Jokić has been on the court this season. If Jamal Murray can even approximate what he did in the 2020 and 2023 playoffs, they can win this series. I’m taking the Clippers, though, because they’re the more balanced team and their best lineups have been annihilating everybody for a while. Kawhi Leonard and James Harden are going to attack Denver’s weak links relentlessly, and, based on the regular season, I’m skeptical of the Nuggets’ ability to problem-solve defensively.
Maloney: Clippers in 6. Are we all falling for it again with the Clippers? Perhaps, but they’ve won 70% of their games with Kawhi Leonard in the lineup. The Nuggets, meanwhile, do not play defense and fired their coach a few days ago.
Quinn: Clippers in 7. The Clippers have been the second-best team in the West for the past month or two. The Nuggets have been in some disarray all year and are about to enter the playoffs with a head coach that has three games of experience. Never underestimate the power of the reigning MVP, but the gap at every other spot is just too significant.
Ward-Henninger: Clippers in 6. The Clippers have been one of the best teams in the NBA over the past couple of months, and are facing a team that fired its championship-winning coach about a week ago. But that team also has Nikola Jokić, who can win — and has won — playoff series all by himself. Ivica Zubac is as capable as any defender against him, and the Clippers’ bevy of perimeter stoppers should be able to limit Jamal Murray. If Kawhi Leonard stays healthy and James Harden is anywhere near what he was in the regular season, it’s hard to see the Clippers losing.
Wimbish: Clippers in 7. This may be the most interesting series of the bunch in the first round. Kawhi Leonard is looking like his vintage self, James Harden has been quietly putting together an All-NBA caliber season, and, since Jan. 1, the Clippers have the fourth-best net rating in the league. I’m not discounting Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets, but at the same time, if Jamal Murray isn’t operating at full strength, then this series is over.
Liz Loza is a writer for fantasy football, women’s basketball and betting at ESPN. Liz also appears on “Fantasy Football Now” and contributes to the Fantasy Focus Football podcast.
The trajectory of an NFL draft prospect’s career doesn’t always align with fans’ preferred timing. Often, however, a player’s talent eventually shows up, making them a fantasy football favorite.
This year’s class might not be brimming with the same blue-chip talent of previous years, but plenty of players with potentially impactful skill sets remain. Where they land will, of course, greatly determine their fantasy fates. Here are 10 such players and the teams with which they would ideally (and realistically) fit.
It’s impossible to talk about Ward’s talent without noting the gumption he brings to the position. The scope of his game — from a lightning-quick release to awesome escapability — is wholly colored by the unflappable poise with which he plays. An FCS darling turned ACC standout, Ward’s ascent is reflective of an indisputable dedication to his craft, as well as football instincts well beyond his years. A high RPM thrower who can squeeze the ball into the tightest of windows, Ward registered a completion rate of 67%, which set a Miami single-season record and ranked 12th in the FBS.
Uncertainty looms large in any draft, but Ward to the Titans first overall appears to be a sure thing. Tennessee will certainly benefit from the rookie’s improvisational skills and arm talent. While the 23-year-old won’t have a buffet of dynamic pass-catching options at his disposal, his presence should improve Calvin Ridley’s conversion rate. Despite drawing 120 looks, Ridley recorded just 62 receptions (53.3%, WR63) in 2024. Expect that number to go up. Ward’s addition figures to also positively impact Chig Okonkwo, considering the QB’s collegiate connection with Elijah Arroyo. Get ready for everyone’s favorite TE stream to pick up the post-hype sleeper mantle once again in 2025.
Surprised not to see Shedeur Sanders on the list? That’s because in a post-Russell Wilson-to-the-Giants landscape, I think the former Buff is likely to slip. His reluctance to run also has me doubting his fantasy ceiling. While Dart isn’t nearly as polished as Sanders, his mobility makes him an enviable fake football target. The Ole Miss product (by way of USC) is a capable and productive passer with a quick release. Where Dart truly shines, though, is in his ability to extend plays with his legs, as evidenced by the 1,500 rushing yards he has accumulated over the past three seasons (ninth most among FBS QBs).
Despite bringing back many familiar faces via free agency, New Orleans is desperate for a makeover. Kellen Moore figures to drive the reins of the reboot as the team’s new head coach. Dart is a fantastic fit for Moore’s up-tempo system, which recorded a play-action rate of 25% (14th highest) last season. Interestingly, 49 of Dart’s 81 career passing TDs came on play-action, including 20 in 2024. Furthermore, Dart has drawn comparisons to Jalen Hurts, whom Moore coached as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in 2024. With Derek Carr’s season in doubt, Dart could see the field in Year 1 and garner streaming interest down the stretch.
It’s wholly possible that the Raiders snipe the ‘Boys, tapping Jeanty at sixth overall. That’s awfully high for a running back, though. Saquon Barkley (second overall in 2018) was the last RB drafted inside the top five (or seven, for that matter). Plus, the plethora of needs Vegas has to address are so great that the Boise State standout has a real shot to fall to Dallas at No. 12. Even with Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders signed to the Star, the Cowboys need a definitive RB1.
Jeanty’s talent is said to be generational, as he’s drawn lofty comps to everyone from Steven Jackson to Emmitt Smith. Equal parts pin and bowling ball, Jeanty is a tackle-shedding ace with a low center of gravity and natural hands. Jeanty is a do-it-all prospect who led the FBS in forced missed tackles (126), and he has the goods to produce RB1 fantasy numbers in his first season. He would figure to eat in Brian Schottenheimer’s run-friendly approach, flirting with upward of 18-20 touches per contest.
The Broncos discovered some overdue lightning in a bottle with Bo Nix, who led Denver to the playoffs for the time since 2015 last season. Now, the club’s primary focus figures to be building around the team’s franchise signal-caller. While receivers are an obvious need, the backfield remains particularly barren. Javonte Williams’ exit would make room for Hampton’s immediate entrance.
Unanimously ranked second (behind Jeanty) at the position by industry professionals, Hampton thrived as a consistent producer for the Tar Heels. He set a school record, logging eight straight games of more than 100 rushing yards in 2024. An aggressive downhill runner with excellent contact balance, Hampton employs the patience and instincts necessary to locate holes while either running over or spinning off of would-be defenders. He was the only FBS player with more than 1,000 rushing yards after contact in both 2023 and 2024.
While he’s not terribly creative in space and his route tree remains basic, he’s still a reliable pass-catcher who can thrive as a three-down option. His presence would undeniably add stability to Denver’s offense. Landing at Mile High would provide the North Carolina native with top-15 positional fantasy appeal.
The Bears went all-in on Caleb Williams last year, surrounding their newest franchise QB with a bevy of talented pass catchers. However, the team continues to lack a backfield with legitimate and consistent thump. Enter Judkins, whose calling card is elite strength and power. A hard runner with a nasty stiff arm, Judkins spent two seasons at Ole Miss before transferring to Ohio State for his junior campaign. While in Oxford, Judkins set school records with 2,725 rushing yards and 34 total touchdowns. Once in Columbus, Judkins continued to produce, clearing 1,000 rushing yards and posting 20 scores despite sharing touches with TreVeyon Henderson.
Interestingly, Henderson has drawn comps to D’Andre Swift, making Judkins a logical complement to Chicago’s present mainstay. Plus, new head coach Ben Johnson has demonstrated a knack for squeezing every ounce of upside out of a dynamic RB duo. Judkins’ lower-body explosiveness and high-end contact balance make him a menace to take down. Those attributes also work to his advantage in short-yardage situations and near the goal line. He could star in the David Montgomery role in Johnson’s offense while providing investors solid RB2 fantasy numbers in the process.
The Panthers need to help Bryce Young. Providing the young QB a defense that can keep him off the field is a likely start. After all, Carolina’s defense allowed an NFL-record 534 points in 2024. But for fantasy purposes, managers would prefer that Dan Morgan and Dave Canales upgrade Young’s receiving weapons. Xavier Legette (who underwent foot surgery in February) and Jalen Coker flashed at various moments last season, while Adam Thielen (who led the team in fantasy points per game with 14 per contest) committed to one more year with the squad. But those names hardly scream high-octane offense.
McMillan is considered one of the top wideouts in this year’s class. The Arizona product knows how to “get tall,” utilizing a volleyball background to climb the ladder and come down with 50/50 balls. T-Mac is more than just a “contested catch guy,” though. He’s a versatile player who figures to dominate as an X receiver, but can also succeed as a power slot option at the next level. The 22-year-old led the FBS with 145 receiving first downs over the past three seasons, illustrating his ability to move the chains. Moreover, his 60 receiving first downs in 2023 were third most in the FBS behind Rome Odunze (71) and Malik Nabers (69). He could make an immediate impact, likely drawing upwards of 6-7 targets per contest in Carolina.
Egbuka gained notoriety working as the Buckeyes’ primary slot target, recording 1,920 receiving yards from the slot since 2022 (seventh most in the FBS). An absolute technician, the former baseball standout is a savvy route runner who can fluster defenders with subtle tempo changes and effective head fakes. Similar in playing style to former teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Egbuka figures to thrive as an inside complement to an established alpha.
With Stefon Diggs now in New England and Tank Dell’s 2025 campaign at risk, Houston needs a capable producer. The Texans added Christian Kirk during free agency, but his upside is limited. Plus, Egbuka and C.J. Stroud already have familiarity, as the two were teammates at Ohio State in 2021 and 2022. It’s worth noting that Egbuka recorded a career-high 1,151 receiving yards and 10 TDs in Stroud’s final season in Columbus. A reunion seems like an ideal situation for both real and fake football investors.
