NBA Championship Power Rankings: Breaking Down Every Contender for This Year’s Title
Sports Illustrated • • sports
Key Points:
- Historically, 78 of 79 NBA champions were top-four seeds, emphasizing the importance of having one of the best conference records to contend for the title; however, recent Finals have shown some lower seeds making deep runs.
- As of late February, about a dozen teams are realistically in the championship conversation, with the top six seeds in each conference holding the strongest cases due to their talent and consistency.
- The Detroit Pistons lead the power rankings with a strong defensive identity and Cade Cunningham as an MVP candidate, while the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder also rank highly thanks to star players Victor Wembanyama and a balanced roster, respectively.
- Teams like the 76ers and Lakers face challenges such as injuries to key players and defensive
