2025 NBA Playoffs: Underdog Teams to Watch Out For

As of April 2025, several NBA teams have outperformed expectations, not always by coming out of nowhere but by rising above doubt, adversity, or preseason uncertainty. The Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets were widely considered longshots, pegged for the bottom of their conferences. Meanwhile, teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers, and even the Milwaukee Bucks faced real questions about chemistry, consistency, or decline. Here’s how these underdogs turned heads, shattered expectations, and forced the league to take notice.

Detroit Pistons

Detroit was widely expected to linger near the East’s basement in 2024–25. ESPN’s preseason power rankings slotted Detroit at 27th overall, and its analytics gave the Pistons only a 2.1% chance to make the playoffs​. Coming off a 17-win season and embarking on yet another youth-centric rebuild, even a play-in bid seemed optimistic. The Pistons did hire veteran coach J.B. Bickerstaff and added some experience (e.g., forward Tobias Harris) in the offseason, but expectations remained low that this raw squad could coalesce quickly. 

Against all odds, however, Detroit’s surprise success is one of the player development meeting opportunities. Cunningham’s evolution into a star playmaker/scorer hybrid has galvanized the offense. Meanwhile, the supporting cast of Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart, and Ausar Thompson and savvy vets Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley has gelled quickly. The result is a young team “loud as hell” in the playoff mix​. It’s a remarkable narrative shift – from a 2% longshot to a probable 45+ win playoff team – making the Pistons arguably the NBA’s biggest underdog success of 2024–25.

Houston Rockets

Similar to Detroit, the Rockets entered 2024–25 with modest ambitions. After years of high lottery finishes, Houston had signaled a desire to compete by hiring Ime Udoka as head coach and signing veterans like Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. Still, most analysts only pegged them as a fringe play-in team. ESPN’s metrics gave Houston roughly a 50/50 shot at the postseason​, and NBA lines set their win total in the low 40s (around 43.5 wins projected). In 2023–24, they had finished just 11th in the West, and while improvement was expected, the Rockets were not picked to be among the West’s elite.

What changed the narrative was a dramatic cultural shift. The Rockets’ leap can be attributed to defensive buy-in and culture change. Udoka’s influence, VanVleet’s championship experience, and the incredible development of Alperen Şengün into one of the best centers in the league have pushed the Houston Rockets beyond expectations. They’ve already clinched a playoff spot comfortably and could exceed 50 wins, a far cry from past seasons.

LA Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers began the 2024–25 season with unusually low expectations for a team of their pedigree. Despite coming off a 51-win campaign, an offseason roster shake-up (including the loss of Paul George) and lingering injury concerns around their stars had analysts pessimistic about L.A.’s outlook​. With Kawhi Leonard’s health “mysterious as ever” and James Harden at 35 years old coming off a noticeable decline, many saw the Clippers as a long shot to contend​.

Once the games started, however, the Clippers had other plans. Early on, the doubters seemed correct: midseason injuries and inconsistency knocked L.A. down to ninth in the conference at one point, but a late-season surge erased those doubts entirely. Ivica Zubac is quietly becoming a monster of a center, averaging a cool 16.5 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. Norm Powell, once touted as a backup wing, has contributed largely on the offense, averaging near-all star numbers with 22.6 points per game and a 49% FG, quite a good shooting average for a guard.

Once Kawhi Leonard returned to full strength (finally shedding his minutes restriction) and a stable rotation took hold, the Clippers caught fire. This month, they sat comfortably above .500 with a secured playoff berth, with only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, the Clippers are underdogs that could become favorites come playoff time. 

Minnesota Timberwolves

Despite coming off a franchise-best 56–26 record and a blockbuster trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York for former all-star Julius Randle, Minnesota was raising a lot of questions about their team identity. In-depth NBA Player Stats Analysis set their win total at 52.5—respectable, but hardly a guarantee in a loaded Western Conference. Minnesota was seen as talented but unproven, with many doubting they could replicate their previous success.

Midway through the season, those doubts seemed justified as the Wolves hovered near .500. But they found their rhythm down the stretch behind Anthony Edwards’ star leap, Julius Randle’s steady presence, and a defense that ranked among the league’s best. By early April, Minnesota had surged to 44–32, outperforming expectations and proving they still belong in the West’s playoff picture.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks entered the 2024–25 season in unfamiliar territory, not as clear-cut contenders but as a team surrounded by uncertainty. After a disappointing playoff exit the year before and the firing of head coach Adrian Griffin just months into his tenure, the franchise faced questions about direction and leadership. The arrival of Doc Rivers as head coach midseason in 2023–24 didn’t stabilize things right away, and concerns about the chemistry between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard lingered into the offseason. 

Things have been looking better, as the Bucks are still a force to be reckoned with. Trading a former all-star yet injury-ridden Khris Middleton to the Wizards for Kyle Kuzma also seemed to spark a sense of urgency for the team, as they’ve been quietly rising in a loaded easter conference. Although the Bucks are in the 6th spot in the east, they have what it takes to bring down teams with better records. Don’t be surprised if a former NBA championship team like the Bucks manages a strong run in the playoffs as an underdog this season; to quote former coach and NBA legend Rudy Tomjanovich, “Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion.” 

Underdogs No More

The 2024–25 NBA season has been a showcase of unexpected breakouts, with former bottom-seeded teams like the Pistons and Rockets rising to the occasion. Perennial playoff teams like the Bucks and Wolves surprisingly aren’t dominating anymore and are close to the bottom of playoff contention. Although these teams are somewhat disappointing in terms of their W-L record, their grit and hunger should never be counted out. This is the reason that you should never count out underdogs, especially those with a slither of chance, to do something amazing in the NBA.