A Houston native, Golden would also be a good fit for the Texans, though his talents appear better suited for Green Bay. An ace ball tracker who has a breathtaking ability to adjust to off-target balls, Golden makes even the toughest grabs look easy. He has demonstrated technical growth during his college career, evolving from a vertical threat at the University of Houston to a versatile playmaker at Texas. He’s also super fast. In fact, the 21-year-old ran a 4.29 40-yard dash at the combine, which was the fastest time among WRs and the second-fastest time among all players.
The Packers’ corps is high on quantity but low on dynamism. Jayden Reed was serviceable as the team’s slot receiver, averaging 4.4 targets per game and posting a 55-857-6 line (over 17 games) in 2024. Meanwhile, Christian Watson (who had a career-low two touchdowns last season) is likely to miss significant time in 2025 after tearing an ACL in Week 18 of 2024. This would provide an immediate need for a player such as Golden, who is versatile enough to be deployed from all levels of the field and whose speed could give Matt LaFleur’s offense the turbocharge it so desperately needs.
A former high school quarterback (who also lettered in baseball and basketball), Warren is a do-it-all prospect with an elite ceiling at the position. The John Mackey Award winner is an outstanding mover who can run routes at all three levels, with 48% of his snaps occurring in line, 32% in the slot, 8% out wide, 8% in the backfield at RB, and 4% at QB. Warren rewrote the Lions’ record books, setting Penn State’s tight end single-season records with 104 receptions and 1,233 receiving yards in 2024. He’s also a capable blocker who isn’t afraid to wreck opposing linemen.
The Jets are, once again, tasked with overhauling the team’s offense. Davante Adams and Tyler Conklin have headed west, leaving obvious holes in New York’s roster. Warren’s versatility would allow the club to lean on quality rather than quantity. Furthermore, Justin Fields showed an affinity for the TE position when he was with the Bears, regularly relying upon Cole Kmet in 2022 (71 targets) and 2023 (90 targets). Landing in New York would allow Warren to flirt with top-five positional fantasy numbers, potentially making him the most recent rookie to challenge the “don’t draft first-year tight ends in fantasy” mantra.
Loveland was second only to Warren in catches (56) and receiving scores (5) among Big Ten tight ends last season. While he’s not as polished as the Penn State product, Loveland remains a high-end prospect at the position, possessing natural hands and legitimate speed. He didn’t run at the combine or his pro day, but scouts estimate he would run the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds. A smooth route runner who has the size and technique to work the middle of the field as well as the perimeter, Loveland figures to develop into a high-ceiling safety valve for any QB.
The Colts happen to have two quarterbacks seeking security. While Indianapolis’ receiving corps has satisfactory depth, the team hasn’t rostered a top-five fantasy producer at tight end since Eric Ebron in 2018 (66-750-13). In fact, all four of the Colts’ tight ends accounted for a total of 39 catches in 2024 (with Kylen Granson leading the group with 14). For context, Alec Pierce (the team’s No. 3 WR) logged 37 grabs all by his lonesome. Loveland’s addition would provide the offense with an immediate boost, likely improving either signal-caller’s efficiency in the process. Were the former Wolverine to land in Indy, he would garner TE1 fantasy consideration with plenty of room to grow.
The 2025 NBA playoffs are set! An exciting final week saw the Eastern Conference bracket finalized on Friday. The West wasn’t set until the last game, an overtime clash between Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors and Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers. There are now officially 20 teams fighting for a chance to win the Larry O’Brien trophy, five of which have never won it all.
In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers claimed the top seed after a dominating, 64-win regular season. But the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics, landed close behind in the No. 2 spot, hungry for a back-to-back Finals win. No team has repeated since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, making this one of the longest droughts without a repeat champion in NBA history.
The West was a chaotic mess down to the final minute of the regular season. When the Clippers took down the Warriors, claiming the No. 5 seed, and the “opportunity” to face three-time MVP Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets, the No. 6 seed and guaranteed playoff spot went to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will face off against LeBron James and the No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers.
Our NBA insiders break down all 16 playoff bound teams — from the good, bad to the ugly: their seasons in review, best-case scenarios and key aspects to watch for the play-in and first round.
Note: NBA title and first-round odds for 2025 provided by ESPN BET.
Jump to a team: BOS | CLE | DEN | DET GS | HOU | IND | LAC LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL MIN | NYK | OKC | ORL
Cleveland’s road to the postseason: The Cavs are built on depth and teamwide shooting, with All-Star guards and elite, defensive-minded bigs. In that way, they are a very modern team, and they’ve just crushed opponent after opponent for months on end running their system. That system is designed to be able to switch on defense with multidimensional players who can play different positions, and coach Kenny Atkinson has worked on various alignments and lineups throughout the season to prepare for playoffs.
But they don’t have great perimeter size, which is a concerning vulnerability and especially so against Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and East nemesis Boston. That’s why the Cavs made a midseason trade for De’Andre Hunter. But they finished the season going 8-8 over their final 16 games. Not exactly the type of momentum a team wants heading into the postseason. — Brian Windhorst
Will they be elite from 3? Before March 11, the Cavs were No. 1 in 3-point shooting percentage and had been on top for months. Since then, they are 19th. Which will it be when it matters?
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are great playmakers and shotmakers, and the Cavs cover for their defensive shortcomings with a great defensive back line in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. But it works a lot better when their lead guards are making 3s. Mitchell shot 39% before the All-Star break and 30% after. Garland shot 43% before and 34% after. They combine to take 16 triples a game, so these percentage swings make a big difference in their margin for error. — Windhorst
Best-case scenario: Any team with Cleveland’s regular-season résumé belongs in the top tier of title contenders. And if Kenny Atkinson plays his starters more in the playoffs — no Cavalier reached even 32 minutes per game this season — his team might reach another gear this spring. The Cavaliers are deep, balanced and electric on offense, and nine years after the first championship in franchise history, they have a legitimate chance to win another. — Zach Kram
Net points X factor: The Cavaliers have easily been the best clutch team in the league. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell use the most possessions, averaging plus-10.2 and plus-4.6 offensive net points per 48 minutes, respectively. — Dean Oliver
Boston’s road to the postseason: The defending champions cruised through the season with relative ease, despite dealing with a series of extended injury absences, particularly for Kristaps Porzingis. While Cleveland ran away with the conference’s top seed, Boston cruised to a fourth consecutive 50-win season and will enter the playoffs as the odds-on favorite to return to the NBA Finals for a third time in four seasons. — Tim Bontemps
Can the Celtics stay healthy in the postseason? Yes, Boston shoots a lot of 3-pointers and is a high-variance team as a result. But if the Celtics can have a healthy playoff run from all eight of their key rotation players, they will be the clear favorites to defend their title. But getting that is far from a sure thing. Porzingis was out for most of last year’s playoff run with injuries, and he has missed more games than he has played this season. Jrue Holiday has been in and out of the lineup, and Al Horford — while consistently available and reliable — is 38. All of which is why, if the Celtics can stay healthy, no one should be able to handle them in the East, and a second straight title easily could be theirs. — Bontemps
What to watch for in Round 1: Given Orlando’s issues on offense, there shouldn’t be much drama on the court in this series. But for the Celtics, the main focus will be Jaylen Brown’s right knee. The All-Star guard has been dealing with a bone bruise for weeks and recently received injections to manage the pain. Boston won’t need Brown at his best to win this series, or even the next one, but will need him to defend its title. How he looks after some rest will be a heavy focus for everyone after this series. — Bontemps
Best-case scenario: Boston has a strong chance to become the first repeat champion of the 2020s. Only four teams have gone back-to-back in the entire 21st century: the Shaq-and-Kobe Lakers (who won a three-peat), the Kobe-and-Gasol Lakers, the LeBron-and-Wade Heat and the Durant-era Warriors. No Celtics squad has repeated since the 1960s. Jayson Tatum & Co. can make history this spring. — Kram
Net points X factor: Luke Kornet adds more net points per 100 possessions on offensive rebounds and putbacks than any player in the league at plus-3.7. — Oliver
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What Stephen A. thinks could happen if the Knicks don’t beat the Pistons
Stephen A. Smith explains why he predicts major changes in New York if the Knicks fall to the Pistons.
