2026 NBA playoff preview: Series breakdowns, X-factors, predictions and rankings

The 2026 NBA Playoffs begin on Saturday, and we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know for the first round.

Complete schedule • How to watch • Betting odds

Series previews and predictions

The first round will give us LeBron vs. KD in the playoffs for the first time since the 2018 Finals. (Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / REUTERS

Dan Devine and Ben Rohrbach are breaking down every first-round series, from the key matchups to the big questions.

East: Hawks-Knicks • Raptors-Cavaliers
West: Wolves-Nuggets • Rockets-Lakers

Playoff X-factors

(Dillon Marshall/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

For every team, there is one player who can swing the series, for better or worse. Let’s look at one X-factor for every team. Kevin O'Connor

• Weitzman: Behind Deni Avdija’s explosive rise

Power Rankings

(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

We power ranked every team based on where they finished the regular season in the hunt for a championship. Ben Rohrbach

Playoff experience … is it overrated?

(Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Many point to the San Antonio’s inexperience as the thing that will lead to its eventual downfall. But is its youth a bug … or a feature? Tom Haberstroh

• Iko: Postseason storylines to watch

Podcast previews