Four Teams Will Hit Their Ceiling if They Don’t Make the NBA Finals
The playoffs are just about underway, and four teams in the playoff field will need to close shop if they fail to make the NBA Finals. Cleveland Cavaliers’ Veterans’ Playoff Failures Despite making the playoffs every year of his career, Donovan Mitchell has yet to make a conference finals. He’s led multiple teams to the one seed, including one season of over 60 wins.
Should Cleveland get out of the first round, they will most likely play a young Detroit Pistons team. In the last two years, Cleveland has been eliminated by the team that would go on to represent the East in the NBA Finals. MONDAY'S FINAL SCORES Donovan Mitchell and the @cavs win a THRILLER in Denver!
James Harden: 22 PTS, 10 REB, 7 AST, 3 BLK Jarrett Allen: 22 PTS, 13 REB Nikola Jokic: 22 PTS, 14 REB, 11 AST, 2 STL https://t. co/VsZyVIRXzQ pic. twitter.
com/AFvRSAAtgy — NBA (@NBA) February 10, 2026 For James Harden , the story has been the same the last few years — make the playoffs and lose in the second round. Harden will now make his 17th straight postseason appearance. This year, Cleveland will not need to deal with Tyrese Haliburton .
And they won’t see Jayson Tatum and the Celtics until the East Finals, should both teams reach that stage. If Mitchell and Harden cannot make it to the NBA Finals, it will end in heartbreak, again. Denver Nuggets Wasting History Denver has been eliminated in the second round in game seven in back-to-back seasons.