New York’s road to the postseason: The Knicks are really good. They’re in the midst of their best campaign in more than a decade but there’s just one huge problem: All season long, they’ve looked one, sometimes two, steps behind Boston and Cleveland. Against the two best teams in the East, the Knicks have gone 0-8, with a number of those losses coming in huge routs. (And the last two — this past week — coming after enjoying big leads, then ultimately faltering down the stretch.) It’s a frustrating dichotomy for the franchise and its fanbase: to be vastly better than most, and a top-five team perhaps, but still far from title contention.— Chris Herring
Can the Knicks level up now that the postseason has arrived? It’s a yearly question for Tom Thibodeau-coached clubs, given the extensive minutes his starters play relative to the rest of the NBA. And this team — with Mikal Bridges (first in the league in total minutes), Josh Hart (second) and OG Anunoby (ninth) — it’s no different. Perhaps Jalen Brunson’s time off rehabbing his injured ankle for nearly a month turns out to be a good thing, as, in a counterintuitive way, it potentially saved his body from additional nicks and bruises he might have racked up. With an average of 8.6 minutes of possession, Brunson handled the ball more per game than any NBA player. — Herring
What to watch in Round 1: Aside from how Brunson looks now that he has returned, one of the most compelling things to watch will be how often Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson share the court. The Knicks haven’t found their defensive groove yet, getting burned against a number of the league’s best offenses with Towns defending the paint and Robinson alongside him — similar to how the Wolves used Rudy Gobert with Towns. Towns and Robinson shared only 47 minutes of court time, outscoring opponents by 9.2 points per 100 possessions but surrendering a quite-high 118.8 points in that span. But if the big-man duo can figure things out, it would go a long way toward tightening up the team’s screen-and-roll defense. — Herring
Best-case scenario: If New York is healthy, it has the talent to beat anyone in a series. The starting five is that good. But there’s little reliable depth beyond that group. The defense has struggled to slow the NBA’s best opposing offenses and, most of all, the bracket won’t do them any favors. The Knicks should advance to the second round, but once there, it would be a massive surprise if they managed to push the Celtics into a long series, let alone upset the defending champs. — Kram
Net points X factor: Jalen Brunson uses 45% of possessions in clutch situations and generates plus-13 offensive net points per 100 possessions then, both league highs. — Oliver
Indiana’s road to the postseason: On Jan. 1, the Pacers were 16-18 and seemed like a far cry from their appearance in the Eastern Conference finals one season ago. Indiana has been one of the hottest teams in the league since, however, finishing the season 50-32 since then while Tyrese Haliburton looks like one of the best young point guards in the NBA. The Pacers will take home court in the first round against the Bucks, a rematch of last season’s first-round series, and try to build on last year’s surprising playoff run. — Jamal Collier
Can Haliburton keep up his production? The biggest key for the Pacers’ turnaround over the past few months has been Haliburton’s return not just to All-Star level but potentially All-NBA as a guard with his elite offensive ability. He is averaging 18.6 points and 9.2 assists on 51% shooting, including 44% from 3 on 7.2 attempts, while leading Indiana to sixth best offense in the league since the beginning of January. — Collier
What to watch in Round 1: This is a rematch from the first round of the 2024 playoffs when the No. 6 seed Pacers upset the No. 3 seed Bucks. Indiana enters this year’s matchup as the higher seed but has not had as much success against Milwaukee this season, dropping three of four regular-season meetings. Still, the biggest difference from last year is the Bucks will have a healthy Giannis Antetokounmpo for the postseason after injuries limited him in the past two first-round exits. — Collier
Best-case scenario: It hinges largely on whether the Cavaliers’ late-season swoon is real or a false alarm. If Cleveland plays up to its full potential, Indiana’s ceiling is a second-round exit. If the Cavaliers are more vulnerable than their excellent record and point differential suggest, then the Pacers have a chance to upset the East’s No. 1 seed and race back to the conference finals. Who would have imagined that Boston-Indiana could be a realistic conference finals matchup two years in a row? — Kram
Net points X factor: The smallest guy on the Pacers team, T.J. McConnell, gives them the most net points on half-court layups — plus-1.1 per 48 minutes. Bennedict Mathurin and Aaron Nesmith contribute layups in transition at plus-1.4 each. — Oliver
Milwaukee’s road to the postseason: Year 2 for the Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard era in Milwaukee has been as inconsistent as the first season. The Bucks recovered from a disastrous 2-8 start to win the NBA Cup in December, then changed their team by sending Khris Middleton to the Wizards for Kyle Kuzma at the trade deadline. Injuries have depleted the Bucks roster down the stretch, with Lillard having missed the final weeks of the season due to deep vein thrombosis. Antetokounmpo is still playing at an MVP level and helped the Bucks clinched a playoff spot. — Collier
Will Lillard be able to get on the floor, and will it be enough? If the Bucks are going to have any chance at a deep playoff run, they are going to need a healthy Lillard. He was ruled out indefinitely with a blood clot issue in his right calf on March 25 and will miss Game 1 against the Pacers, but is no longer on blood-thinning medication and is ramping up basketball activities again. Together, Lillard and Antetokounmpo were the highest-scoring duo in the NBA this season, and their chemistry has improved in their second year as teammates. — Collier
What to watch in Round 1: As the injuries have piled up for Milwaukee, the team has slid in the standings and will enter its first-round matchup as a lower seed. This sets the Bucks up for a first-round rematch with the Pacers, who beat them in six games in the first round last season. Antetokounmpo’s dominance has helped the Bucks enter the playoffs playing some of their best basketball of the season, winning eight consecutive games to close the season even without Lillard. But the Pacers have been rolling for months, behind Tyrese Halliburton’s return to All-Star form, putting up the fourth-best record in the NBA (behind Oklahoma City, Cleveland and Boston) since Jan. 1. — Collier
Best-case scenario: In theory, Antetokounmpo is so sensational he can propel a team to the Finals by himself. But in reality, the rest of the Bucks are so limited — especially with Lillard’s health uncertain — and the East’s top teams so dominant that it seems exceedingly unlikely Milwaukee can make a run to June. The Bucks’ best-case scenario in this postseason might involve a long-term concern more than a short-term focus on the 2025 title: remaining competitive enough that Antetokounmpo doesn’t get dispirited and start angling for a trade this summer. — Kram
Net points X factor: Antetokounmpo adds plus-2.7 net points per 48 minutes on his half-court layups alone, easily the best in the league. — Oliver
Detroit’s road to the postseason: The Pistons put together one of the most remarkable turnarounds in NBA history, going from 14-68 last season — the worst record ever the year before a playoff berth — to the No. 6 seed in the East. Under new coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit surpassed that win total by New Year’s Day. — Kevin Pelton
How will the Pistons’ young stars fare in the postseason? The veterans Detroit added last summer (Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Tobias Harris) bring plenty of playoff experience, but this will be the postseason debut for All-Star Cade Cunningham and fellow starters Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, all recent lottery picks.
The way Cunningham in particular performs could help shape the Pistons’ decision on how aggressively to approach this offseason and beyond. If Cunningham remains the All-NBA contributor he has been during the regular season, Detroit could soon make a run like the Indiana Pacers had in the 2024 playoffs. — Pelton
What to watch in Round 1: Can Cunningham steal the show the way he frequently did during his regular-season matchups against the Knicks? The guard, who should be an All-NBA lock this season, saved some of his best showings of the season for the Knicks, averaging 30.8 points and 8.3 assists in four games against New York, while shooting 56% overall and 52% on 3-pointers. The Knicks had little answer for Cunningham, especially late in games — a big part of why Detroit won three of those four games. It will be interesting to see whether the Knicks use 6-7 standout defender OG Anunoby at times to try to slow down Cunningham, a bigger ball handler. — Herring
Best-case scenario: This season has already been a complete success for the Pistons, no matter what happens in the playoffs. But why not win some more games while they’re at it? After all, Detroit hasn’t won a single playoff game since 2008. They should stop that drought this month, and they have the potential to pull a first-round upset and reach the conference semifinals. It’s difficult to imagine a team with such little experience doing any real damage against the Knicks, but the Pistons will scrap for every point until their magical season comes to an end. — Kram
Net points X factor: Detroit is second in fast-break points and has four players adding at least plus-1 net point per 48 minutes in transition: Cunningham, Thompson, Beasley and Ronald Holland II. — Oliver
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Cole Anthony’s 26 points help Magic clinch the 7-seed
Cole Anthony notches 26 points from the bench vs. the Hawks to help the Magic clinch the 7-seed in the Eastern Conference.
Orlando’s road to the postseason: What was once a promising season for the Magic turned as the injury bug hit hard in Orlando. Two months into the season, the Magic were in third place in the East, trailing only the Cavs and Celtics Then, they lost their three best players for extended periods — Paolo Banchero (for 34 games), Franz Wagner (20) and Jalen Suggs (out for season after playing in only 31 games). They’ve secured the No. 7 seed, and there should be an abundance of hope for 2025-26. But this season never fully got back on track after injuries derailed things. — Herring
Can the Magic rely on their elite defense to compete in a potential first-round series? The Magic won two of their three games against the Celtics and limited a depleted Boston side to a season-low 76 points on April 9. If the Magic slip in Tuesday’s play-in game against Atlanta but make it out of Friday’s game as an No. 8 seed, it would set up a rematch from last spring’s clash with Cleveland. The No. 1 seed Cavs took off this season, but that seven-game series in 2024 should give Orlando confidence it can hang, even with this being a far better version of Cleveland. — Herring
What to watch for in Round 1: Can Orlando take advantage of Jaylen Brown’s balky right knee by applying more defensive pressure to Jayson Tatum and the other Celtics, knowing that Brown isn’t 100%? Orlando is relentless on that end of the court, and if they spot and exploit a weakness in that regard, the matchup could become the sort of low-possession, grind-it-out series the low-scoring Magic would ultimately prefer. — Herring
Best-case scenario: The Magic advanced out of the play-in round, but they will almost certainly lose against the Celtics. But their manner of defeat could matter in terms of positioning themselves for the offseason and beyond. A play-in collapse or listless first-round sweep would tie the bow on a disappointing season; conversely, a competitive effort led by Banchero and Wagner could build momentum for the future and help the Magic return to contention in 2025-26. — Kram
Net points X factor: The Magic have the worst offense of any of the 20 postseason teams. Wagner and Banchero each carry over 30% of the offense, but they each add about only plus-1.5 offensive net points per 48 minutes. — Oliver
Miami’s road to the postseason: This season in Miami was defined by Jimmy Butler III. First, it was Butler’s messy divorce from the franchise. Then, after he was eventually traded to Golden State, it was Miami’s complete collapse after the trade deadline — in particular, its consistently horrific performances in the fourth quarter, which is why the Heat find themselves battling it out in the play-in. Nonetheless, Miami went on a heater to become the first team to advance into the playoff as a No. 10 seed. — Bontemps
How far can Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo take this group? Even before the Butler situation blew up, Miami was moving toward its young guard-big combo becoming the fulcrum of the franchise. And while Herro has taken some massive steps forward, dramatically increasing his 3-point volume, overall efficiency and making his first All-Star team, Adebayo’s performance has been a disappointment. For Miami to survive the first round, it’s going to need Herro and Adebayo to play their best ball of the season. — Bontemps
