The NBA postseason has finally arrived, providing a plethora of star power, intrigue and storylines. It's no surprise that the heavy NBA title favorites, Golden State Warriors, own the top spot by a big margin with three Western Conference powers in the rearview mirror. The top Eastern Conference team doesn't check in until the fifth position with the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Just five points separate 14 of the playoff teams as competitive basketball should rule this postseason.
The NBA Vegas rankings are compiled from the power ratings of yours truly, Erin Rynning, and Dave Tuley with input from other handicappers. The rankings compare the relative strength of teams and can be used in relation to point spreads if the teams were to meet on a neutral court. They can also be used as a basis of your own power ratings if you think our consensus is too high or too low on certain teams. We invite readers to offer their differences of opinion in the comments section.
Here are the power ratings for all 16 NBA playoff teams:
