The second round of the NBA playoffs may have just begun but we can still dream
The second round of the NBA playoffs has begun, and already we’re seeing some surprising results as the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers fell in Game 1 to the Indiana Pacers. Certainly no one outside of Indianapolis saw that coming, but the Pacers have a knack for proving people wrong.
We may only be one game into the second round, but that won’t stop us from daydreaming about the potential NBA Finals matchups we could be in store for. We’re a long ways away from that, but it’s still fun to think about which of these two teams would make the best matchup when the Larry O’Brien trophy is on the line. Quite frankly, this is as exciting of a field as we’ve had in recent years, and while there were some upsets in the first round that nixed what would’ve been some highly exciting potential Finals matchups — looking at you, Lakers — that doesn’t mean what’s left is boring.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at all 16 of the potential NBA Finals matchups and rank them on how much we would want to watch them.
The defending champions vs. the best team in the West. I know some Cavaliers fans are thinking this is a snub of their team for the top spot, but this has the star power and, in my opinion, the better matchup for a potential NBA Finals meeting. Seeing how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander performs against a Boston defense that is equipped to slow him down with the likes of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Jaylen Brown is incredibly intriguing.
The same goes for the potential of seeing two unicorns in Kristaps Porzingis and Chet Holmgren duel. OKC won both matchups between these two teams in the regular season, one of which was a nail biter down the stretch. From a pure quality matchup basis, this has the best chance of being the most exciting of the bunch, and there’s a strong likelihood we could be getting it.
2. Cavaliers vs. Thunder
In both matchups between these two teams, we got instant classics in the regular season. They split the season series, and as the top-seeded teams in each conference this would be the ultimate battle of who the best team is. It may not be a ratings bonanza as neither city is likely to bring in even the most casual of NBA fan, but that doesn’t make this matchup boring by any means. The Cavaliers match up well against the Thunder, with Cleveland employing the top-ranked offense and OKC not far behind at No. 3. Both teams have an incredible amount of depth, capable of bringing guys in off the bench who are real difference makers on both ends of the floor.
OKC would have the best player by far in this series in SGA, and we’ve seen Donovan Mitchell come alive in the playoffs and rise to a level that warrants the conversation of ranking him higher amongst the league’s best players. These two teams have seemed to be on a collision course to meet in the Finals all season, and while there’s still plenty of basketball left to be played, it wouldn’t be surprising in the slightest if these were the last two teams standing.
Round II anyone? We saw the Warriors breathe life back into their dynasty with a championship in 2022 against these same Celtics, and while some pieces have changed, enough of the core players are still around to ignite some extra excitement in this series. Stephen Curry would be going for his fifth title against a Celtics team he bested just three years ago, while Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and company would be trying to get revenge against a Golden State team that rattled off three consecutive wins in the Finals after falling behind 2-1 in the series.
Not to mention the Jimmy Butler of it all. Watching Butler play in the Finals for a third time would be an absolute treat, especially as this time around would provide perhaps his best shot and winning a ring after having to drag two less-talented Miami Heat teams to two Finals appearances, only to fall incredibly short. The storylines would write themselves here, and having two big markets like Boston and San Francisco would likely please the ratings gods — and the league office.
You cannot tell me that watching Anthony Edwards trash talk Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and Timothee Chalamet at Madison Square Garden wouldn’t be absolutely electric. Just imagine him nailing a 3-pointer and making a comment to someone on Celebrity Row, or throwing down an emphatic dunk over Karl-Anthony Towns or Mitchell Robinson. Chills. This may not be the best matchup in terms of the most talented rosters, but if these two teams managed to get to the Finals, it would be absolutely the most entertaining.
Towns and Julius Randle going against their former teams would be a cinematic experience, moreso for Randle as the one who got cast out as the Knicks went looking to land KAT. Oh and let’s not forget Donte DiVincenzo, who got sent to Minnesota too, breaking up the Villanova Knicks. A breakup so well known, AT&T made a March Madness commercial centered around it. Jalen Brunson — the recently named Clutch Player of the Year — putting on his superhero cape to will the Knicks to a championship would likely make him mayor of the city. I wouldn’t even be mad if some people had this at the top of their list for matchups they want to see, because it would probably be a battle as neither team is eons ahead of the other in terms of depth or talent, so this would have the potential of going all seven games.
5. Cavaliers vs. Warriors
If you told someone who hasn’t paid attention to the NBA in the last eight years that the NBA Finals will be between the Warriors and the Cavaliers, they would probably ask you, “Oh, did LeBron go back to Cleveland?” Those four straight years of Finals matchups between these two teams between 2015 and 2018 were thrilling, even if the results weren’t always exciting. This certainly isn’t what we had back then, and LeBron James certainly isn’t walking through the door in a Cavaliers jersey, but Cleveland would probably be favored in this series, something they couldn’t say back then at the height of the Golden State dynasty.
The characters might’ve changed — mainly on the Cavs — but the fans on both sides remember. This matchup would provide some nostalgia, and would also just be a quality matchup, because while the Cavs have been the better regular season team, betting against Curry, Butler and Green to not make this a hard-fought series would not be wise.
6. Nuggets vs. Celtics
Seeing Nikola Jokic against the defending champions would be entertaining. This would’ve been a far better matchup the year Denver won a title in 2023, but with their lack of depth this likely wouldn’t be a close series. Though if the Nuggets managed to get to the Finals, it would mean outstanding performances from the likes Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun, in addition to Jokić and Jamal Murray.