What to watch for in the playoffs: There’s no way the Heat can do this again … can they? After becoming the first 10 seed to make the playoffs after dispatching both the Bulls and Hawks on the road in a span of three days, the Heat will now try to advance out of the first round from the play-in once again. Not having Butler this time, however, is a big difference. But the Heat spent all season playing well for three quarters, only to repeatedly implode in the fourth. If they can avoid that in this series, then they have at least have the capability of making this one slightly interesting. — Bontemps
Best-case scenario: The Heat have recently made a habit of playoff upsets and Cinderella runs. But this version of the team doesn’t appear nearly talented or consistent enough to continue that legacy. Given the way they’ve played since trading Butler, the Heat will be fortunate just to make it out of the play-in rounds, with no realistic chance to go any further if they have to face the Cavaliers or Celtics in the first round. — Kram
Net points X factor: The Heat are the worst playoff/play-in team in the fourth quarter. Duncan Robinson particularly drops off, from averaging plus-0.1 net points per 48 minutes in the first and third quarters to minus-4.8 in the fourth. — Oliver
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Oklahoma City’s road to the postseason: The Thunder improved significantly after becoming the youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history a year ago. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has positioned himself as the MVP favorite by efficiently leading the league in scoring while consistently stuffing the box score. Luguentz Dort leads the league’s stingiest defense. Summer additions Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, a couple of unselfish veteran role players, fit in as seamlessly as anticipated. OKC broke the NBA record for point differential despite Chet Holmgren, arguably the Thunder’s second-best player, missing the majority of the season. — Tim MacMahon
Will a secondary scorer step up? Gilgeous-Alexander starred in the second round last season, when he averaged 32.2 points on .507/.550/.833 shooting splits, but Oklahoma City still was eliminated by Dallas in six games. It was a rough series for Jalen Williams, who shot only 42.4% from the field. Williams has continued his ascent to stardom this season, making his first All-Star appearance while averaging career bests of 21.6 points and 5.3 assists. The Thunder have plenty of reason to believe he’ll be ready for the challenge in his second playoff appearance. — MacMahon
Best-case scenario: Given we’re talking about a team that came just two wins short of 70 wins and finished with the best point differential in NBA history, the best-case scenario is winning the championship with ease. The two largest margins of victory in recent vintage came from the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors, who went a record 16-1 in the playoffs, and last year’s Boston Celtics, who finished 16-3. That kind of dominance is hardly out of the question for Oklahoma City, although the Thunder are all but certain to face stiffer postseason competition than last year’s Celtics did. — Pelton
Net points X factor: No player in the league gets more of their productivity from free throws than Gilgeous-Alexander, who generates plus-3.2 net points per game, well ahead of James Harden at plus-2.8. — Oliver
Houston’s road to the postseason: Houston coach Ime Udoka turned heads before this season when he stated the postseason was the goal for a team coming off a 41-win campaign. When Houston reached 50 wins on April 2, Udoka called the mark “a good barometer of where you should be on a yearly basis at minimum.” The Rockets finished with 52 wins and accomplished that as a team built in Udoka’s image: gritty and tough with an emphasis on hustle, physicality and lockdown defense. Star guard Jalen Green credited Udoka with “bringing the dog out of us.” After a three-game skid to start March, the Rockets won nine in a row and 15 of the next 17 while leaning heavily into their identity in preparation for the postseason. Houston ranked near the middle of the pack offensively most of the season, finishing 12th in offensive rating. Defensively, the Rockets have ranked consistently in the top five. — Michael C. Wright
How will Houston overcome their lack of playoff experience? Only two players in Houston’s starting five (Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks) have competed in the postseason. But the team’s physicality and style of play could make up for that. The most pressing issue for the Rockets is whether they can consistently generate solid half-court offense when the games slow down and every possession matters. Houston gives itself a fighting shot there, considering it led the league in offensive rebounding, which should allow for plenty of second-chance scoring opportunities. Green is the Rockets’ most dangerous scorer, but to make a run, this team needs consistent contributions from VanVleet, Brooks and first-time All-Star Alperen Sengun to keep opponents from loading up on the guard. — Wright
What to watch for in Round 1: When the action slows and every possession matters, can Houston consistently generate enough half-court offense to best a battle-tested Warriors club for an entire seven-game series? It’s a conundrum Udoka had already been pondering as his team closed the regular season, leaning into its physical identity while working to clean up issues on offense. The last time Udoka faced Golden State in the playoffs, he was the coach in Boston and watched Stephen Curry average 31.2 points against his Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals. Fortunately for the Rockets, they might have the ideal Curry-stopper in rising star Amen Thompson, who locked down Curry when the teams met April 6, holding him to 1-for-10 shooting. Can Thompson handle such an important responsibility in the first postseason series of his career? — Wright
Best-case scenario: The Rockets overcome their difficulty scoring in the half court by mauling opponents on the offensive glass and taking advantage of their speed and depth to outrun them. Houston reaches the conference finals. And while the first of perhaps many matchups to come goes Oklahoma City’s favor, the Rockets win the lottery with the Phoenix Suns’ pick. — Pelton
Net points X factor: Brooks has averaged plus-1.5 net points per game when getting at least two days off between games — compared to minus-3.2 in back-to-backs. There are no back-to-backs in the playoffs, which should help. — Oliver
Los Angeles’ road to the postseason: Luka Doncic is a Los Angeles Laker. No matter what happens this postseason, the 2024-25 campaign will be remembered as a smashing success for the franchise. Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka looked outside the box to hire a young coach in JJ Redick and then landed Doncic in one of the most shocking trades in league history.
As with any Lakers season, there was a fair share of drama — from LeBron James taking time away from the team to heal physically (and mentally) after a brutal shooting slump in early December, to parting with standout rookie Dalton Knecht in a trade for Hornets big man Mark Williams only for the trade to be rescinded — but there were far more successes than failures. Austin Reaves emerged as a borderline All-Star, and Dorian Finney-Smith fit in almost immediately as a switchable 3-and-D wing and popular locker room figure. Both Knecht and Bronny James showed flashes of promise, too, further validating the team’s scouting department as a strength.
And LeBron and Doncic showed signs of chemistry that will allow them both to lead. — Dave McMenamin
How will the trio of Doncic, James and Reaves fare in the postseason together? James, Doncic and Reaves have played just 21 games together. That’s it. And Redick is relying on the three of them to know what buttons to push to keep the Lakers’ offense humming in the playoffs, when their opponents will be game-planning to attack their vulnerabilities.
Redick, however, dismissed experience as a necessary ingredient for a team to break through with a championship. “I don’t buy the theory, I just don’t,” Redick said. “I think you got to prepare. You got to control what you control. You got to play hard. You got to try to execute. And if you do that, you give yourselves a chance to win.” — McMenamin
What to watch in Round 1: The Lakers opened the preseason against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Then they played them to start the regular season. And now they’ll get the Wolves in the first round of the playoffs. Since the rescinded trade for Williams, L.A.’s size has been questioned. Minnesota ranked 15th in rebounds per game this season (44.3); L.A. ranked 26th (42.4). The Lakers will need to rebound with their wings and guards and not solely rely on center Jaxson Hayes to control that responsibility. As far as motivation goes, the storyline is pretty rich: Doncic faces the team he eliminated from the Western Conference finals a year ago, while the Wolves will look to exact some revenge on the conference finals MVP, now in a different uniform. — McMenamin
Best-case scenario: Doncic and James dial in their chemistry just in time for another deep playoff run. With opponents continuing to struggle from 3-point range, as they did in the second half of the season against the Lakers, they beat Minnesota in Round 1 and upset an inexperienced Houston team in Round 2. As in last year’s matchup with Oklahoma City, Doncic sees his teammates get hot from 3-point range at the right time as the Lakers make their first Finals appearance since 2020. — Pelton
Net points X factor: James and Doncic both add plus-2.3 offensive net points per 48 minutes to their teammates’ shooting, either by passing or spacing, the best of any combo in the league. — Oliver
Denver’s road to the postseason: Sputtering since a 37-19 start, the Nuggets made seismic changes, parting ways with coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth with only three games to go in the regular season. With David Adelman taking over as interim coach, the Nuggets responded to the shakeup by winning their final three games to secure the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. Adelman is emphasizing that players speak up more, and Nikola Jokic and other players could be seen being more vocal on the sideline. Ownership made the Malone and Booth moves to end the “cold war” that had been going on between the men and unite the franchise while giving Jokic the best chance for a deep playoff run. Ownership felt the players were not responding before the changes, particularly on defense. The Nuggets understand they have the best player in the world playing his best basketball, averaging a triple-double for the first time in his career. Denver ownership knows it needs to maximize these Jokic prime years. The move to Adelman, the architect of the offense, also gives the Nuggets a chance to get an early look at the longtime assistant before other coach openings pop up around the league. — Ohm Youngmisuk
Can Jamal Murray be Playoff Murray again? With Jokic playing his best basketball, the Nuggets will need Murray to find the playoff form that made Denver NBA champions in 2023. Murray has dealt with injuries, most recently a hamstring injury that went from being day-to-day to keeping him out for six games, but he returned for the final two of the regular season. Murray didn’t look like himself during part of last postseason and last summer with the Canadian Olympic team. He averaged 21.4 points, 6.0 assists and shot 47.4% this season. When healthy, Murray is one half of one of the most prolific duos with Jokic, particularly in the postseason. The Nuggets need that Murray in the playoffs, hitting clutch shots in the fourth quarter, if they are going to make a deep run again. — Youngmisuk
What to watch in Round 1: Plenty of eyes will be on Russell Westbrook facing his old team and former teammate James Harden in the playoffs. But the matchup that could very well determine the series is the Clippers’ Ivica Zubac on Jokic. Zubac has taken great strides at both ends of the court, averaging 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. He has become the anchor of the Clippers’ elite defense and will be paramount in stopping Jokic. Since Jokic entered the league in 2015-16, there have been 20 players to defend him for 100-plus shots as the closest defender. Zubac is the only player from that group to hold Jokic below 45% shooting, in both the regular season and playoffs, according to ESPN Research. If Zubac can manage to defend Jokic, and the Clippers don’t have to double team and make Jokic work on the defensive end, that will help Kawhi Leonard and Harden a great deal. — Youngmisuk
Best-case scenario: The Nuggets come together just in time for another run like 2023 under Adelman. Denver continues to control what has been a favorable matchup with the Clippers dating to the 2020 bubble, and overwhelm Oklahoma City with size and experience. A conference finals rematch against the Lakers once again goes the Nuggets’ way. In a battle of the past two champions, Jokic overpowers the Celtics’ post defenders and Denver takes advantage of poor shooting by Boston to win a second title in three years. — Pelton
