2026 NBA Playoffs: Larry O’Brien trophy looks for a new home

This Saturday, April 18, the most anticipated time of the season kicks off: the NBA Playoffs. The 16 best teams of the year will seek to write their name on the list of winners and win the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors will open the festivities.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, defending NBA champions, open as heavy favorites, aiming to repeat. Despite their status and the task they have, there are other teams who feel they have a fighting chance to put the championship ring on their fingers.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Last season, the Thunder stunned the NBA with a virtually flawless regular season performance (68 wins and 14 losses, finishing first in the Western Conference). They were able to maintain that form during the postseason, until winning the first title in their history under their current name (the Seattle SuperSonics did it in the 1978-1979 season). This year, more of the same. With a slight difference in their regular season record (64 wins and 18 losses) compared to last season, the franchise led by Mark Daigneault concluded its journey in the first position of the Western Conference.

Oklahoma City’s most outstanding player, without a doubt, is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 27-year-old Canadian point guard, the undisputed leader of the Thunder, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) last season. He has a high chance of winning the distinction again this year. SGA has put up spectacular numbers this season: he averaged 31.1 points per game. Next to him are players like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, completing one of the deepest rosters in the entire NBA.

San Antonio Spurs

Finishing behind the Thunder in the Western Conference standings were the San Antonio Spurs. After six seasons of being left out of the NBA Playoffs, the Spurs have returned. And they did so by entering through the front door. Their record of 62 wins and 20 losses was very close to snatching the lead from Oklahoma City. Their head coach, Mitch Johnson, has brought back the excitement to a fan base that saw its team dominate from start to finish in the late 1990s and early 21st century.

On the parquet shines a player who, being so young, already has gallons of leadership: Victor Wembanyama. The 22-year-old Frenchman and No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft was the object of desire for many teams. He averaged 25 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. This made him a candidate for regular season MVP. In the three years he has been with the Spurs, his level has confirmed that he is the present and future of the NBA. He will need the help of guards like De'Aaron Fox or Stephon Castle to fight for the title.

Detroit Pistons

On the other side of the NBA came what is probably the biggest surprise of this season. The Detroit Pistons, a franchise with many stories to tell, stunned fans, finishing first in the Eastern Conference against all odds. Their record was 62 wins and 20 losses. Not too shabby. After many years away from the top of the NBA, they have returned. But here comes the important part, and it is where they will have to keep up the pace they have had up to now.

The team has youth at the helm, as with the Spurs. At 24, Cade Cunningham, who averaged 23.9 points per game this regular season, carries the Pistons' baton on the hardwood. He just recovered from a collapsed lung he suffered against the Washington Wizards in March, so it will remain to be seen how he performs in the Playoffs after the injury. Alongside him is Jalen Duren, two years younger, as well as veteran figures such as Tobias Harris to provide the experience.

Boston Celtics

It is the most successful franchise in the history of the best basketball league in the world with 18 championships. The last was won in 2024, beating the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics enter the 2026 NBA Playoffs having finished behind the Pistons in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 56 wins and 26 losses. They reached at least the Eastern Conference semifinals in the last nine seasons, except once, when in the 2020-2021 season they fell to the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. This year, while perhaps not their best, they are once again contenders for the title. History backs them up.

Jayson Tatum is the Celtics' beacon. After being sidelined for about 10 months due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, his performance upon his return, made in March, has not been like it used to be. However, the 28-year-old averaged 21.8 points and 10 rebounds in the 16 games he played during the regular season. His absence has been covered by his co-star, Jaylen Brown, who is primed for a Playoff battle. So is Payton Pritchard.