The NBA playoffs are around the corner - finally - and there are an outrageous number of teams that have a legitimate shot at winning the championship. So here are the top 10 contenders - sorry, Atlanta Hawks, you didn't make the cut - and their chances of hoisting the trophy come June.
10. Dallas Mavericks: Jason Kidd is not what he used to be, and ever since Dirk missed that free throw in Game 3 of the NBA Finals two years ago, I've lost all faith in the man. When your crunch-time scorer relies on a 17-foot fadeaway jumper for most of his points, you're not in a good position. That, and they lost to the Sonics on Sunday. The Sonics!
9. Houston Rockets: We all know about their win streak, which continued even when Yao went down. But the playoffs are a whole new game. Tracy McGrady (0-6 in playoff series) can't carry this team alone.
8. San Antonio Spurs: The defending champs at number eight?! Am I on crack? Well, no (not right now, at least). This is easily the most experienced team in the playoffs, but at some point they will have to play the Suns, who match up extremely well with them, and it could be as early as the first round. Phoenix has won both games these teams have played since the Shaq trade, as the Big Aristotle held the Big Fundamental - Tim Duncan - to only 37.5 percent shooting. Expect Shaq to give Duncan fits throughout.
7. Phoenix Suns: Yes, they have a good shot against the Spurs. But the Lakers, Hornets and Jazz are another story. Plus, even if they make it to the Finals, there's no way they can play with the Celtics or the Pistons (they're 1-3 against them since the Shaq trade). I respect this team a lot, but the big fella is not what he was even two years ago.
6. Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron has the ability to singlehandedly win a playoff series, but the fact that the Cavs are this low just shows the depth of the playoffs this year. The lack of a supporting cast makes a championship trophy for King James unlikely this year.
5. New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul might be the MVP, and David West is underrated, but the rest of the team leaves something to be desired, sort of like this two-sentence analysis. Let's move on.
4. Detroit Pistons: You know they're at least making it to the conference finals, and they're always a threat to win it all. This is essentially the same team that went to two straight Finals. I can't really say anything negative about them; I just don't like them as much as the next three.
3. Boston Celtics: A 65-win season is no joke, even in the East. Garnett, Allen and Pierce were assembled for one purpose: to win a championship. But you know, so were Karl Malone and Gary Payton on that Lakers team a few years ago. Allen and KG aren't past their primes like those two were, but their lack of playoff experience together is a big detractor.
2. Los Angeles Lakers: The last time Kobe had a real big man, he won three consecutive championships. He's older and wiser now, the Lakers have the No. 1 seed, and they're so deep that Lamar Odom is the third scoring option and Luke Walton is a bench player. Things have not looked this good in L.A. for a long time. So who could possibly be better?
1. Utah Jazz: The more I look at the Jazz, the more I like them. They have all the elements: a true point guard (Deron Williams), a defensive wizard/glue guy (Andrei Kirilenko), an inside banger (Carlos Boozer) and even an outside big man (Mehmet Okur). Their +7.3 point differential is tied for best in the West, and perhaps you forgot, but this team made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals last year. Their blend of talent and experience is nearly unmatched in this year's playoffs. It might seem unthinkable, but in the end, the championship trophy may reside not in the basketball towns of Boston or L.A., but in Salt Lake City.
David Heck is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at David.Heck@tufts.edu.
