Every NBA season features at least one "team nobody wants to play" — a well-coached brash underdog that will make the championship favorites work for that status. God forbid a Team Nobody Wants to Play wins its first-round playoff series, because each successive victory feeds its belief in its own title chances.
The Atlanta Hawks became last year's version. The Miami Heat held that moniker in 2020. This season features more candidates than any other in recent memory, which calls for something you never knew you needed: The Team Nobody Wants To Play power ranking of the 15 long shots* currently in the playoff field.