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NBA playoffs 2024: Everything to know about the 20 teams still vying for the title

The NBA postseason is here. Let's take a closer look at the 20 teams that still have a chance to win the 2024 title -- including a trio of MVPs who will need to survive the play-in tournament to advance.

In the Eastern Conference bracket, the Boston Celtics ran away with the top overall seed, but that didn't mean this race lacked drama down the stretch. The New York Knicks needed overtime on the final day of the regular season to secure the No. 2 seed, completing a final month of reshuffling below the Celtics in the standings.

The Western Conference postseason picture is stacked with superstars. It's led at the top by the Oklahoma City Thunder, whose massive rebuild is far ahead of schedule. The No. 3-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, meanwhile, finally figured out their center partnership and have a face-of-the-league-caliber player in guard Anthony Edwards. Both contenders will try to stop the defending champion Denver Nuggets, led by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

And the play-in races in both conferences came down to the wire, leaving Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers, LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers and Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors among the eight teams trying to advance into the first round.

Who will get past the play-in? Which contenders should be worried? Our NBA insiders break down the mighty, the middling and every team in between ahead of the new postseason.

The Celtics have been atop the league standings virtually all season. They join the Thunder as the only teams in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating, and Boston's offseason trades for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have worked out as well as the Celtics could have hoped. With the rest of the East slumping behind them, the Celtics have been in cruise control for two months, able to manage injuries while rolling to the NBA's best record.

Biggest concern
Crunch-time issues in the playoffs have plagued Boston for years, and they are why the Celtics acquired Porzingis in the deal that sent guard Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies. Tatum has consistently struggled in late-game situations, including going 1-for-7 on tying or go-ahead shots inside the final 10 seconds of games this season, and the hope is that Porzingis' ability to take advantage of mismatches will give the Celtics a different look in those moments in the playoffs. Boston has struggled in the past when teams have switched and forced it into isolation situations late in games.

One postseason prediction
The world will get to know Sam Hauser. Much has been made of Boston's lack of depth this season, but that's in part because Hauser, one of the league's best 3-point shooters, has been completely overlooked. The 26-year-old shot 42.4% from 3-point range on 5.9 attempts per game this season as coach Joe Mazzulla's preferred seventh man after the five starters and top reserve Al Horford. If the Celtics have the kind of playoff run they are expecting, Hauser will play a big part in it and likely will have several big shooting performances.

New York's road to the postseason
The Knicks have returned to the postseason with three things: a physical, tough-as-nails defense, the best rebounding club in the NBA and stellar performances all season from Jalen Brunson, who's played the part of superstar for this short-handed club. New York has shown glimpses of being the East's top contender outside of Boston -- particularly during a nine-game win streak in January after acquiring forward OG Anunoby.

Biggest concern
Julius Randle put up brutal efficiency numbers in his two playoff appearances, but missing the former All-NBA forward for the remainder of the season is brutal for a club that looked poised for a deep run. Now Brunson, despite carrying the Knicks offense all season, will take that burden into the postseason as defenses game-plan for the breakout star guard. It certainly helps that New York is accustomed to playing without Randle. (The Knicks also lacked Mitchell Robinson and Anunoby, each of whom are back after long injury absences.) But the other key question is whether the team, short-handed for months, can reach a higher level of play after grinding through the regular season to secure the No. 2 seed.