Grading the NBA playoff contenders, pretenders

VCHS aiming to hire coaches
April 16, 2013
Tracking Glory with Hal Martin
April 16, 2013
VCHS aiming to hire coaches
April 16, 2013
Tracking Glory with Hal Martin
April 16, 2013

After 82 games of hoops, the NBA playoffs are finally here.

It’s time to enjoy two months of awesome basketball.


Each year, the NBA’s postseason marks one of my favorite times of the year within the sporting calendar.


That’s because if we are blessed with good matchups, we get to see the teams play five, six or even seven times in a row before a victor is crowned.

This year’s postseason field is loaded with talent – a testament to the NBA’s current Renaissance that is pushing basketball up the food chain among the world’s most popular sports.


Amidst the 16-teams of uncertainty, here’s how I think they all stack up.


Ranking the 16 NBA Playoff teams

The Pretenders (teams with no shot to win the championship)


16. Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks are below .500 for the season and their two best players are both shoot-first point guards. They have no flow and will be easily swept out of the postseason by the Miami Heat – each game being of the blowout variety.


15. Atlanta Hawks – Even when Joe Johnson used to call Atlanta home, the Hawks were an annual early exit from the postseason. Without them, I don’t think they can win a seven-game series against any of the conference’s playoff teams besides Milwaukee. Expect them to win a game or two in their opening series, but Atlanta stands little chance to make any type of serious push.

14. Los Angeles Lakers or Utah Jazz – At press time, it is not known who the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed will officially be. But it truly doesn’t matter. The Lakers lack the quickness and chemistry to challenge any of the Western Conference’s elite teams. The Jazz don’t have a superstar and cannot win games away from Utah.


13. Boston Celtics – As much as I would love to envision the C’s making one last run at glory, I just can’t see it happening without Rajon Rondo in the starting lineup. Boston may challenge in the first round. But there’s no way they can fight their way past the elite teams in the league with their aging roster and Rondo on the shelf.


12. Golden State Warriors – The Warriors started the season red-hot and opened with a 30-17 record. But since that time, Golden State has played below .500 basketball and has routinely been waxed by the top competition in the NBA. The turnaround Mark Jackson has made in Oakland is phenomenal – he should be a candidate for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award. But this year’s bunch isn’t going to be winning any rings.

The Lightening in a Bottle picks (teams that likely won’t win, but are tough matchups)


11. Houston Rockets – My Rockets are first in the NBA in scoring and fifth in the NBA in assists. They have one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA at their disposal in James Harden, and five players on their roster average 10 or more points per game. Barring something crazy, Houston won’t make a championship run this year. But I assure you that there are seven other coaches in the Western Conference that want to avoid facing this up-tempo offensive machine in a seven-game series. They are a true matchup nightmare – a tempo no one else in the NBA can match.

10. Brooklyn Nets – The Nets have a lot of talent. But all of their best players just feel washed up or on the sunset of their respective careers. From Deron Williams to Joe Johnson to Gerald Wallace, Brooklyn just seems to have a collection of guys who are still good players, but who are just not quite as good as they used to be. They’ll win a few games, but will bow out fairly early.

9. Denver Nuggets – If the Nuggets were healthy, they would maybe be my pick to win the NBA Championship. Their roster is as deep as any, and their ability to come at opponents in layers is the formula to beat Miami in a series. But with Danilo Gallinari out for the season with a torn ACL, I’m afraid that the Nuggets are mere pretenders now – nothing more than a tough out in the second round.

8. Indiana Pacers – Everyone has such a love affair with the Indiana Pacers, and I have absolutely, positively no clue why. “Star” player Paul George is trending upward in his NBA journey, but he still averages just 17 points per game and isn’t a multi-dimensional offensive player. Take George away (which LeBron James would do in a playoff series), and the Pacers just don’t have enough additional firepower to be a serious threat. Defense doesn’t win championships in basketball – that’s a myth. Teams that make shots win championships. Indiana can’t make enough of those to sustain itself.

The Wildcard (the team impossible to grade)

7. Chicago Bulls – If Derrick Rose comes back and is 100 percent healthy, the Bulls can beat anyone – Miami included. But let’s be honest – even if Rose comes back right now, no one can expect him to be anything more than a mere shadow of the player he’s accustomed to being. We place Chicago at No. 7 just out of respect for Rose’s talent and ability. But barring a medical miracle, they will likely bow out early for the second-straight season.

The Elite (teams that can challenge for it all)

6. The Los Angeles Clippers – The Clippers would be in the top two or three teams in the NBA if they were properly coached. But even with Vinny Del Negro’s inept ways, Los Angeles’ little brother team is still a threat because of All-Star point guard Chris Paul. The former Hornet goes into a different level when he is in playoff mode. He can single handedly win games during playoff time. If Blake Griffin and a few of the team’s collection of veterans match that intensity, the Clippers could be capable of beating just about anyone.

5. Memphis Grizzlies – If someone put a gun to my head, I wouldn’t swear that the Grizzlies are the fifth-best team in the NBA. I think they are actually a couple notches below this in reality. But they have two quality bigs and they play solid defense – that usually is a problem to opponents in the playoffs.

4. New York Knicks – I’m not as big a Carmelo Anthony hater as many – I think he’s one of the most prolific scorers in the game. Now that talented shooters and interior defense surround him, the Knicks are a real threat to make waves. If the Miami Heat didn’t exist, the Knicks would maybe win the NBA Championship. As-is, they are the only team with a snowball’s chance in the desert to steal a few Eastern Conference playoff games from the Heat.

3. San Antonio Spurs – The Spurs are the Spurs. What can you really say about them that people haven’t already heard? They are talented, well-coached and they play basketball the right way. It’s amazing that they win at the clip that they do as often as they do.

The Western Champion

2. Oklahoma City Thunder – Last year’s runner-up will be a repeat offender as first loser. The Thunder couldn’t beat the Heat last year with James Harden. How in the heck will they beat them without him? Russell Westbook will shoot too many shots. Kevin Durant will shoot too few shots. And the Thunder will disappoint people and remain a tough team to watch in big games.

The NBA Champion

1. Miami Heat – It pains me to say it, but I don’t see anyone in the NBA capable of beating the Heat. These guys are historically good – one of the most complete teams in the history of basketball. They have the current top dog in the NBA – LeBron James. They also have an elite scorer in Dwayne Wade and an above average post in Chris Bosh. Surrounding the stars are what feels like a dozen shooters – all capable of making 3-pointers in clutch situations. I think the Heat will breeze through the Eastern Conference playoffs without ever seeing a Game 7. I think they will beat the Thunder in six games in a series that will never feel overly competitive, nor in doubt.