Net points X factor: Denver has the biggest drop-off between starters and bench. Their starters add a plus-7.5 net points per game and their bench adds minus-3.8. The starters’ number is third in the league behind OKC and Cleveland. — Oliver
L.A.’s road to the postseason: After Paul George walked in free agency without anything in return, the Clippers entered the season without title expectations for the first time in the Kawhi Leonard era. Still, they defied lowered expectations despite Leonard missing the first two-plus months due to inflammation in his knee. James Harden has looked like his vintage self with the ball in his hands. Harden has become a leader on the team, even pleasantly exceeding the Clippers’ expectations when they acquired him early last season. Norman Powell had a legit case to be an All-Star this season and Ivica Zubac has been a force in the paint on both ends. Plus, new assistant Jeff Van Gundy helped Ty Lue transform the Clippers into an elite defense. L.A. made key trades before the deadline for Bogdan Bogdanovic and Ben Simmons which strengthened it’s bench for the playoffs. But most importantly, Leonard is working his way back to his superstar form after having his workload monitored from the start of the season. — Youngmisuk
Can Kawhi stay healthy — especially when it matters most? This has been the biggest question since the start of training camp. The Clippers and Leonard spent months working to get the inflammation out of his surgically-repaired knee that knocked him out of the postseason last year after he was able to play in just two games in the first-round loss to Dallas. Leonard didn’t return until Jan. 4 of this season and the Clippers held him out of back-to-backs until he played one in April, ramping up his workload and even playing 40 minutes in three games in March. The two-time Finals MVP looked like his dominant self in delivering 33 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals in 47 minutes in what was basically a playoff game to beat Golden State and secure the fifth seed on Sunday. Of course, as Leonard says himself, the most important thing is finding a way to stay healthy through the playoffs. Leonard has been limited to just two games in each of the Clippers’ last two playoff series. — Youngmisuk
What to watch in Round 1: This is a rematch of the 2020 conference semis when the Clippers collapsed in the bubble and blew a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets. But this is a much different Clippers team than that one. George is gone, and Harden is on this squad. The Clippers will need Harden to be the better playmaker and more clutch point guard than Jamal Murray. Harden has had a terrific season and emerged as a leader for the Clippers. He will have to be better than he was in the Clippers’ final two playoff games last postseason when he shot a combined 7-for-28, including 1-for-13 from 3, and scored a total of 23 points in LA’s Game 5 and 6 losses to Dallas in the first round. Harden has shot 20% or worse in 13 career playoff games in which he took 10 or more shots, the second-most such games in postseason history. The Clippers will need more of the Harden who hit two big 3-pointers at the start of overtime and finished with 39 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds in Sunday’s big win at Golden State to clinch the fifth seed. — Youngmisuk
Best-case scenario: The Clippers’ late-season run led by Leonard getting back to All-Star form carries over to the playoffs. Marrying one of the NBA’s best defenses with the ability for Leonard to make difficult shots in isolation overcomes a relatively quiet postseason from Harden and the Clippers upset the Nuggets in the first round and the inexperienced Thunder in round two. Facing the Rockets in a defensive-minded conference finals matchup, the Clippers ride their isolation scoring and veteran savvy to a first Finals trip in franchise history before the run comes to an end. — Pelton
Net points X factor: James Harden benefits tremendously from home cooking, averaging plus-5.0 net points per 48 minutes on their home court and just plus-0.5 on the road. — Oliver
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Chiney Ogwumike loves the ‘superstar power’ in Wolves-Lakers
Chiney Ogwumike is excited to see what Anthony Edwards does in the Lakers-Wolves playoff matchup.
Minnesota’s road to the postseason: After their most successful season in two decades and a trip to the Western Conference finals, the Timberwolves made a shocking, financially motivated trade in September, sending Karl-Anthony Towns to New York in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. Early returns weren’t favorable; both new players struggled to fit in, and Minnesota started 22-21. But a second-half surge — featuring better all-around play from Randle (18.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game post-All-Star; 38% from 3) and hot shooting from DiVincenzo (45% from 3 post-All-Star) — has the Timberwolves looking like a contender again, even if they’ll have to maneuver from the bottom of the playoff bracket this year instead of the top. — Kram
Who is Minnesota’s second scorer and creator behind Anthony Edwards? Towns filled that role last year, but now the answer is much less clear. It could be Randle, but he has a brutal playoff track record, shooting 34% from the field with more turnovers than assists, albeit in a small sample. DiVincenzo and Naz Reid are role players more than secondary stars. Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are defense-first contributors. And Mike Conley, while scorching hot of late, is 37, with the lowest scoring average of his career. Any good playoff defense is going to tilt its coverages to slow Edwards as much as possible; Minnesota’s playoff fortunes may rest on whether his teammates take advantage when he’s doubled. — Kram
What to watch in Round 1: Pay close attention to Conley’s minutes, particularly on the defensive end. The Lakers’ ball handlers — Doncic, James and Reaves — comprise one of the NBA’s best trios and are extremely aggressive at drawing contact and getting to the basket. If Conley isn’t holding up well there, reserve Nickeil Alexander-Walker — five inches taller at 6-foot-5 — figures to be in line for substantial minutes off the pine. — Herring
Best-case scenario: The Timberwolves channel the energy of last season’s run to the conference finals they’ve been unable to sustain in the regular season without Karl-Anthony Towns. After upsetting the Lakers in round one, Minnesota takes down the Warriors in round two. This time, Minnesota comes out on the right side of the conference finals against Oklahoma City, with Edwards winning MVP of the series. The Timberwolves’ run ends in the NBA Finals, but it’s still the most playoff wins in franchise history. — Pelton
Net points X factor: Minnesota ranks in the NBA’s top seven in 3-point attempts, makes, denying 3-point shots to opponents, and reducing opponent 3-point percentage, which adds up to a plus-3.7 net points per game advantage overall on 3s — best in the league. — Oliver
Golden State’s road to the postseason: In their first season without Klay Thompson, the Warriors jumped out to a 12-3 start and looked like they would be serious contenders in the West. But they stumbled, going 13-21 before pulling the trigger on a trade for Jimmy Butler. The move has completely altered their season, rejuvenating Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr while making role players like Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody better. Golden State has been one of the hottest teams in the league since Butler made his Warriors’ debut in Chicago on Feb. 8, and the Warriors are now a threat to make a deep run. They have been playing playoff-type basketball to try to get into the playoffs for months and Butler is in “Playoff Jimmy” mode as was the case on Sunday when he scored 30 against the Clippers. — Youngmisuk
What can Playoff Jimmy do for Golden State? Curry told ESPN in January that he felt that if the Warriors can avoid the play-in tournament, they can beat anyone in a seven-game series. They’ll now have to come out of the play-in as the No. 7 seed but the Warriors have “Playoff Jimmy”, who took the Miami Heat to two NBA Finals appearances in four seasons. The Warriors won’t need Butler to carry them the same way he did with Miami. But if he can help Curry with the offensive load and close games while providing Green with a dynamic defensive duo that Kerr has likened to “Pippen and Jordan,” the Warriors could make a run like they did in 2022, when they won their last title. — Youngmisuk
What to watch in Round 1: The Rockets and Warriors played each other five times this season. The Warriors won three of them, with their two losses coming in a one-point in-season tournament defeat at Houston in December and a 10-point setback on April 6 at Chase Center with Butler on the floor. The Rockets got physical with the Warriors, who were playing their fourth high-level game in six days in the meeting earlier this month. Houston forced 20 turnovers and held Curry to 1-for-10 shooting and three points. The Warriors will have to figure out a way to free Curry of Houston’s physical defenders like Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks. But that is where Butler comes in. He will not only have to help Curry with the scoring load, but also carry the critical non-Curry minutes. And then the 6-6 Green will have to find a way to contain 6-11 Alperen Sengun inside, especially on the glass, despite the height disadvantage. — Youngmisuk
Best-case scenario: “Playoff Jimmy” reappears in conjunction with two of the other greatest postseason overachievers of the past two decades, Curry and Green. After beating Memphis in the opening play-in game, the Warriors upset the youthful Rockets and win a rematch against the Lakers in round two, then find themselves with a huge experience edge against Oklahoma City in the Thunder’s first conference finals appearance since losing to the Warriors in 2016. Reversing that series, Golden State closes out the series at home in Game 6 with Curry channeling Klay Thompson by scoring 41 points to send the Warriors to a seventh Finals appearance in his career. — Pelton
Net points X factor: The Golden State bench has actually outperformed its starters this season, contributing plus-1.6 net points per game to the starters’ plus-1.2. The Warriors are the only playoff/play-in team doing so. — Oliver
Memphis’ road to the postseason: With a new staff of assistant coaches and an innovative equal-opportunity offense that virtually eliminated ball screens and dribble handoffs, Memphis worked through all the potential kinks to rack up a record of 36-18 going into All-Star break. The Grizzlies accomplished that feat despite star guard Ja Morant missing 21 games due to injury. By the time March rolled around Memphis was starting to slide, losing its first three games to start the month and eventually dropping 10 of 16 games. That led to the firing on Mar. 28 of Taylor Jenkins, the winningest coach in franchise history, and the promotion of new staffer Tuomas Iisalo to interim head coach. The move was made to optimize Morant, who thrives with the ball in his hands. Memphis lost its first three games under the new regime. But the team appears lately to be adjusting to Iisalo and his vision of the offense. — Wright
Was nine games enough to tweak a system that took most of the season to become accustomed to? General manager Zach Kleiman said his “expectations are clarity and direction” moving forward for the Grizzlies, but that’s difficult to accomplish much with so little time. Memphis’ decision to fire Jenkins and assistant Noah LaRoche, who was largely the architect of the Grizzlies’ offense, indicates a level of trust in Morant to play at an elite level throughout the playoffs. The brass is well-aware of the optics of such a significant move, but the Grizzlies also feel they’ve built a deep enough roster to compete at the highest levels with Morant as the floor general. We’ve seen that in spurts throughout the regular season, but it’s unclear if the team can sustain it through the playoffs. — Wright
Best case scenario: Iisalo’s reemphasis on the pick-and-roll unlocks the version of Morant we saw in 2021-22 and 2022-23, giving the Grizzlies two elite offensive creators (alongside Jackson) just in time to make a run through the weaker half of the West bracket after beating the Warriors in the play-in tournament as they did in 2021. Memphis rides its depth and versatility to a pair of upset wins and reaches the conference finals for just the second time in franchise history. The Grizzlies give the Thunder a tough battle there in a preview of the battle for Western Conference supremacy over the next several seasons, while Iisalo earns the permanent role of head coach. — Pelton
Net points x-factor: Santi Aldama has added plus-3.2 net points per 48 minutes off the bench, the fifth best mark in the league.— Oliver
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The wwe 2025 Hall of Fame will celebrate the professional achievements of five superstars and, for the first time, an iconic party. Las Vegas organizes the ceremony on the eve of Wrestlemania 41.
