Thunder's repeat bid, Lakers' health and four more NBA playoff questions

The NBA postseason is officially here. Starting with the Play-In Tournament that begins Tuesday, April 14 and then with the official start of the NBA playoffs on Saturday, April 18 , 20 teams will have the chance to advance all the way to the NBA Finals. The path won’t be easy.

The NBA postseason tends to span around two months, and multiple seven-game series can take a toll on the bodies and minds of players, almost as if the playoffs were a mini-season. All of which means there are plenty of storylines and narratives to parse through ahead of the games. Here are the six biggest questions headed into the 2026 NBA postseason: Can the Thunder repeat as champions?

Winning a title changes a team. For one, they know what it takes to get there. For another, it creates internal and external pressures; Oklahoma City may feel like it needs to live up to its promise of championship-level play and other teams will view the Thunder as the established entity that needs to be upended.

The Thunder are indeed built to repeat. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the likely NBA Most Valuable Player, is the most consistent star in the league. Jalen Williams has returned to form from his hamstring injury.