Will the Denver Nuggets become the first team since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 to repeat?
Or will the NBA produce a different champion for the sixth straight season?
Can anyone beat the Boston Celtics and prevent them from winning the franchise’s 18th title, which would break the tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for most in NBA history?
Can a team make it out of the play-in game tournament and reach the conference finals or NBA Finals like the Lakers and Miami Heat did last season? And with so many teams tightly grouped based on regular season records, does ranking matter less this season?
These and other questions will be answered as the playoffs unfold.
Here are the NBA playoff predictions from the USA TODAY Network editors:
Scooby Axson, USA TODAY Sports
First round
Celtics on the Heat
Horsemen on magic
Pacers vs. Bucks
Knicks vs. 76ers
Thunder over the pelicans
The Mavericks vs. the Clippers
The Timberwolves on the Suns
Nuggets vs. Lakers
Second turn
Celtics vs. Cavaliers
The Knicks vs. the Pacers
Mavericks vs. Thunder
Nuggets against the Timberwolves
Conference finals
Celtics vs. Knicks
Nuggets vs. Mavericks
NBA Finals
Nuggets against the Celtics
Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis star
First round
Celtics on the Heat
Knicks vs. 76ers
Pacers vs. Bucks
Horsemen on magic
Thunder over the pelicans
The Mavericks vs. the Clippers
The Timberwolves on the Suns
Nuggets vs. Lakers
Second turn
Celtics vs. Cavaliers
The Knicks vs. the Pacers
Thunder on the Mavericks
Nuggets against the Timberwolves
Conference finals
Celtics vs. Knicks
Nuggets over Thunder
NBA Finals
Celtics vs. Nuggets
Jim Owczarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
First round
Celtics on the Heat
Knicks vs. 76ers
Dollars against the Pacers
Magic on the Horsemen
Thunder over the pelicans
Nuggets vs. Lakers
Suns on the Timberwolves
Dallas vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Second turn
The Celtics against the Magic
The Knicks vs. the Bucks
Mavericks vs. Thunder
Nuggets on the suns
Conference finals
Celtics vs. Knicks
Nuggets vs. Mavericks
NBA Finals
Nuggets against the Celtics
Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic
First round
Celtics on the Heat
Knicks vs. 76ers
Dollars against the Pacers
Magic on the Horsemen
Thunder over the pelicans
Nuggets vs. Lakers
Suns on the Timberwolves
The Mavericks vs. the Clippers
Second turn
The Celtics against the Magic
Dollars vs. Knicks
Thunder on the Mavs
Nuggets on the suns
Conference finals
Celtics vs. Bucks
Nuggets over Thunder
NBA Finals
Celtics vs. Nuggets
Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports
First round
Celtics on the Heat
Knicks vs. 76ers
Pacers vs. Bucks
Magic on the Horsemen
Thunder over the pelicans
Nuggets vs. Lakers
Suns on the Timberwolves
The Mavericks vs. the Clippers
Second turn
The Celtics against the Magic
The Knicks vs. the Pacers
Thunder on the Mavericks
Nuggets on the suns
Conference finals
Celtics vs. Knicks
Nuggets over Thunder
NBA Finals
Celtics vs. Nuggets
