2025 NBA playoffs: LeBron and Luka, the Celtics and more storylines to watch
The pieces are in place for this to be a very compelling NBA postseason, with a mix of a new guard as the top seeds in both the East and West while a repeat threat is more than real in Boston and the duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic try to go on a deep run to a title.
The conferences? They really could not be further apart in terms of parity on paper. The West has a chance to be wild with MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder trying to show they are in fact made for the moment of a title run, Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green charging Ime Udoka's Rockets into a new chapter of postseason basketball, LeBron getting on a pursuit for a fifth ring at the age of 40 with Doncic trying to return to the Finals, a fascinating series between the Nuggets and Clippers, Anthony Edwards looking to recreate magic in Minnesota while Steph Curry seeks to keep the Warriors alive.
In the East, so much feels like the top-seeded Cavaliers and reigning champion Celtics are on a collision course, with the 3rd-seeded Knicks going a combined 0-8 against Cleveland and Boston. While the Pacers are coming off a run to the Eastern Conference Finals and could test the Cavs and the Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo to lead the way, neither feels like a team that can be taken seriously to come out of the East. My take: until someone takes the throne from a fully healthy Boston, it's theirs to lose.
With that, let's get you set for the NBA Playoffs with the six storylines that I am paying close attention to as we hit postseason basketball!
The Lakers won 18 of 28 to close the regular season after acquiring the 6-foot-6 superstar from the Mavericks, who has averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game for the purple and