The rings of the Hall of Fame are starting to take many real estate in the hands of mild. Triple H was previously included in the class as part of D-Generation X. This year, mild will be honored only as the header of the ceremony. It will be included by your former friend, teammate and rival Shawn Michaels.
Also part of the festivities is the two -time WCW heavyweight champion, Lex Luger, who will be induced by his friend Diamond Dallas Page. In addition, the legendary female fighter Michelle McCool will be honored for her achievements in the ring and induced by her husband, The Undertaker.
This year’s fame hall presents a new honor called “immortal moment.” The induced inaugural is Bret Hart and “Stone Cold” by Steve Austin, the legendary disqualification submission party in Wrestlemania 13. Both legends will be there for the honor that CM Punk presents.
Joined ESPN The Magazine after graduating from the University of Missouri.
Although he primarily covers the NFL, his assignments also have taken him to the Athens Olympics, the World Series, the NCAA tournament and the NHL and NBA playoffs.
ONE OF THE most insightful statements about Bill Belichick was made in mid-September of last year. But it wasn’t made by Belichick himself, even though he spent the football season all over airwaves and podcasts. It wasn’t made by Michael Lombardi, his longtime friend, colleague and chief public defender. It wasn’t about the New England Patriots. In fact, it didn’t even mention Belichick by name. But it was still about him.
The comments were made by Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield. He told the “Casa de Klub” podcast that when Tom Brady quarterbacked the Bucs, it was a “high-strung environment.”
“I think everybody was pretty stressed out,” Mayfield said. “They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football, for guys who weren’t having as much fun.”
Fun.
To those who know, that was an ironic word choice. What Tom Brady had once privately said about Bill Belichick — and was part of the reason why he decided to leave New England — was now being said about him. And that said something about them both.
ON MAY 6, Bill Belichick’s first book, “The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football,” will be released. He is the rare coaching legend who wrote a book neither after winning a championship nor after retirement, but after he was fired. (Sorry — when he and the Patriots “mutually agreed to part ways.”) He was in a strange space during most of 2024: 72 years old, without a job in football for the first time in 50 years and unsure of where he would land. Between Brady winning a Super Bowl in Tampa, a few subpar drafts, three losing seasons in his final four years in New England, and “The Dynasty” docuseries, a pervasive narrative on Belichick had taken hold — that he struggles to connect with people, especially players. That his methods, once revolutionary, are now antiquated.
Brady, of course, became an exemplar of that movement. In Tampa, he and Rob Gronkowski were proof that winning could be fun, so went the story. It was no surprise that Brady, Gronk and former Pats receiver Julian Edelman gave a resounding “no” when asked on air late last year whether they could picture Belichick — who turned “do your job” and “no days off” into rallying cries — coaching in college at North Carolina, where he ended up.
“I would be frightened,” Brady said.
“Could you imagine Bill on the couch recruiting an 18-year-old?” Edelman added.
Having listened to Belichick over the decades, interviewed him multiple times, written stories that flattered and irritated him, listened to other coaches discuss him, and authored a book mostly about him, I expected “The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football” to be one of a few things. Maybe a modern version of Bill Walsh’s coaching-cult classic “Finding the Winning Edge,” which literally provided granular rundowns of what the former 49ers great told the team on the third day of training camp. Or, unlikely but plausible, a splashy tell-all, settling old scores. Or, perhaps, a business book for the Wharton crowd.
Instead, it’s about something more interesting and revealing. It’s largely a book about emotion. About emotional intelligence. About connection. About how a leader should treat people.
About, though not explicitly stated, Belichick’s famously perceived blind spots.
WHY NOW?
That question frames the beginning of the book. Why would an economics major who is famous for making shrewd decisions give away secrets, in a ruthless sport in which he still traffics? The answer, in part, is due to his father.
In 1962, Steve Belichick wrote “Football Scouting Methods,” one of the most influential football books ever. Steve did it while he was still in the game. If father can, so can son. Bill feels in debt to the sport. “I hope that this book can give back some of what I have taken from football,” he writes.
This book lacks a lot of hardcore football, at least in terms of what we’ve come to expect from Belichick when he has shed light into his vast knowledge, legendary preparation and savvy creativity. He doesn’t dive deep into his theories about, say, long-snappers or nickel cornerbacks. He offers little fresh insight into some of his most epic moments, from “Butch the Back” in Super Bowl XXXVI to “Malcolm, go!” in Super Bowl XLIX.
A preseason game from 2004 receives a longer look than most of his championships. Some of his greatest hits from over the years, when it became clear that he was playing a fundamentally different game than his peers — the intentional safety against Denver in ’03, the 1-10 defensive alignment against Peyton Manning’s Colts, the record-setting offensive innovations from ’07, to name a few — are either not mentioned or barely noted.
That’s not to say, however, that there’s not football. It just lives beyond the chessboard.
It arrives in the form of passion: “There are players who put everything they have into the game because they can’t imagine doing anything else,” Belichick writes. “I’m like that. I don’t need coffee; I need more hours in the day.”
And in humor: “If somebody uses AI to summarize this book down to three essential words, I hope they are: Don’t. Commit. Penalties.”
And in admiration: Pages are filled with analysis and perspective and features on his favorite coaches, from Bill Parcells to Sean Payton to Andy Reid, and players, from Lawrence Taylor to Mark Bavaro to James White, to name a few.
There are chapters on how to motivate people. How to prepare, improve, how to move on, and how to handle success. How to balance long-term strategy against short-term necessities. But classic Belichick, he spends more time on his mistakes than his historic successes.
Certain mistakes, that is.
He doesn’t mention Spygate, but he does detail the decision-making process as to why he went for it on fourth-and-13 against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, a key moment in the game that ended an undefeated season. Why he opened the door for Brady to leave in 2020 is looped in with a slew of players unaffordable for salary cap reasons; why the Patriots loved but passed over Lamar Jackson in the 2018 draft is given some real estate. Insight into why Malcolm Butler was benched in Super Bowl LII is ignored; why Belichick erred in not activating a defensive lineman named Dan Klecko in Super Bowl XXXVIII is studied.
In explaining the wrong way to fire people, Belichick points to a pair of examples from himself: His releasing Bernie Kosar when he was the Cleveland Browns coach in 1993, and, years later, when he pink-slipped an unnamed Patriots player while he was in the pool at a team party. Indeed, Belichick dedicates most of a chapter to four words that he uttered often in staff meetings, exemplar of leadership, accountability, culture, and the power of admitting mistakes: “I f—ed that up.”
Non-football influences, from Jack Welch to Steve Jobs to hedge fund manager Ray Dalio, get shoutouts. So does Roger Goodell, for helping to make “the NFL a great league.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, Robert Kraft receives nary a mention.
But what has made Belichick successful, and fascinating, is that underneath that severed-sleeved hoodie is someone with a deep and diabolically genius understanding of the human condition. As he grew as a coach, from Baltimore to Detroit to Denver to the Giants to Cleveland to New England to the Jets and to the Patriots again, he has developed mechanisms and strategies to put coaches, quarterbacks and offenses under pressure, knowing that they’d likely revert to their most essential and predictable selves.
He knows that football is a people business. But for the most part, it’s been described in terms of how he smartly exploited an opponent’s ego or habits, from Mike Martz in Super Bowl XXXVI to John Harbaugh with the “Baltimore” and “Raven” formations, or how he ripped players, even superstars like Brady — especially Brady — in squad meetings.
In the book, he admits that at times, he was engaging in performance art. But if he could motivate a player to improve by pissing them off, so be it. If it made for a dour environment, that was an acceptable trade. If it wasn’t fun, tough.
Belichick goes to great lengths to let us know that he views players as more than nameplates, even if some of his former players might respectfully disagree, such as Lawyer Milloy and Drew Blesdoe, to name a few. He wants us to know that with players sacrificing their bodies and staff sacrificing family time, he takes his responsibilities seriously — to his core.
He does this in two distinct ways.
One, Belichick goes long on what it’s like to be fired. “Traumatic,” he writes, citing his Browns experience. A tireless work ethic, and deep awareness of the fragility of tomorrow, was instilled in him at a young age, when he learned about his grandparents’ immigration from Croatia. They worked “as hard as they could to put food on the table.”
