ESPN.com · Apr 6, 2025
NBA Finals contenders' top weakness: Who can exploit them?
Copy Link
The gauntlet of the NBA playoffs, which requires the champion to win four series which could last up to seven games each, has a knack for revealing teams' weaknesses en route to the Finals.
Every team, even the three considered the NBA's top contenders -- the No. 1 seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers and the defending champion Boston Celtics -- has shortcomings.
For each of these eight teams -- the top three in the East and top five in the West -- we're taking a look under the statistical microscope to identify weaknesses and which potential opponents could expose them in the postseason.
East contenders:
BOS | CLE | NYK
West contenders:
