Los Angeles Clippers and 5 Teams You Wouldn't Expect to Make a Deep Playoff Run

With the 2012 NBA playoffs less than six weeks away, the playoff picture is starting to become a little bit clearer, as teams like the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are rising to the top in their respective conferences.

While the teams listed above are poised to make deep runs in the 2012 NBA playoffs as expected, there are a couple of teams that have the potential to really shake things up during the months of May and June with deep playoff runs of their own.

Whether it's because of veteran experience, dominant defensive production or depth coming off the bench, the teams on this list all have what it takes to excel come time for the NBA playoffs. 

Ahead is a list of five teams that will make a deeper run in the playoffs than most expect them to.

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Los Angeles Clippers

The Lob City Clippers haven't necessarily been as dominant as many had hoped so far in the 2011-12 NBA season.  When they are clicking on all cylinders, though, they are a really difficult team to stop, and that won't change come time for the 2012 NBA playoffs.

The Clippers have one of the most explosive offenses in the NBA, averaging 98.3 points per game, thanks to the play of Chris Paul, Mo Williams, Blake Griffin and Caron Butler.  The Clippers aren't just a one-trick pony, though, with just a productive offense.

Lob City also manages to play consistent defense, which is one of the main reasons why they will undoubtedly make a deep run in the Western Conference playoffs.  The Clippers allow, on average, only 96.1 points per game, which ranks 17th overall in the NBA.

When the Clippers are playing the kind of faced-paced, high-energy style of basketball that we all expect them to, they are a difficult team to stop, as evidenced by wins over elite teams like the Miami Heat, the San Antonio Spurs, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Orlando Magic and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Los Angeles Clippers are the kind of team that will coast through the end of the regular season, and start playing their best basketball once the playoffs drive.  Watch out for the Clippers to make a serious run at the Western Conference title this year, led by the explosive duo of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.

Boston Celtics

Don't count out the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference just yet.  The last thing you want to do is write off Boston because of the age of their foundational talent, in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

If there's one thing we've learned over the past few years in the playoffs, it's that experience, team chemistry and dominant defense is what often times leads teams to NBA titles.  The Boston Celtics have all of those characteristics, and that's what makes them such a dangerous team.

Led by the play of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, the Celtics have the playoff experience they need to be dangerous in a seven-game series with any team in the Eastern Conference.

In addition to their previous playoff experience, the Celtics also happen to have one of the best defensive units in the NBA, giving up an average of only 89.7 points per game, which ranks third overall in the NBA.  While the Celtics certainly aren't the team they once were offensively speaking, there's no doubt that their experience will be able to carry them in the 2012 NBA playoffs.

While Boston will most likely end up with the seventh or eighth seed in the East, there's no doubt that they have what it takes, with a stingy defense and veteran experience, to pull off a major upset in the first round, and make a deep run in the playoffs this year. 

Denver Nuggets

Surprisingly enough, the Denver Nuggets have the most productive offense in the NBA, averaging an impressive 104.1 points per game.

What makes the Nuggets so dangerous, though, isn't just the fact that they can seemingly score at will.  The Nuggets offense is so dangerous because they can beat you with almost any player on their roster.

Denver has one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the NBA, with eight players on there averaging nine or more points per game so far this season.

There's no doubt that the Nuggets offense can carry them to the Western Conference playoffs, but it will not be enough to help them make a deep run in the playoffs as well.  The Nuggets certainly need to improve their defense, which ranks 28th in the NBA, giving up an average of 101.3 points per game, if they want to make a deep run in the Western Conference come playoff time.

If Denver can manage to improve their defensive production just slightly, there's no doubt that they will be a team to keep your eyes on come time for the 2012 NBA playoffs, mainly because their offense is so well-rounded and productive. 

Los Angeles Lakers

A lot of people started to count out the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference, when it became evident that they weren't going to get any offensive production from players not named, Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

Much like the Boston Celtics, who the Lakers just beat this past weekend, Los Angeles is proving that they can win games, and remain relevant in their conference with legitimate veteran experience and a focused toughness on the defensive side of the ball.

Since the All-Star break, the Lakers have been wining games with their sixth-ranked defense, allowing only 92 points per game, and opportunistic offense from guys like Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum.

While the Lakers aren't the dominant team they once were, they are still finding ways to win and when you mix that with the sour taste in their mouth from their second-round exit from last year's playoffs, it's evident that the Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant, are still a dangerous team in the Western Conference.

The Los Angeles Lakers certainly have what it takes to make a deep run in the 2012 NBA playoffs, mainly because they're led by Kobe Bryant's pure ability to score, and an overall increased focus and tenacity on the defensive side of the ball.

What's that?  A Western Conference Finals series where all seven games are played in the Staples center?  Believe me, it could happen this year.   

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the surprises of the 2011-12 NBA season so far, and while they've cooled off as of late, there's no doubt that they are still a very dangerous team heading into the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The main reason why the 76ers are such a dangerous team is because of the impressive depth they have coming off of the bench, with guys like Lavoy Allen, Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner and Lou Williams.

The 76ers' bench ranks first overall in offensive production, with an average of 43.5 points per game, which is a solid foundation for Philadelphia moving forward into the second half of the 2011-12 NBA season and the playoffs.

In addition to the bench production that the 76ers have, the fact that they give up the least points per game in the NBA, with an average of 87.2 points per game, is a major reason why they are going to be one of the most dangerous teams come time for the 2012 NBA playoffs.

Sure, the 76ers haven't had that much success in the playoffs in the past few years, but there's no doubt that this year could be the year that their fate in the playoffs changes, led by solid bench production and the NBA's best defense.

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