Best Case, Worst Case in the NBA Playoffs

With the NBA playoffs starting on April 20th it’s time to look at what to expect in the coming weeks. The NBA playoffs are like no other, it’s almost six full weeks of basketball and you never know who can handle the stress and strain of the playoff atmosphere. In a seven game series the cream usually rises to the top, but there’s sure to be an upset somewhere along the way. It’s every team’s goal to hoist up the Larry O’Brien trophy but only one team will be the last one standing.

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Miami Heat

• Best case: The odds on favorite. Bucks will not be an issue round one and round two should be a breeze. If Tyson/Kenyon are back and at full strength their first true test could come against the Knicks in the championship round. The Heat are easily the best team in the league led by the best player in the league and anything but a championship would be a disappointment. Another appearance in the finals and a shot at a championship seems like the likely outcome.
• Worst case: Even in their worst nightmare, barring an injury the Heat will not lose to the Bucks. The Hawks in round two are a team that could give them some problems with big bodies inside, but realistically the worst case for this team is facing a surging and healthy Knicks team in the Eastern Conference finals. With Tyson, Kenyon and Sheed defending the paint the Knicks might be able to play the Bulls style of basketball, knocking Lebron down a few times and getting him frustrated. The truth is, this series comes down to Lebron and Melo, Lebron is the consensus best player in basketball but we’ve seen it before, he brings out the best in Carmelo.

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New York Knicks

• Best Case: We’ve seen the best and we’ve seen the worst of the Knicks. We know what Melo and JR can do when they’re on and they both seem to be hot at the right time. This is a team that can beat anybody on any given day, it’s holding up over a seven game series that might be a problem. If the Vets (Kenyon, Kidd, Camby, Sheed) are healthy, Tyson is back, and JR and Melo continue to shoot the lights out they are the best shot in the east to beat the heat and book a ticket to the championship round.
• Worst Case: The Knicks beat the Celtics three out of four times this season and they are now playing without Rondo. The Celtics always play the Knicks tough but I can’t see them being able to outscore this NY team. The Knicks true test will come in round two where they face either the Bulls or the Pacers, two tough match ups. Both teams can out play the Knicks physically and defensively defensively with a Bulls series being their worst nightmare, especially if Rose is back.

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Indiana Pacers

• Best Case : Outside of the Knicks, the Pacers have the best shot to beat the Heat, having beaten them two out of three times this season. Even with Granger out, Indiana has no shortage of scoring options with Paul George, David West, George Hill and Roy Hibbert. Hibbert killed the Heat inside in the Conference Quarterfinals last season when the Pacers took the Heat to 6 games and there’s no reason they can’t do it again. Beating the Heat is a long shot but playing them tough and taking them seven is a real possibility for this team.
• Worst Case:  The Pacers worst nightmare is a Bulls matchup in the first round, a team that plays airtight defense and can handle the Pacers inside. Boozer and Noah are one of the best interior tandems in the league defensively and could shut down the Pacers Hibbert/West combo. If the young Paul George has an off series this could be a first round upset.

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Brooklyn Nets

• Best Case: When you look at the Nets you see a team that is solid at every position on the court.  It’s looking like they are going to be locked into the four seed playing the Hawks, a team they could easily beat, so it’s round two where they meet their match. Even on their best day the Nets aren’t going to beat the Heat in a seven game series, their best case scenario is playing tough and stretching the Heat to six games.
• Worst Case: The Nets have been maddeningly inconsistent all season, going 15-27 against teams with a record over .500 and beating up on the sub .500 teams, going 32-6. The Nets are hoping they see the Hawks round one, a team they could beat but if they end up against the Bulls they could be stifled out of the first round.

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Atlanta Hawks

• Best Case: The Hawks never seem to be able to make it out of the first round and even if they DO this season, they’re not going to go any further than that, getting beat down by the Heat in round 2. Not even an optimist Hawks fan can honestly say they have a good shot at beating Lebron and the Heat.
• Worst Case: Deron Williams comes out on fire, Brooks hits 3s, Lopez does a solid job on Horford and the Nets beat the Hawks in round one, which seems like the most likely option.

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Chicago Bulls

• Best Case: Outside of Derrick Rose miraculously returning, the best case for the Bulls is a tough fought series vs the Heat in the eastern conference championship round. Even without Rose they could easily make it past the Pacers in round one on the strength of defense alone. In round two they would likely face the Knicks who have not been able to handle them at all this season. Once they get to the Heat however they just won’t be able to stop Lebron and co.
• Worst Case: The Bulls are 0-3 vs the Pacers in the regular season and that trend can easily continue, especially if Noah is still playing at less than 100%. A first round sweep is not outside the realm of possibility.

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Boston Celtics

• Best Case: It doesn’t look good for the Celtics making it out of round one but if every single chip falls right the Celtics are in for a third round exit vs the Heat. They always seem to play the Knicks tough and if Garnett can get under Carmelo’s skin again it’s not impossible the Celtics pull off a first round upset. Not likely, but not impossible.
• Worst Case: This is the more likely scenario for this team, a first round sweep at the hand of the Knicks. Without Rondo this team just isn’t able to keep up with the Knicks and KG and Pierce just aren’t who they used to be.

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Milwaukee Bucks

• Best Case: Don’t hate Milwaukeeans, but the best case for this team is MAYBE winning two games against the Heat in round one even though one or zero wins are far more likely. Let’s be honest, the Bucks are limping into the tournament at 3-11 and the Heat bursting in at 35-2, you do the math.
• Worst Case: Break out the brooms.

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Oklahoma City Thunder

• Best Case: Easy one here, they’re the best team in the West led by one of the best players in the league, best case scenario is a championship. Anything less will be a disappointment for the organization.
• Worst Case: Easy round one win, and a round two exit vs the Clippers. They’re 3-0 vs the Clips but they’ve all been close games and you can never count out CP3 and lob city.

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San Antonio Spurs

• Best Case: You hear every year that the Spurs are too old, and every year they prove you wrong. Best case is a championship. This is a team that can out play anyone on pure fundamentals and have played both the Heat and Thunder extremely tight this season. If they come into the playoffs healthy or are healthy by round two this is still a team that can play in the championship.
• Worst Case: Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili still aren’t near 100%. Losing to the Warriors or Rockets in round one doesn’t seem like a possibility but the Nuggets in round two even without Gallinari are a team that can score and run with anyone. If the Spurs aren’t able to slow them down to a comfortable pace Denver could be the end of the road.

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Denver Nuggets

• Best Case: This team should coast past the Rockets, they are more than capable of outrunning the Spurs and have beaten Thunder 3 of 4 times this season. They could be a  true wildcard championship team. They are 21-3 in their past 24 and are 20-7 against the Wests other playoff teams. Experience is the issue for this young team as it is recovering from losing Gallinari. Best case for this team is playing the Heat in the championship.
• Worst Case: Absolute worst case for Denver is James Harden or Steph Curry comes out on fire and shoots the lights out and the and the Nuggets minor injuries turn severe. Far more likely is a round two exit via one of the top seeds.

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Los Angeles Clippers

• Best Case: The Clippers are one of the most exciting teams to watch in the league and one of the true championship contenders out of the West. It would be a surprise but not a shocker to see them in the championship game
• Worst Case: The Clippers are the sexy pick but the Grizzlies are a tough matchup, a true knock you down, tire you out team with Randolph and Gasol inside. If Blake gets in foul trouble this is a series that the Grizzlies could easily win in round one.

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Memphis Grizzlies

• Best Case: The Grizzlies could easily beat the Clippers in round one, they’re one of the toughest teams in the league and even without Gay play extremely physical defense. A likely meet up with the Thunder in round two should be a great series to watch, the Thunder are the obvious favorites but the Grizz have beaten them two out of three times this season, so don’t rule out a Grizzlies upset.
• Worst Case: The Clippers come out firing, Paul plays like the best point guard in the league, and Los Angeles knocks Memphis out in round one.

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Houston Rockets

• Best Case: When Harden is on he can score with anyone, Asik can grab rebounds and block shots, Lin and Brooks are very good secondary pieces. The first round series vs Denver should be the highest scoring matchup of the playoffs and it’s possible that Houston gets the ball to drop just a few more times than Denver. The Spurs are also a possibility in round one for Houston. The Spurs, while deep and experienced do have some injury issues that Harden and Lin could exploit although an upset would be unrealistic.
• Worst Case: A Nuggets sweep in round one. If Harden is off his game this team is going to have a huge problem.

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Golden State Warriors

• Best Case: For Golden state to do anything Curry will have to shoot the lights out but even if that happens they still probably won’t make it out of round one.   The Nuggets in round one would be a much better matchup for the Warriors, a team with less experience and some hampered players.
• Worst Case: Round one sweep, they’re just not nearly as deep or experienced as the Spurs.  The Nuggets would be an easier matchup for them but a win is unlikely.

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Los Angeles Lakers

• Best Case: There’s no nice way to put it, without Kobe this team isn’t getting past round one, maybe if they’re lucky they’ll win a couple of games
• Worst Case: Easy sweep and embarrassing exit. If Howard gets in foul trouble this team is dead in the water.  The Jazz still have a chance to sneak into this spot, either way the eight seed will go down to the Thunder.