The 2025 NBA Playoff field is fairly set, with a few teams still needing to play it out in the Play-In Tournament to officially secure the last couple of spots in the top 8 of each conference. Nevertheless, we do have a good understanding of what the first round of the NBA Playoffs will consist of. While the NBA's postseason is not generally the place where we see a ton of upsets, this year, there does seem to be a sense that it could be the exception.
With the way the playoff field is currently set, there are a few dangerous underseeds who could surprise the masses by pulling off a first-round upset. In this article, we'll take a look at four underdogs who may be in the best position to play spoiling in the first round.
Honorable mention: Detroit Pistons
I'm not sure if this is more about the Detroit Pistons, who have had a pretty impressive season, or the New York Knicks. Either way, in this 3 vs. 6 first-round matchup between the Knicks and Pistons, there will be a chance for an upset. The Knicks have struggled a bit down the stretch, and while much of that could be attributed to the absence of Jalen Brunson, it's certainly something to keep in mind heading into this series.
The Knicks are just 11-11 over their last 22 games, and Brunson is just getting back into the swing of things after missing a month due to an ankle injury. The Pistons, on the other hand, are riding the high of making their first playoff appearance in six years and don't have any pressure on their shoulders heading into this matchup. Anything the Pistons do against the Knicks in this series will be icing on what has been a great season.
The Pistons could be a dangerous threat to the Knicks, especially if they're not 100 percent healthy when this series gets underway.