How every NBA team can win the 2025 NBA Finals: Eastern Conference

It’s that time of year. The leaves are changing colors, the temperature is dropping and the NBA season has arrived. With a new season comes optimism for every team. A chance to start anew. A chance to reach new heights. A chance to win the finals.

Any team can win the finals, even a team that won 14 games last year. Every team has a path and most importantly, a chance. Let’s take a look at what needs to happen for each team in the Eastern Conference for that chance to become destiny.

Don’t worry, the Western Conference will get their own breakdown too.

Atlanta Hawks: The formula for the Hawks to win the Finals is simple. All they need is for Trae Young to return to 2021 playoff form. It would also help if they got to face Doc Rivers, the Knicks, and Ben Simmons on their way there.

Boston Celtics: The Celtics just need to do what they did last season. Run it back and hope every team loses their best player to injury in the playoffs.

Brooklyn Nets: I’ll admit, it was difficult to figure out a way for the Nets to win it all, but I think I figured it out. All they need is a time machine to travel back to 1992 and bring back the Dream Team to pair with the elite shooting of Cam Thomas. Thomas definitely follows Jordan’s advice that “you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

Charlotte Hornets: Another team that needs a lot to go right but it’s possible. All they need is for LaMelo Ball to turn into John Stockton and Brandon Miller to turn into the next Kemba Walker. Charles Lee becoming the next Greg Popovich would also help the cause.

Chicago Bulls: The Bulls need Zach LaVine to not only stay healthy but treat every game like the 2015 Dunk Contest. The Bulls with that version of LaVine would be championship caliber and appointment television.

Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavs need to hope Kenny Atkinson has better luck with the core of Mobley, Allen, Garland and Mitchell than with KD and Kyrie. The team should contend as long as they stay healthy.

Detroit Pistons: The Pistons need to find whatever magic (not Orlando) the Lions and Tigers used for their postseason pushes to have any chance of making the Finals this season. Cade Cunningham finally living up to his draft pedigree wouldn’t hurt either.

Indiana Pacers: Having a full season of Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton should see the Pacers sit atop the Eastern Conference standings. Also please find a way to face anyone other than the Lakers in the Finals. We don’t need another year of LeBron crushing the hopes of the state of Indiana like he did for half a decade.

Miami Heat: The Heat just need to make the Play-In Tournament as the eight seed. From there, they can make the Finals in the most unsurprising underdog story of all time.

Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks need to find a new coach, aka anyone but Doc Rivers, for the playoffs. Last year’s mid-season firing didn’t work out too well. Maybe the second time will be the charm.

New York Knicks: The Knicks need to find a way to break whatever curse they have considering their last championship came when Richard Nixon was president. Maybe the added depth will prevent Tom Thibodeau from playing his starters 40 or more minutes a game and they will have some energy for the playoffs.

Orlando Magic: The Magic need to hope that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope can bring his championship-winning ways over from Denver to help these young guns win it all this year.

Philadelphia 76ers: If the 76ers can effectively manage Joel Embiid well enough to get to the playoffs healthy, and that’s a massive if, maybe Paul George can shed his poor playoff reputation. The Sixers are hoping this is the year they break through because the clock is ticking on their window.

Toronto Raptors: Maybe the combination of Barrett, Quickley and Barnes can turn into the next Kawhi, Kyle Lowry and VanFleet. Raptors fans would be over the moon if the former could play anywhere close to the latter.

Washington Wizards: If Jordan Poole can manage to regain his 2022 form, the league should just award the Wizards the title because nothing was as unstoppable as Poole in 2022.

Nate Johns is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email jzn5275@psu.edu.