WARRIORS, BUCKS,
ROCKETS LEAD FIELD
1. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (57-25) — Whether
it was complacency, injuries or turmoil (real or perceived), the
Warriors looked vulnerable at times during the regular season. But
now the real season begins, and we get to see what one of the greatest teams
ever assembled is truly capable of.
2. MILWAUKEE BUCKS (60-22) — MVP candidate Giannis
Antetokounmpo and Coach of the Year candidate Mike Budenholzer have the Bucks
right where they want to be. They're the No. 1 overall seed and finished the
regular season with a league-best net rating of plus-8.6. They're the real
deal.
3. HOUSTON ROCKETS (53-29) — Talk about
hitting your stride at the right time. The Rockets finished the season with an
NBA-best 20-5 record after the All-Star break, and they have last year's
heartbreaking Western Conference finals loss to Golden State providing some
extra motivation. As if they need it.
4. TORONTO RAPTORS (58-24) — With LeBron
James out of the Eastern Conference and the addition of veterans with
loads of postseason experience (Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol and Danny
Green); this might be the best chance the Raptors have had at making the NBA
Finals.
5. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (53-29) — There's
no way around it: The season-ending injury to Jusuf Nurkic was devastating.
Sure, the Blazers can win games with stellar guard play from Damian Lillard and
CJ McCollum. But Nurkic was their anchor, and his absence will be felt in the
first round against Oklahoma City.
6. DENVER NUGGETS (54-28) — What a
turnaround it's been for the Nuggets, who went from missing the playoffs on the
final night of the 2017-18 regular season to a No. 2 seed and one of the best
seasons in franchise history. Still, questions about their consistency and
postseason experience remain.
7. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (51-31) — The good:
The 76ers boast one of the most talented rosters in the league, and they
have a legitimate shot at representing the East in the NBA Finals. The
bad: Their best player, Joel Embiid, could miss the start of the playoffs with
knee soreness.
8. UTAH JAZZ (50-32) — Another year, another
post-All-Star break surge for the Jazz. They finished the season 18-7, and
their offense rose from 19th in the league (108.4 points scored per 100
possessions) before the break to fourth (114.4) after it.
9. BOSTON CELTICS (49-33) — We know what
the Celtics are capable of. We don't know which version we're going to
get. On paper, this team entered the season as the favorites to represent the
East in the NBA Finals, but they've underperformed time and time again.
10. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (49-33) — The
Thunder's success will come down to which version of Paul George suits
up. He says his lingering shoulder issue is fine, but if he's not at
his best on both ends of the floor, Oklahoma City could be looking at a third
consecutive first-round exit.
11. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (48-34) — This is the
22nd consecutive postseason appearance for Gregg Popovich's Spurs. Perhaps even
more impressive, his teams have never been ousted in the first round in
back-to-back seasons (they lost in the first round last year).
12. INDIANA PACERS (48-34) — No Victor
Oladipo, no problem? The Pacers stayed afloat after the star guard went down
for the year, but they couldn't hold on long enough to secure homecourt
advantage. Bojan Bogdanovic has been phenomenal since Oladipo's injury, but is
he fit to be the lead dog on a playoff team?
13. LA CLIPPERS (48-34) — The Clippers are
as gritty as it gets, and it's a shame they drew the Warriors in the first
round. If any team is built to pull off an 8 vs. 1 upset, it's them, but ...
it's not happening. Still, kudos to Doc Rivers and Co. for exceeding every
expectation.
14. BROOKLYN NETS (42-40) — The Nets only
went three seasons without a playoff appearance, but it seemed like a decade.
Win or lose, this season is already a massive success.
15. ORLANDO MAGIC (42-40) — The Magic are
back in the postseason for the first time since 2012, and while a first-round
exit at the hands of Toronto is the only logical outcome, they deserve praise
for making it this far. Coach Steve Clifford has done a phenomenal job, and
Nikola Vucevic — a first-time All-Star this season — remains one
of the league's most underrated players.
16. DETROIT PISTONS (41-41) — The Pistons barely got
here. But at least they got here (for just the second time in 10
years). Their prize? A super-talented Bucks squad with NBA
Finals aspirations. Oh, and Blake Griffin is dealing with knee
soreness, so his status is uncertain.
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