Teams You'd Least Like To Play In A Series

[perks-a-beast]

I'll start by saying the Celtics should be the favorites to win in 2025 if healthy. I actually think they have the best chance to repeat as champions since the Warriors did it in 2018. However, I think there are 6-7 tough teams who are serious title contenders next year - i'm curious to see who people think are some of the biggest threats...

My thoughts:


1. Thunder. This may surprise some people but I genuinely think OKC is the 2nd best team in the league and pose the biggest matchup problem for the Celtics. Nearly everyone in their team can handle the ball and they have 3 elite defenders in Holmgren, Dort, and Caruso in their lineup. Like the Celtics, they're extremely switchable on D. I can't overstate what great additions Caruso and Holmgren are for them.

2. Nuggets. Haven't matched up well in the past and Jokic still remains the scariest player to face in a 7 game series. The Murray-Jokic pick and roll remains one of the deadliest plays in basketball. They've lost a bit of depth but are still serious contenders in my eyes.

3. T'Wolves. Tons of size, and Edwards would probably be the best player in the series - arguably harder than Doncic for this team to contain imo.

4. Knicks. People keep saying this NYK is "built to beat the Celtics." That has yet to be seen, but there's no denying they're getting a huge talent upgrade with the addition of Bridges. They're going to have a lot of mouths to feed - maybe too many. I can see them being an absolute juggernaut or being similar to the 2018-19 Celtics where they have all these great pieces but ultimately end up being an unhappy team because too many guys arent getting enough touches, hard to say which they'll be.

Some teams I think will be good but didnt bother listing...

Sixers Hard to take them seriously when we've been taking them to the woodshed for the past 3 decades. Embiid will probably pull another dissapearing act in the playoffs and PG13 is far too inconsistent at this late stage of his career.

Bucks Too slow on the perimeter and i think we have already probably seen the best Giannis has to offer. Also i hate to say it but...The Doc Rivers effect seems to be real

Mavericks We kicked their butts and i dont actually think they got any better. Swapping Jones, Hardaway, and Green for Thompson, Grimes, and Marshall seems like a wash to me. They needed D and Thompson cant guard a traffic cone at this point in his career.

[W8ting2McHale]

I agree with you on the Thunder, although they?re going to have to make it past the Nuggets and T?wolves first. I don?t see Dallas getting past any of them in 2025. They just had everything fall into place this year.

The ?76ers could be a problem if fully healthy, but I?m betting at least one of Embiid/George will not be able to play 100%.

The Bucks and Knicks will both be tough outs. I think they are both beatable and it might be Orlando doing the beating for us. I see the Magic being a dark horse and winning a couple of series this season. Not a championship team yet, but they could upset some of the teams ranked higher.

Edit: I forgot to mention Memphis. They suffered from injuries last season and will have Ja Morant back. I don?t think they will be a good playoff team, but I see them winning a lot of regular season games and getting hyped.

[Goldstar88]

Not worried about the Thunder at all. Feel like they are one of those teams that look great in the regular season, but come up short in the playoffs. They only have one star player in SGA. As we saw in their series vs Dallas, that?s not enough.

[W8ting2McHale]

Not worried about the Thunder at all. Feel like they are one of those teams that look great in the regular season, but come up short in the playoffs. They only have one star player in SGA. As we saw in their series vs Dallas, that?s not enough.

In my opinion you must be sleeping on Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. They were the ROY runner ups the last two seasons. They are already putting up fringe all-star numbers, but will likely get blocked again by more established players. There was a reason they won a lot of games last season. Their inexperience showed in the playoffs, but that?s last year. I wouldn?t count them out in 2025. SGA can dominate and he has a balanced team around him.

[SparzWizard]

Don't forget about the Grizzlies. They were banged up last year. They were the #2 seed in the year they got pulverized by the #7 Lakers when their front court was banged up and Ja was out for some games here and there.

They got Smart now and should healthier. They'll be back in the mix.

[Goldstar88]

Not worried about the Thunder at all. Feel like they are one of those teams that look great in the regular season, but come up short in the playoffs. They only have one star player in SGA. As we saw in their series vs Dallas, that?s not enough.

In my opinion you must be sleeping on Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. They were the ROY runner ups the last two seasons. They are already putting up fringe all-star numbers, but will likely get blocked again by more established players. There was a reason they won a lot of games last season. Their inexperience showed in the playoffs, but that?s last year. I wouldn?t count them out in 2025. SGA can dominate and he has a balanced team around him.

They certainly weren?t fringe all-stars vs Dallas in the playoffs. PJ Washington averaged more points per game in that series. One of those two need to become an all-star caliber player for OKC to be a legitimate threat in the postseason.

[celticinorlando]

The only team I am worried about beating the Celtics would be the Celtics or Team Injury.

I just do not see any team beating the Celtics in a 7 game series. Might they get pushed? Sure. But the Knicks lack size and have over paid OG.

Paul George and Embiid are not playoff performers even if they can get there healthy.

Denver has seemed to regress and has lost a ton from that title team.

OKC...something about them has me waiting to see if they are just all hype or not. 

I guess if you made me pick one it would be the Pacers.

[SHAQATTACK]

With every Celtic Healthy .  Especially starting Five that includes KP at full speed ?.

= NO FEAR

[Phantom255x]

In order, I'd say OKC-Denver-Minnesota-New York

I still fear Denver because of Jokic, and tbh our PF/C position can be a bit iffy with Porzingis being injury prone and Horford being a year older. Minnesota has the size, I still question the mental toughness of some guys like KAT but if Edwards can take the next step, that'll be rough.

I do think the first 3 I want to "avoid" are in the West though. The first East team I'd want to avoid is New York. Yes, they have question marks too with PF/C now that Hartenstein is gone, and whether Brunson can be the alpha. But they are still a deep team that just added Bridges who will only help.

OKC was already a rising team with SGA and Chet, and they added Hartenstein as well as Caruso who I think is a very underrated addition for them at the expense of Giddey who didn't seem to fit their roster going forward.

[aefgogreen]

I don?t think he?s there, but as the bar seems to consistently get lower, maybe he gets in with another ring.

[Who]

Not worried about the Thunder at all. Feel like they are one of those teams that look great in the regular season, but come up short in the playoffs. They only have one star player in SGA. As we saw in their series vs Dallas, that?s not enough.

In my opinion you must be sleeping on Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. They were the ROY runner ups the last two seasons. They are already putting up fringe all-star numbers, but will likely get blocked again by more established players. There was a reason they won a lot of games last season. Their inexperience showed in the playoffs, but that?s last year. I wouldn?t count them out in 2025. SGA can dominate and he has a balanced team around him.

They certainly weren?t fringe all-stars vs Dallas in the playoffs. PJ Washington averaged more points per game in that series. One of those two need to become an all-star caliber player for OKC to be a legitimate threat in the postseason.

I wonder if Chet will take a step back offensively next season with Hartenstein on board. Chet's perimeter game had an easier time against slower centers than it will against quicker perimeter defenders at PF.

[86MaxwellSmart]

Knicks

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

With every Celtic Healthy .  Especially starting Five that includes KP at full speed ?.

= NO FEAR

THANK U! WE FEAR NO ONE! NO ONE!

[Phantom255x]

The Philadelphia-New York debate is a very interesting one. It's hard to tell who will be the best of those two teams, and it might just come down to fatigue and/or injuries for their star players. I would love to see them face each other in another playoff series. Last year's was electric and so will this year's, plus it would mean they "cannibalize" each other before playing Boston.