Steve Belichick couldn’t afford to go to college, despite being a motivated and talented enough football player that he played at Case Western Reserve University and in the NFL. In college, Steve lived in a vacant room in a gym, “delivering ice, and doing other assorted jobs to make ends meet.” Bill Belichick became a wealthy coach, but he never forgot that emotional place. He pushed his football staffs to the brink in the pursuit of winning, but doing so provided a measure of stability for his coaches, scouts and their families in a ruthlessly unstable profession.
“During normal times,” he writes, “it’s easy enough to imagine that your job and your life are two distinct domains — family is family and work is work. But when you get fired, that distinction gets bulldozed. … All the basics and necessities of providing for a family and contributing to the future are suddenly less secure.”
Two, Belichick wants us to know that he has personally helped players and staff clear their minds to focus on the task at hand. An example: the Belichick Travel Agency. Whenever the Patriots reached the Super Bowl, Belichick spent the first two days after the conference championship game on logistics. Sorting out 1,600 game tickets, 300 hotel rooms, two full planes and whatever else. It’s a short story in the book, but a profound one.
For one thing, it’s amazing to imagine Belichick handling itineraries. For another, when Belichick was hired in New England, he pledged to delegate more after his Cleveland experience. This would seem like an obvious job to hand off. But no. It was not only important; it was important enough that he needed to handle it. “If I expect to be able to ask my slot receiver to play in a pinch at cornerback in front of a hundred million viewers on TV,” he writes, “I don’t get to ignore his request for a hotel room with a nice view.”
A book authored by Belichick is a statement as much as a story. Throughout his career, he has always tried to take the long view. There’s a reason why one of the largest collections of football books outside of the Library of Congress is on the Naval Academy’s campus and bears his family name. But Belichick has always taken the immediate view, too. He works, and works, and works, refusing to let up.
“Getting used to winning,” he writes, “is the quickest way for it to stop.”
Is that mindset healthy? Is it balanced? Is it — whisper this around Belichick — fun?
“The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football” is intended for a mass audience. But at its core, Belichick is writing for a subset of a subset of a subset of football minds, the truly and spectacularly obsessed. They will find virtue in it, and in Belichick himself, even if they don’t like him — even if they have wondered, as many owners, GMs, and coaches have, if his system works when he’s not at the head of the table. Belichick writes that his program is “not for everyone. Neither am I. But to get to the top, and stay there, is close to impossibly hard.”
Towards the end of the book, Belichick ponders his view of himself and maybe self-worth. “Has every year that I’ve failed to win a Super Bowl been a failure? Big picture? Maybe not.
“But I live in my picture.”
TOM BRADY LIVES in his picture, too. And after Mayfield’s comments, he responded on air.
He chose not to give the context. In 2020, Brady left New England — left Belichick — because the winning was less artistic than intolerable. He recently wrote that a “natural tension” had developed between him and Belichick — “the kind of tension that could only be resolved by some kind of split or one of us reassessing our priorities.” Brady chose Tampa, with its warm weather and warmer team culture, led by a coach, Bruce Arians, who unapologetically championed a vision beyond wins and losses, with cigars and cocktails.
When the season started, it became clear that Brady’s new team wasn’t as buttoned up as his previous one, wasn’t as accountable as his previous one, and wasn’t winning as much as his previous one. Sunshine be damned, that didn’t fly with Brady.
He didn’t miss Belichick, but it was clear that he missed elements of the football world in which he had been raised. It was up to Brady to take what he had learned, adapt it for situation and self, and apply it in his own way. Imagine what forms that might have taken, beyond the mind games that Mayfield detailed on the podcast, of Brady intentionally ignoring or throwing inaccurate passes to send receivers a message. His standards, like his former coach’s, are impossible — until they’re not, of course, and teammates reach a level of play even they didn’t think they could achieve.
“I thought ‘stressful’ was not having Super Bowl rings,” Brady said on air during the Bucs-Eagles game last season. “So, there was a mindset of a champion that I took to work every day. This wasn’t daycare. If I wanted to have fun, I was going to go to Disneyland with my kids.”
It was pure Belichick, and could have been straight out of “The Art of Winning.”
And Mayfield? He played well in 2024, and had some fun — until his season ended, with a first-round playoff loss at home.
Less than a week after Kyren Lacy, the former highlight of LSU and the NFL 2025 draft leaflet, He died of an apparent suicide While the authorities pursued him, the agent of the deceased open receiver, Rocky Arceneaux, criticized the NFL for judging his client prematurely and intensifying the pressure that the 24 -year -old Lacy felt in the period prior to his death.
Lcy’s death occurred two days before he appeared before a large jury of Houston and faced criminal charges derived from a car accident of Louisiana in December 2024, in which his alleged speeding led to a fatal collision. Harris County authorities said Lacy was involved in a family argument on the day of his death, supposedly downloading a weapon before fleeing from the scene, then fleeing the authorities before he crashed with a self -inflicted gunshot wound.
Before all this, Lacy was not invited to the NFL 2025 exploration combination, the annual league showcase of Draft’s main perspectives, as its legal situation developed. This, said Arceneaux on Friday, was shameful for the NFL.
“As indicated by [Kyren’s] Lawyer, there was a high probability that the serious crime of negligent homicide would have been rejected by a large jury last Monday, Arceneaux said in his statement. ” Kyren was disconsolate by the tragic loss of [the fatal accident]. He was willing to adhere to any civil matter, regardless of the decision of the Grand Jury. Apart from that, the system failed us, and now we are mourning for the loss of two lives.
“For the NFL, shame for revoking Kyren’s combined invitation without recognition or consideration of the facts,” Arceneaux continued. “I urge you to re -evaluate your process and provide athletes with due process necessary before alienating them from their classmates and dreams for those who have worked so hard. Shame in the research agency for being more concerned about public perception, and pressure to charge someone, to investigate the facts … [Kyren] I should have had the opportunity to achieve [his] Dream of playing at the NFL, in just one week. It hurts that pressure, public perception, harassment in social networks, all without having the facts, were too much to endure. “
This low season, the Seattle Seahawks made important movements, adding that former Campo de los Minnesota Vikings, Sam Darnold, and former New York Field Marshal Giants, Drew Lock, and could not finish promoting his Quarterback room. The team now has four Quarterbacks, including Sam Howell and Jaren Hall, who joined the team for the 2024 season, and its general manager did not close by adding a fifth in the next draft.
While some people have criticized this year’s field marshal, Schneider said the following last week: “I was careful when you listen to people to say that this is not a great draft. I think it depends on the team, the player, the field marshal, how you are going to acquire it, where you are going to acquire it.”
Se seven rounds 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Seattle Nabs Future Star Safety, adds QB as Sam Darnold Insurance
Cody Benjamin
Since he said these comments, The team added blockadewho played with the team from 2022 to 2023, to compete with Howell to support Darnold. Schneider said this week that he feels sure who has in the team, but that does not mean that he is completely off for taking another pin.
“I think it’s a great situation,” Schneider said in Seattle Sports 710. “We have four types that we really like … Nor does it prevent us from doing anything in the draft, discovering what is happening there. It’s really like a, ‘Ok, let’s go in the mixture'”.
Schneider then explained some of the details behind the scene of the lock agreement and the decision to bring it.
“Drew had other opportunities, so we thought we better wrap ourselves, we put it in the building and then see what happens in the draft, because it is difficult to find that great adjustment in the quarterback as it advances in the process,” said Schneider.
The former head of Alabama, Jalen Milroe, visited this week, and the team currently has General Selection No. 18, as well as Selections No. 50 and No. 52 in the second round.
The Atlanta Hawks will receive the Miami Heat on Friday night in the NBA 2025 game tournament. The winner wins the seed number 8 at the Eastern Conference and faces the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA playoffs of 2025. The Hawks had 40-42 this season and come from a defeat of 120-95 against Magic on Tuesday. The Heat defeated the Bulls, 109-90, Wednesday after a regular season of 37-45. Atlanta and Miami divided their four regular season clashes with the local team winning each time. It brings Young (Achilles) appears as probable, while Kevin Love (personal) is out.
The typeff is scheduled for the 7 PM ET of the State Arena in Atlanta, where the local team has 21-19 this season, while Miami is 17-23 along the way. Miami is a favorite of 1.5 points in the last chances of Hawks vs. Heat in Draftkings Sportsbook, after Atlanta opened as favorites of 1.5 points. The Over/Under for the total points scored is 220.5. Miami is in -118 in the line of money (risk $ 118 to earn $ 100), while Atlanta is at -101 (risk $ 101 to earn $ 100). Before entering any selection of Heat vs. Hawks for the NBA 2025 game tournament, you will want See the NBA predictions of the advanced computer model in Sportsline.
The Sportsline projection model simulates each game of the NBA 10,000 times and has returned more than $ 10,000 in betting for $ 100 players in their best rating NBA selections In the last more than six seasons. The model enters the NBA playoffs of 2025 in a sizzling of 156-115 in all the best qualified NBA selections that date back to last season, returning almost $ 4,000. Anyone who follows in betting houses and betting applications could have seen great returns.
Hawks vs. Heat transmission: Fubotv (Try for free)
Why heat can cover
The heat was dominant in the first half on Wednesday. Miami scored 71 points in the first half of his 109-90 victory against Chicago and held an advantage of 71-47 in the half time before the victory. Tyler Herro scored 38 points, including 23 points in the first half, and a brief change could be beneficial for a team that dominated like the Heat on Wednesday.
Miami is no stranger to the game tournament, since he has made the postseason the last two years after competing in the game. The coach Erik Spoelstra always seems to have Miami playing the best for the postseason and Wednesday was another example of that. The Heat kept the Bulls to 39.8% of shots, including 27% in triples, and can carry what worked on Wednesday to Friday’s confrontation against Atlanta. See what team choose here.
