Trying on the Shoe: The NBA's Most Likely Cinderellas

Last week, Dr. Trade looked at the moves that successful and struggling teams can make during their upcoming offseasons. (You can find these wide-ranging articles here: http://bleacherreport.com/users/130480-dr-trade)

This week, let's look more into the short term by investigating which current NBA lineups are primed to put on the Cinderella shoe when their playoffs begin in late April.

Yes, this is a shameless tie-in with a popular facet of March Madness. However, the NBA version of a "Cinderella" playoff team is actually much harder to come by, and therefore is a more amazing occurrence.

Before you banish me as a basketball heretic, let me explain myself:

Oftentimes during the NCAA Tournament, a higher seed will run into a lower-ranked team in the early rounds, only to discover that they have entered their own personal nightmare.

Unfavorable matchups, mixed with an underestimated and ultra-hungry opponent, suddenly put too much pressure to bear on the favored seed.

They crack under pressure, dial up their intensity too late, and ultimately come up short.

Sometimes, the "Cinderella" team gains so much confidence and begins playing at so high a level that they not only make it out of the first round with the upset, but are also able to translate that success into future rounds as well.

These are the games that people remember, and I'm in no way belittling the accomplishment at the collegiate level.

However, pulling off a true First Round upset in the NBA is at least four times as amazing as the collegiate game: an NBA Cinderella has to not just beat its higher-rated opponent once, but four times, just to get out alive.

To continue a Cinderella run in the subsequent rounds requires another four upset performances.

See where I'm going with this? Yes, I'm expecting a horde of college basketball purists to still be upset with me, but I'm used to that...

So, polemics aside, let's take a look at a handful of NBA teams that nobody should want to play in the First Round.

These are the squads that have a chance to join the 1994 Nuggets, 1998 New Knicks, and 2007 Warriors as recent examples of NBA Cinderellas.

Who knows? A couple of these teams might actually have the potential to get hot and do some multi-round damage as well.

5. Portland Trail Blazers

You and I both know that Portland would probably be sitting at least three to four seeds higher right now if Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla were both healthy.

It's certainly been frustrating to see this team, long-lauded for their potential, finally start developing even beyond those expectations, only to be stifled by a roster-wide rash of injuries.

Newly acquired Marcus Camby's defense and rebounding are not only absolutely essential to this teams' playoff fortunes, but they also pair extremely well with the mid-range sharpshooting of fellow lanky post, LaMarcus Aldridge.

Unfortunately, this team's lack of frontline depth will undoubtedly be their eventual downfall in the playoffs. No one in their right mind better assume that Portland is an automatic First Round out, however. Here's why:

Andre Miller and Brandon Roy seem to have figured out how to play together; there aren't many other guard tandems as physical or as tough as those two.

The Blazers' athletic wingmen—Nicholas Batum, Martell Webster, and Rudy Fernandez—all pose unique matchup problems to any opponent.

This team should also be past the Playoff jitters that capsized them against a steady Houston squad last season. Look for this talented group to buy into the underdog role that Coach Nate McMillan will undoubtedly sell.

I think that Denver and Dallas could struggle a little against Portland in the First Round, but I especially foresee Portland's best chances being against the defending champs.

Check the matchups again on paper. There are a lot of positions, especially at Point Guard and Forward where the Lakers could be worn down by Portland.

If it's the Blazers that await, the Lakers better hope to be healthy and executing at a high level. They'll need to be operating at peak efficiency, or this group has the potential to make things extremely uncomfortable for Los Angeles. You never know...

4. Milwaukee Bucks

"Fear the Deer."

It's a phrase that hasn't been uttered with any seriousness in Milwaukee since at least 2001. I have to admit that I chuckled a little bit when I heard it again for the first time a few weeks ago.

These days, I'm not so sure that I or anybody else should be laughing. These guys are for real.

Owners of the NBA's best record since the All-Star Break, and currently the Eastern Conference's fifth seed, the Bucks have benefited from Andrew Bogut's emergence as at least the third best center in the league this season.

Helpful too has been the timely arrival of John Salmon's offense via trade with Chicago, and the revelation that Ersan Ilyasova might actually be a real NBA player after all.

However, the X-factor of this squad is absolutely Brandon Jennings. While he may need a high volume of shots to get his numbers, Jennings' quickness and big play ability have unquestionably filled a long-standing void for the Bucks.

Well-utilized role players like Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Kurt Thomas, and Jerry Stackhouse have been aided by the fact that Luke Ridnour, Carlos Delfino, and Charlie Bell are at least playing average basketball this year.

Coach Scott Skiles has helped to add some much needed toughness to this franchise, and this team seems to be discovering that they actually do belong.

Can you imagine where this group would be if they also had the shooting of a healthy Michael Redd?

So, do they have enough overall firepower to upend Cleveland or Orlando? Probably not in a seven-game series, but if I'm Boston or Atlanta, I don't want any part of this matchup in the First Round. It's an upset just waiting to happen.

3. Utah Jazz

Yes, those of you fact checkers out there will undoubtedly remind me that Utah is currently the fourth Seed in the West. So, how can we consider them for Cinderella potential?

First of all, the Western Conference is so closely packed right now, that current standings must be considered as absolutely fluid.

