20. Atlanta Hawks (36-46)
Atlanta holds the title as the worst team to make the NBA postseason with a record of 36-46, 10 games below .500. Adam Silver does deserve credit for the development of the Play-In Tournament, however, the result is some miserable teams will make it and this year the Hawks are just that.

19. Chicago Bulls (39-43)
The second of two teams in the tournament with a losing record are the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls though are much more interesting in my opinion. Did you see the final game of the regular season versus the New York Knicks? Chicago, without Zach LaVine, is unselfish and plays gritty basketball. In a win-or-go-home single game, the Bulls have a good chance.

18. Golden State Warriors (46-36)
The Warriors crawled into this postseason as the last team to make it in the Western Conference. We will now see if they have one last run in them, but they made it the most difficult road they could being the 10th seed. Golden State’s Play-In matchup is spicy as we know they have animosity with the Kings. Last year, Steph dropped 50 on them. Can he do it again?

17. Miami Heat (46-36)
If you are a Heat fan, you are convincing yourself to not be worried about being the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Rewind one year and you started an unbelievable playoff run to the NBA Finals. Sorry to say though, this Miami Heat team does not seem to have the same fire. They lost Gabe Vincent and Max Strus prior to the season, two key players in last year’s run.

16. Milwaukee Bucks (49-33)
Did it look like the Bucks were trying to manipulate a playoff matchup with the way they played in the final game of the regular season? Giannis did not play, but Orlando beat them down. The irony is the Bucks got the Indiana Pacers in the first round and the Pacers won the season series 4-1 this year.

15. Cleveland Cavaliers (48-34)
Donovan Mitchell seems to have returned relatively to his pre-injury form. That likely is not enough for this Cavaliers team to make some real noise in the playoffs. There are a number of exciting first-round playoff matchups, yet the Cavs versus Magic seems like a snooze fest.

14. Sacramento Kings (46-36)
Sacramento had it made about a month ago as they were easily avoiding the Play-In Tournament. Now, the Kings sit in the 9th seed and are facing a Warriors team that is extremely familiar with the NBA Playoffs. Sacramento could be one and done after a season with lofty expectations.

13. New Orleans Pelicans (49-33)
The Pelicans controlled their playoff fate with one game remaining. Beat the Lakers, and secure the 6th seed, avoiding the Play-In Tournament. New Orleans got beat down by LA and their reward is a repeat matchup against LA on Tuesday. Can they bounce back and show a little fight? The winner of this game gets the Denver Nuggets in the first round.

12. Los Angeles Lakers (47-35)
LeBron James showed why he can still be in the discussion as the greatest basketball player in the game to this day in his 21st(!!) year. He assisted on the first 6 Lakers possessions yesterday and secured a triple-double easily. The concern should be Anthony Davis tweaking his back yesterday. LA needs James and Davis both healthy to win in the playoffs.

11. Orlando Magic (47-35)
The young Magic showed some resolve closing out the season to secure the 5th seed. It was only a week ago they had a good chance at 2nd, but they did what they had to do. Now Orlando needs to prove that the moment is not too big and the lights are not too bright for their young core.

10. Indiana Pacers (47-35)
Did the Pacers get the first-round matchup they were hoping for? They have had the Bucks’ number ever since the heated In-Season Tournament game. With their prolific offense and Giannis’ questionable health, it would not surprise me at all if Indiana was favored in this series.

9. Phoenix Suns (49-33)
Some media members, notably Kendrick Perkins, were ready to crown the Suns NBA Champions before the season even started. The big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal were supposed to be the greatest offensive group in history. It is time to put up or shut up.

8. LA Clippers (51-31)
The most exciting first-round matchup in the Western Conference might be the Clippers versus the Mavericks. The star power in this series is box office with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Luka Doncic. This is a must-watch series and has all the markings of going the full 7 games.

7. Dallas Mavericks (50-32)
Luka has been overlooked this season for MVP even though he won the scoring title by 3.5 points per game. It was mentioned last week in The Rankings, but this Mavericks team has started playing impressive defense. If Luka and Kyrie play efficiently offensively, this is a scary team in the Western Conference.

6. Philadelphia 76ers (47-35)
This is not bias that has the 76ers Ranked 6th heading into the playoffs. Philadelphia is on an 8-game winning streak since the return of Joel Embiid and they look scary. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Tyrese Maxey are playing at another level with Embiid on the floor and I would not argue if you think they are the second-best team in the Eastern Conference.

5. New York Knicks (50-32)
Excitement around the Knicks’ first 50-win season in over a decade has to be dampened by the absence of Julius Randle. Jalen Brunson and the Villanova Wildcats supporting cast is playing great, but their ceiling might be limited. A potential first-round matchup with the Sixers could be looming.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves (56-26)
Karl-Anthony Towns return is key to Minnesota having a chance to win the Western Conference. Towns suffered a similar injury to Joel Embiid and returned in a shorter timeframe so his health will still be questioned. At the end of the day though, this team is led by Anthony Edwards who seems to love high-pressure situations.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25)
OKC landed the number 1 seed in a stacked Western Conference and has shown incredible growth from last season. Mark Daigneault said every game they play, he believes they have the best player on the court. It is hard to argue with him the way Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing. Are the Thunder too young for playoff success? It’s go time!

2. Denver Nuggets (57-25)
Even sitting in the 2nd seed, the Western Conference favorite should still be the Nuggets. They are the reigning NBA Champions and to be the best, you have to beat the best. Denver blew a game against the San Antonio Spurs with a chance to control their destiny and be the 1st seed, but maybe that will light a fire in them at the right time.

1. Boston Celtics (64-18)
All season long, the Boston Celtics have been the best team in the NBA top to bottom. Led by the potential future face of the NBA, Jayson Tatum, the Celtics have the most pressure on them of any team heading into the playoffs. The organization has been arguably the best in the Eastern Conference the last few years, with no Championships to show for it. Can the Celtics handle the pressure and hang banner number 18?