NBA Analysis and Explainers
The play-in, tiebreakers and how the seeding actually works — what the standings mean and how the NBA sorts its playoff bracket.
The First 20 Games Explain About 70 Percent of an NBA Team's Final Record
An NBA team's 20-game record explains about 70 percent of the spread in final records. Since 1996-97, 69 of 332 teams under .500 by then made the playoffs.
The NBA MVP Wins the Championship About One Season in Three
The NBA MVP's team won the championship in 24 of 71 seasons since 1955-56, and in 6 of the last 27. Every MVP, their team's record and how it finished.
NBA Teams Win 44 Percent of the Time on the Second Night of a Back-to-Back
NBA teams on the second night of a back-to-back won 44.2 percent of games from 2012-13 to 2025-26, and only 49.8 percent at home against rested opponents.
The NBA's Best Regular-Season Team Wins the Title Less Than Half the Time
The team with the NBA's best record won the title in 21 of 47 seasons since 1979-80, and 9 of 27 since 2000. The upsets, the lead that matters and the Knicks.
The 2026 NBA Cup, Group by Group: Who Gets to Indianapolis
Oklahoma City wins the 2026 NBA Cup in 24% of 100,000 simulations. Group-by-group odds for all 30 teams, the schedule, and why 3-1 is often not enough.
The 2026-27 NBA Season, Predicted Before Opening Night
Projected wins for all 30 NBA teams from last season's point differential, the summer moves the model can't see, and how to simulate 2026-27 yourself.
Everything NBA on Vertize Sports
The full NBA schedule night by night, plus a simulator that starts from the real standings and plays out the rest of the season, conference by conference.