Why hawks can cover
The Hawks have another opportunity to make their fourth postseason in the last five years, and this is their fourth consecutive season in the NBA game tournament. The Hawks had an approximate offensive performance in a defeat by 120-95 against Magic on Tuesday, but Orlando score number 1 can often do that to the teams. The Hawks, the scoring offensive number 5 in the League, will not face a defensive unit on Friday. Miami was seventh in the league in scoring defense (109.8 ppg), and the Hawks scored at least 109 points in three of four games against the Heat.
Bring Young had 28 points against magic after occupying the 14th place in the NBA in annotations with 24.2 points per game this season. He led the NBA in assists (11.6 per game), and four times there averaged 25.9 points and 12.0 assists in seven April competitions. Atlanta won each of his contests at home against Miami for at least 10 points during the regular season. See what team choose here.
How to make hawks vs. Heat selection
The model has simulated heat compared to hawks 10,000 times and the results are inside. The model is inclined under the total, projecting 220 points, and also says that one side of the propagation reaches more than 50% of the time. You can only see the selection in Sportsline.
Manchester City is leading the persecution of Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, while Manchester United points to Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth and Tyler Dibling of Southampton.
Manchester City They are leading persecution for NottinghamForest 25-year-old England attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. (Times – Subscription is required), external
Manchester United They are the current favorites for Bournemouth’s The 25 -year -old Ghana striker Antoine Semenyyo, but faces the competition of several premiere clubs, including Liverpool and TottenhamHotpur. (Sky Sports), external
Manchester United will intensify your interest in Southampton’s The English midfielder Tyler Diling, 19, if they ensure the qualification of the Champions League by winning the Europa League of this season. (ESPN), external
Chelsea They are interested in signing sports forward Viktor Gyokeres, 26, but Sweden’s international prefers a movement towards rivals Arsenal (A ball – in Portuguese), external
Liverpool They are closely monitoring the 29 -year -old England striker situation in Ollie Watkins’ situation in Aston Villa While they draw an alternative firm for Newcastle and Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 25. (Football Insider), external
Juventus, Inter Milan and Napoli They are all interested in signing Manchester United And Norway striker Rasmus Hojlund, 22, this summer. (Caught), external
Fulham Remain interested in signing AC Milan and the end of Nigeria Samuel Chukwueze this summer after failing with a January movement for the 25 -year -old. (Calciomercato – in Italian), external
Chelsea and Newcastle have asked about the availability of BayernMunich’s South Korea Center of 28 years Kim Min-Jae. (Footmercato – in French), external
Everton I’ve started 22 years Monaco and Denmark striker Mika Biereth on his list of summer transfer goals. (Teamtalk), external
Newcastle The midfielder Lewis Miley, 18, is interesting several clubs in the Premier League and Bundesliga. (Roman Fabrizio), external
Former Liverpool The Jurgen Klopp chief is not interested in any management post next season, with the 57 -year -old German to disagree with any offer that comes real Madrid or Brazil. (Sky Germany – in German), external
Scott munn is expected to leave Tottenham After two years as the club’s football director, with the 51 -year -old Australian gave some of the fault of the club’s injury problems this season. (Mail), external
Bhayshul Tuten will enter the NFL 2025 draft because the fastest line that works again in anticipation, and will enter the NFL with that distinctive feature in life 1. The sports film supports this: we will divide badly from it below, because complicated statistics, raw statistics and their efficiency in the exploration of the NFL of 2025 we will inform a constant rate of a constant rate of a constant rate of a constant rate of a constant rate of a constant rate A burner again. The NFL has compatibility could be much more noticeable for tutan than the maximum possibilities in the working again scene, however, the excellent news is that the groups that run from the area can have it considerably superior in their draft forums, which makes them more likely to verify their speed with the correct machine.
TUTEN is a zero star lease of Brandnew Jersey and previous whose advance to the NFL is that of an anticipated anticipation and lower size. He worked in his North Carolina A&T approach to the entire approach to ensure a key function in the Virginia Tech offensive. Despite his unnoticed background, Tuthen used to be a great observation name of the high school and accumulated the fastest eighth of 60 meters, while in South Jersey Historical Past in 2021 to 7.0 seconds.
The ability of a cutting cut and growth will be manufactured by a rhythm change weapon at the beginning of its occupation, however, you will not see the grasslands, except that you medicate your ball safety problems. Even closer, its function could be restricted, except that the consistency can raise a workforce in movement coverage. On the other hand, Tutor is different from the maximum burners with a compact development that allows you to shake the contact and develop yards later. Its tactile stability offers hope that if you can determine the consistency in shock fields, you can become a weapon by Aaron Jones-Esque for an NFL offensive.
Bhayshul tuten draft profile
Rhythm from age 1: 22 years used
Top: 5 feet 9 ¼
Weight: 206 kilos
Hand measurement: 9 inches
Body type similar to: Aaron Jones
NFL mixing effects
40 yards sprint while: 4.32 seconds (faster between RBS)
Vertical jump: 40.5 inches (first between RB)
Great jump: 10 feet 10 (tied second between RBS)
CBS anticipation score
Place: Incorrect. 5 rb | Total: Incorrect. 92
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NFL Comparability: De’von Achane
Tutan and Achane each recorded a 4.32 second sprint of 40 yards in their respective combinations, and each one is so fast within the perceptible grasslands on the tape. Unlike Achane, Tutor has a thicker part of decrease and weighs more than 15 kilos larger than Achane that reached the NFL. Achane used to be an additional advanced receiver, and did not have the safety considerations of the ball, however, each of the two supports the installation of accidents to an abbreviation and comes out. They accumulated the explosive race and were carried out at a high point in the 4 aspects of what is requested from an outdoor zone corridor, together with the investment of the grain grain. If Tutor can surely of their clumsy considerations and build as a receiver, you can have a coincidence in the falsehood leagues if you join the correct offensive machine.
Bhayshul Tutan exploration archives
Praise
2023-24: Twice on the second All-ACC team
2024 (vs. Faculty of Boston): Axious Faculty Program Archive
Strengths
Tuthen has a valid speed of 4.32 on the tape and can be divided away from fast defenses as soon as it enters the perceptible grasslands.
The 10 -yard 96h percentile is shown in the speed of Tuthen, the starting and stop speed and exploding.
The leaps of the 93 percentiles give a concept of simply how explosive tuten can also be subsequent preliminary cuts.
7.6 Yardas According to Lift Out Out Out Dours Zone runs a school advice that if it will be paired with an outdoor zone scheme within the NFL, it can give a contribution immediately.
The assistance of tutan fluid hips manufactures well -dressed cuts and tours before being vertical once again.
The thickest part of the part of your body allows Tutan touch and develop yards later; It is at its best when you get in touch from behind or the facet.
You can replace the route and finish in a penny before restarting your impulse.
He beats each second and third level defender who chases the corner along with his speed.
The low medium of gravity performs a task in its best tactile stability. That is what defines sensible characteristics versus rapid and smaller alternative backs.
It has the advantage as each of the clearing and kicking.
Now it is not complicated as a receiver, but nevertheless, it will manufacture that you pay you in case you give you a field in passes and screens.
All fields in the outer zone can work at a high point from a processing point of view.
Matters
The most important fear for Tutan is their ball safety, and this is a main fear. He had 11 loose balls and lost 9 of them in his occupation, playing as soon as every 67 touches.
In no way exceeded 206 touches in a season; Is more than a rhythm change again?
Desires paintings in movement coverage, which could reserve it from the grasslands when passing early, however, has some moments of movement coverage that considers it to consider that there is space for expansion.
Now it is probably not the most received with herbs again.
Now it is not an elite processor related to eye and creativity as a runner in all executions (particularly within the area).
Base fold
Tutor has a career speed of the house that changes the game, a low medium of gravity and is more powerful than its standard speed again. All this results in rising, particularly in a workforce of a large area. On the other hand, as the NFL groups travel more to energy/holes schemes within the career competition to benefit from the defensive coordinators who participate in additional coverage from two zone areas, Tutor wants a particular scheme to have compatibility to benefit from their capacity at the point then. There is an extensive spectrum for runners along with their measurement/speed characteristics, however, tuten can probably load explosive runs to any NFL list.
What do alternative draft about Bhayshul Tuten say?
Josh Edwards: Bhayshul Tuthen is a form of boom or fall that works again. When he trusts in his vision and hits the space, he has the explosion of separating, however, yards unfolds in alternative races. Tuthen used to be one of the vital outstanding in the NFL exploration mixture and hopes that it will become a total variety among the best 100. You will discover a function for several years because of your athletic profile, however, you could possibly be a holder for a long period of time.
Chris Trapso: Bhayshul Tuthen is a fornid and thick operation that returns to work with more speed. He has a possible getaway and blooms like a free flow zone corridor with a feeling of herbs really for cuts and lower lanes. It offers some side wiggle and elusivity throughout the fold, with well dressed acceleration as soon as in the field. There are ribbon considerations. Although its tactile stability is not elite, it runs fragile and throws tacle to a forged load. His reception ability is reasonable these days, however, his athletics leaves space for expansion as a passer hunter.
Bhayshul Tuthen school statistics
2024 (VT)
11
183
1,159
6.3
15
105.4
2023 (UNC)
13
173
863
5.0
10
66.4
Bhayshul Tutten 247Sports profile
Secondary School: PaulBoro (Paulsboro, Brandnew Jersey) Elegance: 2021 Composite ranking: N / A
Take a look at the full 247Sports profile of Bhayshul Tuten, right here.
The NFL 2025 draft will eliminate the recreation courtyard from April 24 to 26 in Lambeau Grassland in inexperienced bay, Wisconsin. An additional draft protection can also be discovered on CBSSports.com, together with simulated day -to -day drafts, consensus anticipation scores, the best wishes of the workforce and extra.
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