After a tight regular season in the West, here are the first four playoff series that we have to deal with in the following couple of weeks.
(1) San Antonio Spurs [62-20] vs. (8) Dallas Mavericks [49-33]
The Spurs In: The moment that Coach Gregg Popovich started limiting the starters' playing time in every game is the time when the Spurs overachieved. Up until now, the question still remains as to how long they are going to stay this way, or if ever they can still win the NBA championship given that Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker are already beyond the peak of their careers; however, this concern is set aside for the moment, especially when they got that precious 19-win streak. Yes, the Spurs still have the juice to play in the playoffs, and with a schedule that gives much time for breathers, rest periods, and practice, expect them once again to go deep. And as for the Finals? Let's just pray that they can at least get the Larry O'Brien trophy one more time.
The Mavericks In: If you were in the position of the Mavs' head honcho Mark Cuban, would you be satisfied with eighth seed? This is good enough considering that the Mavericks didn't get any of their targets during free agent signing. They had Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon, but they were not enough to power the team past the top 4. This does not mean, however, that being at the bottom of the list makes them the kind that gets to go home quickly. Remember that they still have Nowitzki up and running for this season, as well as holdovers Vince Carter and Shawn Marion, three stars who have so much playoff experience.
What could be: This veteran edition of the Texas showdown is going to be tight, but expect the Spurs to come out in 6.
(4) Houston Rockets [54-28] vs. (5) Portland Trailblazers [54-28]
The Rockets In: It is pretty surprising that the Rockets, with a trio of James Harden, Dwight Howard, and Chandler Parsons, would make it only at fourth place, when they have the potential of grabbing a higher position. For some reason, Dwight Howard deserves both praise and blame for what happened to the Rockets this season. They improved their record thanks to Howard, but at the expense of falling into short slumps this season, leading to where they are right now. Like last year, this series is decided by the way James Harden takes the lead for this team. But this time, they have the upper hand, and with Howard as a significant addition, no excuses are acceptable this time.
The Blazers In: There is no doubt here that Portland is a very talented bunch. They have a young star in Damian Lillard, a quality small forward in Nic Batum, and a multi-talented big man in LaMarcus Aldridge (does Robin Lopez deserve a mention here? Well, maybe he should). This team, however, is on and off: started by winning 24 of their first 29 games, fell after the All-Star break, and rose again in the last few games of the regular season to finally (and luckily) secure the fifth seed. Now that they are in the playoffs, everything and everyone has a fresh start, and they better not mess up and go back to their winning ways. As far as we remember, the Blazers broke team and player records this season, and this is the kind of Portland team that should appear in the playoffs
What could be: The fourth and fifth seed is always a tough battle, especially now that both the Rockets and the Blazers have gone through the same stuff with the same issues and same challenges. However, a seven-game showdown could have the Rockets emerging and entering the second round.
(2) Oklahoma City Thunder [59-23] vs. (7) Memphis Grizzlies [50-32]
The Thunder In: Sure, the Oklahoma City Thunder already have some rights to brag, especially with Kevin Durant breaking Michael Jordan's streak by scoring 25 or more points for more or less 41 games. However, that still does not let them get over their playoff woes during the past few years, starting with their defeat in the NBA Finals against the current champions the Miami Heat. With basically the same squad but with a better KD and Westbrook, the big hurdle that the team must face is getting over their misgivings and failures in the past years, especially including those against possible playoff opponents: the Spurs, who beat them last year, and the Heat, who want to keep their championship streak going. But first, a hungry Memphis Grizzlies team.
The Grizzlies In: Perhaps this team has been the most inconsistent of all throughout the season. Marc Gasol's long absence from the team kept their playoff hopes low. But thanks to Zach Randolph and Mike Conley, Jr., they have kept themselves afloat. However, even these two stars have yet to be consistent, and they have to find their game in the midst of this seven-game grind. The team, though, as a whole, still has to hold on to the fact that they are a difficult playoff team to beat in the last few years, and with almost the same people running the show in Tennesse, there is no reason for them to just go easy on this series.
What could be: Despite the strength and the unpredictability of the Grizzlies, KD can still turn the tables in favor of OKC, and can even finish this in six games.
(3) Los Angeles Clippers [57-25] vs. (6) Golden State Warriors [51-31]
The Clippers In: After a long long time, the city of angels will get to watch games without the purple and gold, but instead with the red, blue, and white, and certainly, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will not waste the opportunity to go beyond the first round and actually increase their hopes of entering the Finals. Griffin had 82 games to establish himself as one of the best power forwards in the league this season, showing that he is not only a dunking machine, but one who can work in the post and score off baseline jumpers, not to mention that he can now manhandle the paint alongside DeAndre Jordan. In a nutshell, with lots of former and present stars at the Clippers' disposal, there really are prepared to go deep into the playoffs.
The Warriors In: Everybody enjoyed the Splash Brothers show; however, a lot of things have gone their way which led them to this woeful sixth place, considering the potential that they both have. Having Andre Iguodala around certainly helped them a lot, but the recent loss of Andrew Bogut is going to make things difficult for the Warriors. If they want to go beyond the first round, then they need to make those outside shots, for without a formidable big man in Bogut, it's going to be quite difficult for them to take it inside.
What could be: Athleticism, finesse, and good defense. The Clippers have it, but it's going to take them seven games to send the Warriors back home.
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