With most teams right around the halfway point of the NBA season, we’re revealing the supercomputer’s projected playoff teams, play-in teams and those whose players will be heading home at the season’s end.
In the West, we’re wondering why the Phoenix Suns are better without Kevin Durant and whether Oklahoma City Thunder-San Antonio Spurs is the league’s next great rivalry.
Are the Detroit Pistons the new kings of the Eastern Conference? How have the Boston Celtics continued to win without Jayson Tatum? And are the Toronto Raptors the conference’s most surprising team?
As a result of a wild first half of the 2025-26 NBA season, many new questions have arisen since the Thunder lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were 34-5 on this date a year ago on their way to a 64-18 finish, but they’ve had a disappointing 2025-26 season so far. At 23-19 heading into Friday’s action, the Cavs have the second-largest decline in winning percentage since the end of last season.
Of course, the Indiana Pacers, who reached the NBA Finals but lost star Tyrese Haliburton to a season-ending injury, have endured the biggest fall from .610 (50-32) to .220 (9-32).
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1 day ago Taylor BechtoldOn the flip side, the Raptors were 10-31 on Jan. 15, 2025, but they’ve been one of the league’s biggest success stories at 25-17 in 2025-26. Toronto’s jump in winning percentage (plus-.229) since last season is the NBA’s largest, well ahead of the next-best Denver Nuggets (+.073).
Other things, however, have remained the same. For all the talk about the defending champ’s great 35-7 start, the Thunder were equally impressive a year ago with a 33-6 record.
Where does all that leave us as we look ahead to the rest of 2025-26?
With most teams right around the 41-game halfway point of the season, we’re asking the Opta supercomputer to give us the projected playoff teams, play-in teams and those who will get an early trip to Cabo at the season’s end.
Projected Western Conference Playoffs
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Current Record (through Jan. 15): 35-7 Projected Final Record: 66-16 Probability of Making the Playoffs:Hence then, the article about nba playoff predictions the opta supercomputer projects the postseason bracket was published today ( ) and is available on The Analyst ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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