Let's be real, only 5 teams that actually matter for the 2014 championship.

[Connor B]

EAST

Heat - obvious
Pacers - obvious

WEST

Thunder - their record and Kevin Durant speak for themselves. Ibaka playing great, Westbrook will get back into the groove eventually, and their role players have all stepped up.

Clippers - Their win over OKC today really showed how good they can be. I think Doc Rivers is a top 5 coach, I think Blake Griffin is morphing into maybe the best PF in the game, I think Chris Paul, even though he is overrated, will have a career year in the playoffs.

Houston - barely included them. Thought about it for a while...I don't trust Harden to lead a team to a series win over the Thunder/Clippers, but I can't deny that when they are all playing well they are really hard to beat. They have the star players and the role players to match all of the above teams

That's it. In the east, its obvious. If it isn't Indiana/Miami in the ECF that will be one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. In the west, while several teams are good, several of them have some clear flaws...and what it comes down to is can any of the following teams beat OKC/Clippers in a 7 game series?

Trailblazers - rely too much on jump shooting, not very good on defense, inexperienced.

Warriors - I question Mark Jackson's coaching abilities...rely too much on jump shooting, lack of defense, similar problems to the Blazers. So much pressure on the backcourt. Their bench is also still not good enough despite recent signings.

Suns - We're never a contender, still aren't, won't be. Their best player is Dragic who is playing like an all-star but other than that they do not have anyone who can really have huge games.

Spurs - injury questions, and their core is just a little over the hill. Love Duncan but let's be real, you saw how OKC has played against them in the regular season. They can't win a 7 game against younger, faster, more star powered teams.

Timberwolves/Grizzlies/Mavericks - should be nowhere near the conversation

[Inferno]

Warriors have a top 3 defense in the league.

[comerb]

Warriors are good enough, they're just underperforming this season. They may rely too much on the 3, but they've got one of, if not the best jump shooting backcourt in nba history... it's just a matter of them getting hot at the right time, just like the Mavericks in 2011. I wouldn't want to play them in a best of 7.

[ImKobe]

I think it's going to be San Antonio - Miami Finals rematch.

Just like last year, SA is flying under the radar while maintaining a top 2 seed in the West, OKC is hyped up like crazy in the regular season. If SA faces OKC in the Playoffs, it will be a 7 game series and it could go either way, but something tells me Westbrook will not be healthy for the Playoffs AGAIN and KD's scoring will not be enough to win the series against a deep Spurs squad.

Though I think Indy is stacked and equipped to beat Miami, I think Bosh and Wade will show up in the big games and Lebron will destroy PG when it matters. Miami in 7 again.

Finals could go either way depending on which team is healthier.

[T_L_P]

So the only real reason you picked the Clippers over the Spurs is because they have a better shot of beating Oklahoma?

[russwest0]

The Clippers?

Howabout we let them get out of the first round first

[Connor B]

So the only real reason you picked the Clippers over the Spurs is because they have a better shot of beating Oklahoma?

The Suns cannot take OKC or Clippers in a 7 game series. They lack the star power and are inexperienced.

[Milbuck]

The Spurs don't matter? Really?

It's getting pretty ridiculous. This happens every single year. They were literally one shot away from winning the finals in 6, and now they don't matter?

Even with all their injuries and age concerns and shit, they're the 2nd seed in the West. Let that sink in. They've underachieved like crazy and have had players dropping like flies, and STILL have the 4th best record in the NBA.

They've done this for the past 2 seasons, and this season isn't much of an exception. They have injury concerns, people question their age, etc. blah blah blah. But then all of a sudden before the playoffs, they get healthy, enter this zone, and look pretty much unbeatable. In 2012 it took KD, Westbrook, and Harden ALL going absolute apeshit on them, and last season it took arguably the single clutchest shot in NBA history to stop them.

Seriously, what the **** have the Clippers or Rockets done to "matter" more than the Spurs? The Rockets have 2 "franchise players" tailor-made to fail in the playoffs - if it wasn't for Westbrook's injury, both of them would've had their ass handed to them in 4 on their respective teams (one of them did, by the Spurs ). I don't mind the Clippers being there. But you have to mention that while they look promising this season, they have been miserable disappointments in the playoffs since acquiring CP3.

[noob cake]

Eliminate Houston since we have 0% chance of beating OKC.

We can beat GSW and Spurs and possibly the Clippers.

[MichaelCorleone]

Phoenix Suns will be the underdog, but watch out.

[T_L_P]

The Suns cannot take OKC or Clippers in a 7 game series. They lack the star power and are inexperienced.

I said Spurs bro.

[T_L_P]

The Spurs don't matter? Really?

It's getting pretty ridiculous. This happens every single year. They were literally one shot away from winning the finals in 6, and now they don't matter?

Even with all their injuries and age concerns and shit, they're the 2nd seed in the West. Let that sink in. They've underachieved like crazy and have had players dropping like flies, and STILL have the 4th best record in the NBA.

They've done this for the past 2 seasons, and this season isn't much of an exception. They have injury concerns, people question their age, etc. blah blah blah. But then all of a sudden before the playoffs, they get healthy, enter this zone, and look pretty much unbeatable. In 2012 it took KD, Westbrook, and Harden ALL going absolute apeshit on them, and last season it took arguably the single clutchest shot in NBA history to stop them.

Seriously, what the **** have the Clippers or Rockets done to "matter" more than the Spurs? The Rockets have 2 "franchise players" tailor-made to fail in the playoffs - if it wasn't for Westbrook's injury, both of them would've had their ass handed to them in 4 on their respective teams (one of them did, by the Spurs ). I don't mind the Clippers being there. But you have to mention that while they look promising this season, they have been miserable disappointments in the playoffs since acquiring CP3.

Milbuck with that knowledge

[Connor B]

The Spurs don't matter? Really?

It's getting pretty ridiculous. This happens every single year. They were literally one shot away from winning the finals in 6, and now they don't matter?

Even with all their injuries and age concerns and shit, they're the 2nd seed in the West. Let that sink in. They've underachieved like crazy and have had players dropping like flies, and STILL have the 4th best record in the NBA.

They've done this for the past 2 seasons, and this season isn't much of an exception. They have injury concerns, people question their age, etc. blah blah blah. But then all of a sudden before the playoffs, they get healthy, enter this zone, and look pretty much unbeatable. In 2012 it took KD, Westbrook, and Harden ALL going absolute apeshit on them, and last season it took arguably the single clutchest shot in NBA history to stop them.

Seriously, what the **** have the Clippers or Rockets done to "matter" more than the Spurs? The Rockets have 2 "franchise players" tailor-made to fail in the playoffs - if it wasn't for Westbrook's injury, both of them would've had their ass handed to them in 4 on their respective teams (one of them did, by the Spurs ). I don't mind the Clippers being there. But you have to mention that while they look promising this season, they have been miserable disappointments in the playoffs since acquiring CP3.

I respect where you are coming from but the Spurs' route to the finals last year was a joke. Healthy Westbrook gets OKC to the ECF and I don't think they could beat the Thunder. Not to mention they haven't looked great at times versus top west teams, the Thunder especially. They could beat Clippers in a 7 game maybe, but not the Thunder, not with Durant playing like he can and Westbrook getting back into things.

As for the Clippers, they are a better team this year, if only because of Rivers, who I really do think matters. Not to mention Griffin and Deandre have both gotten noticeably better.

[MichaelCorleone]

Suns and Spurs gonna surprise a lot of people.

[blackification]

So I see OP is going to act like Bledsoe died and isn't coming back before the end of March? both green and bledsoe can go off on a given night. Markieff has had some big games off the bench as well