Ranking All the Teams Participating in the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament

The NBA has closed the chapter on another grueling 82-game marathon of a regular season, which means playoff basketball is just on the horizon for 16 fanbases. But before we kick off the familiar chess match of a best-of-seven series, eight unrelenting ball clubs must grapple for the last two postseason spots in their respective conferences.

The Spurs, Pelicans, Timberwolves, Clippers, Hornets, Hawks, Cavaliers, and Nets round out the crop of competitors for the 2022 rendition of this single- and double-elimination tournament, and the high-stakes festivities begin tonight. Who will book a date with a championship contender? And which team is most likely to have their first-round matchup shaking?

1. Brooklyn Nets (44-38 — Seventh Seed)

Championship odds via BetMGM: +700

Brooklyn doesn’t belong in the play-in tournament. But an 11-game losing streak brought on by midseason drama and several consequential injuries forced them out of first place and into a dangerous domain. The imminent return of Ben Simmons and local vaccine mandate changes have certainly swung things in their favor, and you can almost bet there isn’t a single ball club interested in facing the Nets in the first round.

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are one of nine players in NBA history with a 50-40-90 season, and their elite scoring gravity generates excellent looks for a gifted supporting cast. Patty Mills, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Nic Claxton, Kessler Edwards, Cam Thomas, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Goran Dragic supply head coach Steve Nash with an adaptable depth chart capable of going the distance if they get rolling.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (44-38 — Eighth Seed)

Championship odds: +12500

The Cavaliers also saw their surprise Eastern Conference dominance hit a screeching halt when injuries spoiled a potential third-place finish after an insane 22-game turnaround from a season ago. Though Cleveland carries the misfortune of meeting Brooklyn in its first play-in game, the Cavs should steamroll whoever they face in round two of the tournament and give fans an entertaining first-round series against the Heat.

Darius Garland has developed into an elite point guard, and Evan Mobley has put forth one of the best defensive seasons ever from a rookie. Kevin Love has transformed into a genuine sixth man of the year candidate, and Jarrett Allen became a first-time All-Star. If the latter gets back to 100% by the beginning of the playoffs, it may be tough to write off these young Cavs as just a regular-season feel-good story.

3. Los Angeles Clippers (42-40 — Eighth Seed)

Championship odds: +3500

Head coach Ty Lue deserves a lot of credit for keeping the Clippers afloat with superstar combo forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sitting on the sidelines for most of the year. Second-round rookie Jason Preston has missed every game because of foot surgery, and marquee trade-deadline acquisition Normal Powell almost immediately landed on the injury report upon his arrival in Los Angeles.

But with George and Powell back and a possible Kawhi debut against Ja Morant and Memphis in round one of the playoffs, the Clippers could be a dark horse contender to make a deep run in the Western Conference if the stars align. Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann, Robert Covington, and Nicolas Batum have served admirably as fulcrums of the offense. They’ll be even better as role players.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves (46-36 — Seventh Seed)

Championship odds: +8000

Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell are a deadly trifecta of versatile scorers capable of stuffing the stat sheet on any given night. However, the emergence of Jaden McDaniels and Jarred Vanderbilt as switchable wing defenders has raised the floor of what was one of the worst defenses in the association a year ago. Adding Patrick Beverley has also gone a long way toward shedding their soft label.

Minnesota runs their offense at the quickest pace in the NBA. And nobody took or made more three-pointers than the Timberwolves, which isn’t that surprising considering all their stars can stretch the floor and create shots for deadeyes like Malik Beasley, Taurean Prince, and Jaylen Nowell. Head coach Chris Finch has earned every penny of his upcoming extension, but don’t expect these kiddos to make noise outside of the play-in.

5. Atlanta Hawks (43-39 — Ninth Seed)

Championship odds: +15000

The Hawks have been a massive disappointment this season after making a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago. Outside the departures of Cam Reddish and Solomon Hill before the trade deadline, this is almost the same roster and rotations that allowed Atlanta to upset the first-place Philadelphia 76ers as the fifth seed. But there hasn’t been enough growth to drive another leap in the standings.

Thankfully for everyone in the 404, Trae Young has boosted his efficiency across the board while becoming the first player to lead the NBA in points and assists. John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, Lou Williams, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter, Danilo Gallinari, and Onyeka Okongwu are beneficiaries of his basketball genius. However, this team might flame out if no one can rise to the occasion alongside Trae.

6. New Orleans Pelicans (36-46 — Ninth Seed)

Championship odds: +25000

New Orleans went a commendable 13-10 after the All-Star Break despite Brandon Ingram missing more than half of their games during that period, and they can thank C.J. McCollum for carrying them into the play-in. The 30-year-old swingman has flourished as the go-to option for the Pelicans, and he has raised the floor of guys like Jonas Valanciunas, Jaxson Hayes, Herb Jones, and Willy Hernangomez.

A fully healthy Zion Williamson could potentially make this group a threat to send anyone packing in the first round of the playoffs. But that result is probably a pipedream since the second-year superstar is only in the one-on-one workout stages of his recovery. Their front office still hasn’t ruled out the possibility of the former first overall pick returning, so don’t count them out if they make it out of the play-in.

7. San Antonio Spurs (34-48 — Tenth Seed)

Championship odds: +50000

The Spurs are a complicated team to evaluate as we head into the play-in tournament. San Antonio built momentum from playing tanking franchises like the Trail Blazers, Thunder, and Rockets, yet they defeated Denver and Golden State during their final leg of the season. They also concluded the year with three straight losses versus playoff-caliber competitors, so who knows how they will fare in a few days.

Dejounte Murray bursting onto the scene as a first-time All-Star has been a blessing for the Silver and Black, but the gangly point guard missed five of their last six games with an upper respiratory illness. Keldon Johnson is playing his best basketball to date, Jakob Poeltl should receive legitimate consideration for an All-Defense nomination, and Gregg Popovich remains one of the best play-callers in the business. Buckle up.

8. Charlotte Hornets (43-39 — Tenth Seed)

Championship odds: +40000

LaMelo Ball is an All-Star, Miles Bridges is a Most Improved Player of the Year Award candidate, Terry Rozier has lived up to his enormous contract, and the Hornets are ten games better than they were last season. Despite making headway, Charlotte is back in the play-in tournament as the tenth seed for a second consecutive year. And just like last time, the oft-injured Gordon Hayward will be unavailable.

P.J. Washington and Cody Zeller are dependable players, but they are not ideal frontcourt mates. Although Montrezl Harrell, Cody Martin, and Kelly Oubre Jr. should provide a scoring punch off the bench for fifth-year head coach James Borrego, their inexperience and depleted depth make Buzz City perhaps the most favorable matchup in the playoffs. There’s a bunch of volatility in one-off games, and it could go either way.