This season is so crazy. For the first time in YEARS the playoffs will be a complete crapshoot. If the Spurs do not win it all this year, then a completely new and unproven team will. Think about that for a second... The last 4 seasons LeBron and the Heat won the East pretty easily. Now the East could legit be won by the Hawks, Cavs, Bulls, Raptors, or Wizards. Most ppl will assume the Cavs or Hawks will win it, but Raptors, Bulls, and Wizards have, at times, shown they can compete. For the last 16! seasons the West has been won by just FOUR teams: Thunder (1), Mavs (2), Spurs (6), Lakers (7). Obviously the Lakers won't be in the playoffs, then you have the Thunder with KD coming off an injury, the Mavs have poor chemistry and bench, and the Spurs have MAYBE gotten too old? Teams like the Warriors, Grizzlies, Clippers, Blazers, and Rockets ALL could make the Finals. My next point: Injuries. SO many playoff teams have had major injuries HOU(Dwight), LAC(Blake), OKC(KD), POR(Matthews), CHI(Rose/Butler), MIA(Bosh). It will be interesting to see which of these teams can advance in the playoffs with or without these guys. You can make a strong case for a Memphis/Atlanta Finals, or Houston/Cleveland, or LAC/Toronto, Golden State/Washington, or even a San Antonio/Chicago...and about 20 other combinations. Last season it was basically the Heat versus the Spurs/Thunder winner all season long. This time around it could be ANYBODY. What's probably the most interesting part about it is... Is this the first year of a Warriors dynasty? Does LeBron start a new string of Finals appearances? Is this FINALLY the end of the Spurs? Is this how OKC gets blown up? Can the Rockets finally get out of the first round?? Mid-April can't get here fast enough!
Totally agree, I really cannot see past the 1st round with all of these teams playing so well while most dealing with injuries and so unpredictable how everything is going to shake out. Anybody could beat anybody in the 1st round, though I will say: the safest bet in the East and West are whoever plays the Bucks and Mavericks will probably advance.