From a schematic standpoint, watching Jokić vs. Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla would be intriguing, seeing how the three-time MVP winner would adjust to everything Mazzulla threw at him, proving why he’s the best player in the world. And while Boston has one of the best defensive units in the league, they don’t quite have an answer to contain Jokić. Al Horford would certainly be the go-to here, but at 38 years old you have to wonder how he would hold up over the course of the series guarding the Serbian big man.
7. Warriors vs. Knicks
Another matchup that has the potential to be highly entertaining. Green going against Towns would likely result in at least one dust up. The same goes for Butler and, well, whoever you want to pick on the Knicks side of things. Curry always shows out when he plays at MSG, so there would be no shortage of Knicks fans with broken hearts on at least one occasion. Having two big markets like this meet in the Finals is always a positive, and there’s enough talent on both sides to make this a quality matchup that could go the distance.
8. Nuggets vs. Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell vs. Jamal Murray has already provided us with one highly entertaining matchup in the past, and this would be no different. For those who don’t remember, in the 2020 Orlando bubble, when the Nuggets faced Mitchell’s former Utah Jazz team, the two guards went ballistic, giving us some of the best offensive performances in the playoffs. Mitchell went for 51 points in the first game of that series, and then later on both he and Murray posted 50-point performances in the same game. These are two guys who, when they get on a heater, are nearly impossible to stop, and if that were to happen in the Finals, you can bet it’s going to be exhilarating.
9. Knicks vs. Thunder
There’s the baked-in storyline of Isaiah Hartenstein playing against his former team, but that’s not the most notable thing here. Watching Brunson and Gilgeous-Alexander duke it out would just be wildly entertaining. These are two of the craftiest guards in the league, and while some may call them free-throw merchants, they just have high IQs to know how to put the defense in a compromising position. This may not be the most balanced matchup, as OKC’s depth, defense and offensive versatility would be too much for the Knicks, so it may not provide the most exciting Finals series.
10. Timberwolves vs. Celtics
You could argue this matchup could be slightly higher, but I’m basing it off how close the series would be and I just don’t think Minnesota has enough to contend with Boston’s offense. They got past the Lakers because of the size advantage, defense and Edwards just being the best player in the series. And while you could argue Edwards may be the best player in a series against the Celtics, Boston simply has too much offensive firepower and a stout defense that would force him to beat them alone. We saw that last year with Luka Doncic and the Mavericks, and we all know how that ended.
11. Warriors vs. Pacers
I have a feeling there would be a whole of scoring in this series. Tyrese Haliburton is a showman and having him go against the ultimate showman in Curry would be a treat for fans of high-scoring basketball games. This would probably be an evenly matched series, but Indiana’s tendency to fall asleep at the wheel on defense would burn them against a Curry-Butler offensive tandem. That puts this series lower than most, but who doesn’t want to see games where the score can go into the 130s if either of these teams gets scorching hot from deep?
12. Knicks vs. Nuggets
I don’t really know what to make of this potential matchup. The Nuggets dropped both games against the Knicks this season, and Jokić didn’t particularly play well. Both of those games came without Mitchell Robinson too, which is even more telling. It was more about the Nuggets just not having enough depth or scoring to compete with the Knicks, an issue that has plagued Denver all year, and would certainly rear its ugly head if these two teams met in the Finals.
13. Pacers vs. Nuggets
Watching Pascal Siakam guard Jokić would be the highlight of this series, at least for me. There’s other reasons to like a matchup like this: Haliburton vs. Murray, seeing how Turner and Gordon figure into things and of course Russell Westbrook can always provide some highs and lows in any Nuggets game. There’s also watching two of the league’s greatest passers in Jokić and Haliburton go toe-to-toe, seeing them bend the defense to their will at the highest level. Sure, it would be two smaller-market teams, but ratings isn’t what determines what would make an exciting matchup.
14. Cavaliers vs. Timberwolves
Another matchup that doesn’t really excite me when compared to the others above it on this list. That’s no knock to either team, but Cleveland has been so dominant this season that I can’t see Minnesota really having enough scoring to seriously contend. The Cavs are no surefire bet — we saw what just happened in Game 1 of their series against the Pacers — but that’s against an Indiana team that has no problem scoring. The Timberwolves, on the other hand, have a tendency to settle for bad shots and can go really cold for stretches of the game.
15. Timberwolves vs. Pacers
Edwards vs. Haliburton would be thrilling. But beyond that, I just don’t think this matchup would be all that exciting, especially when you measure them up against the other options. The Pacers can run up the score with the best of them — in fact they’ve had the second-best offense in the playoffs so far, including a surprising Game 1 win against the top-seeded Cavaliers. I just don’t know how Minnesota would hold pace with that. The Wolves ranked near the top of the league in 3s taken and made in the regular season, but in the playoffs, they’re averaging just 32.3% from deep. Meanwhile the Pacers are at the top of the pack at 41.6%. That doesn’t bode well for a close series if these two teams met.
16. Thunder vs. Pacers
Look, someone had to be ranked last, and honestly I just think the Thunder are too good for the Pacers to make this an interesting matchup in the Finals. Indiana has been able to go toe-to-toe against the Cavs so far in the second round, but OKC, to me, is in a class of its own compared to Cleveland. I just don’t think Indiana would be able to shoot over 50% from the field and 3-point range against the Thunder team.
