NBA 2020-2021 Season Standings: Complete Team Rankings and Playoff Picture
As I sit here scrolling through the final standings of the NBA's 2020-2021 season, I can't help but reflect on what a rollercoaster it's been. Honestly, this season felt different from any other—the condensed schedule, the health protocols, the empty arenas early on—it all created this unique pressure cooker environment that separated the contenders from the pretenders in ways we haven't seen before. When the dust settled, we had some surprising teams climbing the ladder and others falling short of expectations, creating one of the most unpredictable playoff pictures in recent memory.
Let me start with the Western Conference, where the Utah Jazz absolutely dominated the regular season with a 52-20 record. I've got to admit, I didn't see that coming back in December. While everyone was watching the Lakers and Clippers, Quin Snyder's squad quietly put together one of the most complete team performances I've witnessed in years. Their +9.3 point differential was just insane, and Donovan Mitchell's growth into a genuine superstar has been incredible to watch. Right behind them, the Phoenix Suns made that incredible leap from the bubble to genuine contenders, finishing 51-21. Chris Paul's impact on that young team reminds me of when Steve Nash joined the Suns back in 2004—just immediate transformation. The Nuggets at 47-25 deserve special mention too, especially with Nikola Jokić putting together what I believe was the most impressive MVP season we've seen since Dirk's 2007 campaign.
Over in the East, the story was all about the Philadelphia 76ers claiming the top seed with a 49-23 record. Joel Embiid finally stayed healthy enough to showcase why he's arguably the most dominant big man in the game today. But what really impressed me was their defensive identity—that's what championship teams are built on. The Nets at 48-24 were the team everyone was watching though, and despite the injuries and limited time together, their offensive firepower with Durant, Harden, and Irving was just breathtaking. I remember thinking during their games that we were witnessing something special, even if it wasn't always perfectly coordinated. The Bucks at 46-26 felt like they were flying under the radar all season, which is crazy for a team with Giannis coming off back-to-back MVPs.
Now here's where it gets really interesting—the play-in tournament added this fantastic layer of drama that we hadn't seen before. The Warriors fighting to keep their season alive without Klay, the Lakers barely making it through—it created must-watch basketball that felt like playoff intensity a week early. Speaking of intensity, I can't help but draw parallels to international basketball developments, like Meralco improving to 6-5 as it capped its elimination round campaign in the PBA. That kind of late-season surge to secure positioning reminds me of what teams like Memphis and Washington accomplished in the NBA—finding their rhythm at exactly the right moment.
The playoff bracket that emerged from this chaotic season was absolutely fascinating. In the West, we had the classic Lakers-Warriors play-in game that felt like a conference finals matchup in April, while the Clippers strategically maneuvered to avoid the Lakers until later rounds—smart move, if you ask me. The East featured Miami and Boston meeting in the first round, a matchup that would have been a conference finals showdown just a year earlier. What stood out to me was how many teams genuinely believed they could make a deep run—at least eight teams in each conference had legitimate cases for being contenders.
Looking back, what made this season particularly memorable was the way teams adapted to unprecedented challenges. The depth of the Western Conference was just brutal—Dallas at 42-30 would have been a top-four seed in the East but found themselves fighting in the play-in out West. Meanwhile, teams like New York and Atlanta made incredible turnarounds that nobody predicted. The Knicks going 41-31 under Tom Thibodeau was one of my favorite stories of the season—watching Madison Square Garden come alive again during their playoff run gave me chills.
As we analyze the final standings, it's clear that the league's competitive balance has never been better. The difference between the 4th and 8th seeds in both conferences was minimal, creating playoff matchups that could have gone either way. Personally, I believe this season's unique circumstances revealed which organizations had the best infrastructure and adaptability—the teams that succeeded weren't necessarily the most talented, but the ones who best navigated this bizarre COVID-affected season. The 2020-2021 standings tell a story of resilience, adaptability, and the sheer unpredictability of basketball—qualities that made this one of the most compelling NBA seasons in recent history, even with all its challenges.
