2026 NBA playoffs: Key questions for Rockets-Lakers and every first-round series

The first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs tips off on Saturday. Can LeBron James carry the load for the Lakers? Which version of James Harden will we see this postseason?

Let’s break down one key question in each series. East: 76ers-Celtics • Hawks-Knicks • Raptors-Cavaliers West: Blazers-Spurs • Wolves-Nuggets • Rockets-Lakers EASTERN CONFERENCE (7) 76ers vs. (2) Celtics Key question: How close can Jayson Tatum come to peak Jayson Tatum?

He has the rebounding, the driving ability, the shooting form, the playmaking, most of what has made Tatum into Tatum. But he doesn’t have the elevation or explosiveness. After all, when last we saw him on a basketball court in the playoffs, he was putting together a 42-8-4 masterpiece over 40 minutes, just before his Achilles gave out.

He was the best American-born player alive and one of the five best players on Earth. He was, practically, what Jaylen Brown has been for the Celtics all of this season. If Tatum can return to an All-NBA level, he and Brown will have a case again as the best duo in the league, and then it won’t just be Philadelphia that has to worry about Boston.