There is nothing normal about this fastly approaching NBA postseason. Players have entered a time warp back to their college years. Their days of shotgunning beers with the boys, aggressively mediocre dining services, and playing video games into the late hours of the night are back and better than ever. This bubble that Adam Silver and co. have created should be enough to get the season off and crown a champion, though. (A pretty miraculous effort given the time and logistical constraints.)
With nothing being normal, it isn’t crazy to think the typically predictable NBA Playoffs could resemble something closer to March Madness where upsets are to be expected. Teams that otherwise might not have been in the mix are catapulted into contention. Let’s look at a few of these teams that I believe can make some noise once the ball tips in Orlando.
Toronto Raptors
The team I just can’t seem to shut up about. The restarted playoffs are going to be weird, so a team that is consistent, experienced, and defensively innovative is likely to thrive in it. They have the second best defensive rating in the entire league, trailing only the Bucks. They have four players in the top 15 of defensive rating in the league. I project teams will struggle on offense at least to start the playoffs, and the Raptors are tough to score on as it is. On offense, the Raptors have the most balanced scoring attack in the league. Six Players are averaging ten points or more per game. An offense spearheaded by an emerging Pascal Siakam complimented with 7 other guys who can all get their own shot, they are an incredibly tough team to defend. They play equally well at home as they do away, which is ideal for the no-fans setting in Orlando.
The Raptors are long and athletic with so many underrated players. OG Anunoby, Norman Powell, and Fred VanVleet are so underrated in the media it is honestly disrespectful. Those three guys average 15 points a game each and average 39% from long range as a unit. Toronto as a team is top seven in both team three point attempts and percentage largely due to their exceptional role players.
Oh yeah, they have the best coach in the league, too. In his first full season as head coach, Nick Nurse won an NBA championship. He helped generate a more fluid offensive and defensive system in Toronto which can no longer be deemed “Lebronto” after finally breaking through. Last offseason, Kawhi Leonard took his Finals MVP and second-best-player-in-the- league status with him to Los Angeles, leaving Nick Nurse to pick up the pieces. Nurse managed to coach a team on pace to win 59 games (!) Not to mention his 5 best players who missed a combined 76 games. This is the story absolutely nobody is talking about. I really can’t fathom anyone else winning coach of the year.
With a chance for players like Vanvleet, Gasol, Siakam, Lowry, and Ibaka to get healthy, the Raptors are poised for another Eastern Conference Title bout and potentially another Finals run. A variety of savvy and rejuvenated veterans, elite role players, and emerging stars has me liking their chances against anyone. If any team can size up defensively to the superpower in Milwaukee, it is the Toronto Raptors. I need to see the final bracket after the play in games, but they are likely my personal pick to get out of the east.
Portland Trail Blazers
Before the restart, Portland was a team riddled with injuries probably worse than anyone else this year. The lay off from March is surely going to benefit them more than the rest of the field. To be frank, they are a better team than Memphis when healthy, and I believe they claim that 8th seed with relative ease. After they do that, the Lakers are officially on upset watch.
Portland still has a top two backcourt in the league that has proven it can produce in big time games. If it weren’t for the Golden State super team, they probably go on to play in the Finals last season. They always seemed to be one piece shy of truly being a contender, though. However, an emerging star in Jusuf Nurkic, who went down with injury in March of last year, was tracking to become that missing piece. While the addition of Carmelo Anthony has helped them keep their head above water, getting their promising young center back in the rotation will be huge. Dame played his best basketball alongside Nurkic especially in the pick and roll. CJ McCollum’s floor spacing complimenting two playmaking aficionados like Dame and Nurkic is an elite triple threat. Those three guys are one of the most exciting and talented big threes in the league.
Portland has decent depth at the top and bottom of their positions but the weakness is in their wings. They have elite guard play and a deep big man rotation. The problem is, wings consisting of Carmelo Anthony, Rodney Hood, and Anfernee Simmons leaves much to be desired. Trevor Ariza opting out of the restart hurts them for sure. I still think their guards and bigs can pick up the slack and keep them competing at a high level because they’re that good. When they need to find ways to contain forwards like Lebron,Giannis, or Kawhi, though, problems will arise.
It is no secret this team is only below .500 because of injuries, and history shows a healthy Portland team can compete with just about anyone in the league. I’d love to see Lebron get his fourth title, but getting past Portland in round one is a tough start to the quest. This series would have seven game potential and we all know what can happen when Lillard is called upon to hit a big shot. (Dame Time duh.)
Oklahoma City Thunder
The last sleeper team I can realistically see getting to a conference final or better is Oklahoma City. They don’t check the most boxes by any means, but they have an identity. Chris Paul playing take-your-turn isolation basketball in Houston was a disgrace to the sport. Mike D’Antoni taking two prime Point God years away from the game of basketball should be a federal crime. Luckily, Point God is back in business with a coach who utilizes his Hall of Fame strengths.
Chris Paul is running the show in Oklahoma City. He is showing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander how to be a professional while simultaneously winning games. Hey, that’s a pretty cool idea for a rebuild, I wonder if a hopeless team in New York could try something like that? Anyway, the Thunder have a very solid starting five with Shröder at the three. Sure they’re small, but offensively they are impossible to defend. The ball moves organically between CP3, SGA, and Shröder. Danillo Galinari excels in the system as well. The reliable double double machine Steven Adams rounding out the lineup make the Thunder a formidable opponent across the board. Due to innovative defensive design, Billy Donovan has generated a top ten defense based on defensive rating. If for some made up reason Nick Nurse is ineligible for the coach of the year award, Billy Donovan deserves it.
The Thunder have no depth at all. I have no confidence in Nerlens Noel or Lequentz Dort as the sixth man of this team. That being said, if Andre Roberson can return healthy for the Thunder, he can provide a much needed defensive presence at the wing position. Reports are promising that Roberson looks pretty good. Even still, being six deep in an atypical playoff setting is concerning and leaves no room for error. The hope is that a great coach and a hall of fame point guard can make up for it, which isn’t a bad gamble.