Even if Utah remains where they are, however, this is a team that has the potential to cause major problems for the upper seeds in the later rounds.

Everyone knows what Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko, and Mehmet Okur bring to the table for this group. The fact that their skillsets mesh so well, along with their years of experience together, cannot be underestimated.

Few teams have better secondary options than what is available to Jerry Sloan. He can entrust key minutes to Paul Milsap, Kyle Korver, CJ Miles, Ronnie Price, and Wes Matthews, and know that they will not only play within their roles, but also produce at an extremely efficient level.

Everyone knows that a Jerry Sloan team will execute, and that he's one of the game's absolute best at maximizing his team's talent, while also placing his individual players in a position to succeed.

What casual NBA fans may not have realized however, is that the Jazz have quietly rediscovered the drive, toughness, and focus that were lacking during last season's underwhelming run.

Distractions regarding Carlos Boozer's contract status, and an under-publicized lack of chemistry were all major roadblocks for last year's group.

This year, the Jazz seem to have cleared their minds of the outside noise, accepted their roles, and are well positioned to succeed, regardless of seeding.

For whatever reason, Utah has not matched up well at all with the Lakers over the past few seasons.

Oklahoma City's athleticism could pose some matchup problems as well, but I'd still give the edge to Utah's years of playoff experience against the Thunder.

Look at any of the other potential matchups however, and one has to like the Jazz's chances against nearly any other Western Conference opponent, including higher-seeded Denver and Dallas.

2. Phoenix Suns

Much like Utah, there's not much new that I need to write about when it comes to the Suns' core of Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, and Amar'e Stoudemire.

While those four players are all enjoying higher points of their careers this season, the Suns' bright prospects haven't necessarily risen because of those constants.

Rather, its the development of Phoenix's supporting cast that has shone the most.

In the past, the Suns were a regular season juggernaut whose lack of overall toughness was often exposed at key moments against steadier opponents.

They were a team that boasted an extremely talented starting five, but were hindered by only being able to go seven deep into the roster.

Now, watch Alvin Gentry's Suns carefully, and you should be starting to see why opponents might want to watch out.

Jared Dudley and Channing Frye have developed outside shots, seemingly out of nowhere. They are capable of spacing the floor and knocking down big treys when opponents want to clamp down on Stoudemire and Nash.

More importantly, Dudley, Lou Amundson, and Robin Lopez have all added a level of physicality that has been missing from the Suns.

Is this the most physical team in the West? No. Are they pushovers in the paint and on the boards? Not anymore. Not by a long-shot.

Even Gorgan Dragic—who looked so much like a busted draft pick just last season—has turned into an extremely capable backup point guard.

Steve Nash's minutes can be spared and used much more strategically these days. It's about time.

Don't forget, Leandro Barbosa is coming back from injury. There's another spark plug capable of making big plays down the stretch.

This team still has one of the top-flight starting fives in the league. Now, they can realistically play 10 deep, and be a lot tougher while doing it. Oh, and they can still drop 120 points at the drop of a hat.

Uh oh...

If' I'm anyone except for Denver—the only team that is capable of similar offensive explosions while also being a little nastier doing it—I don't want to see this team in the first round.

1. Charlotte Bobcats

To be honest, part of Charlotte's being at the top of this list has to do with how low the expectations are right now for the Bobcats.

Most fans will simply be impressed enough with the franchise's first playoff appearance.

A first round win, however—no matter the opponent—would be hailed as a truly monumental breakthrough.

The Bobcats have flown so low under the radar this season that I think a lot people might have missed how this group has quietly developed some critical intangibles all year. They're built to wear the Cinderella shoe.

Does this team have a leader who's got quite a bit of experience headlining playoff upstarts? Steven Jackson? Check.

Does this team have multi-role wings and forwards that cause matchup problems with their quickness and athleticism? Gerald Wallace, Tyrus Thomas, and Boris Diaw? Check.

Does this team have steady point guards who are interchageable down the stretch? Raymond Felton and DJ Augustin? Check.

Does this team have a host of bodies in the post who have playoff experience as disruptive defensive specialists? Tyson Chandler, Nazr Mohammed, Theo Ratliff, and DeSagana Diop? Check.

Does this team have a coach with a history of maximizing his hand-built rosters at playoff time, and using fundamental defensive schemes to expose weaknesses, while throwing waves of interchangeable parts at frustrated opponents? Larry Brown? You better believe it.

For all the desirable attributes that Larry Brown may have historically lacked as an employee, there's no question that the guy can flat-out coach.

There should be no question that this team is built in classic Larry Brown fashion to turn any series into a classic Eastern Conference slugfest.

This team might not have enough beyond-the-arc firepower to hang long enough with Atlanta or Orlando, but they also might be the one lower seed who is capable of making things extremely interesting for Cleveland.

Don't forget that they've beaten the Cavs three out of four times this season, losing only the first occasion they played each other. That was back in October.

Without reading too much into the 3-1 record, let's also recognize that it's a much healthier start against Cleveland than any other Eastern Conference team can boast.

Cleveland might want to secretly hope that Toronto stays in the eighth seed, and that Orlando has to deal with the 'Cats first. Either way, no one is going to have fun facing them in late April.