5 Potential NBA Postseason Cinderella Stories

March Madness is not the only opportunity basketball fans have to witness a Cinderella story.

The NBA postseason may not consist of as many teams as the NCAA tournament, but its best-of-seven-games structure leaves the door open for anything to happen.

More than half of The Association's franchises earn a postseason bid, yet more than half of the league has already been written off the list of title contenders.

While there are plenty of clubs that have exuded dominance all season long, we cannot sleep on those that will just barely crawl into the playoffs.

With the playoff picture changing daily, it has become abundantly clear the NBA has numerous potential Cinderella stories in the making.

Utah Jazz

After trading away Deron Williams last season, the Jazz were not expected to do much of anything this year, but they currently hold the Western Conference's seventh seed.

Utah began the season 9-4, catching the attention of just about everyone. Shortly thereafter, the team entered a downward tailspin, losing 14 of their next 20. 

The Jazz have been on fire since the All-Star break, though, and refuse to fade out of the postseason picture.

Utah is 11-6 since the break, and has won six of seven, five of which have come against potential or surefire playoff teams. Their impressive stretch has also included victories over the Heat, Lakers and Thunder, bona fide title contenders that the Jazz aren't supposed to compete with.

Yet, here they are. Utah's low-post depth and gritty perimeter play, combined with their dominant exhibitions at home, has the postseason within reach.

And just as they were counted out of even making the playoffs, the Jazz will be excluded from making any postseason noise.

That's a mistake. 

Denver Nuggets

Few teams have been hit by the injury bug as hard as the Nuggets, but they cannot be overlooked heading into the postseason.

Despite Denver's impressive start to the season that saw them rise as high as second place in the Western Conference standings, their ability to make a playoff run without a heralded superstar continued to be questioned.

After dealing Nene for JaVale McGee, such scrutiny will not cease.

While the Nuggets may be a wealth of inexperience, they have also proven to be one of the toughest teams to beat. Their lack of a superstar has created an unselfish dynamic that is matched only by the Suns, and the team's complete devotion to defense is rivaled by few.

Amid numerous injuries, the Nuggets have found themselves in a brutal battle for the West's final playoff spot. Much like the Grizzlies of last season, though, their place in the standings is not indicative of how talented this team truly is.

If Denver can find away to outlast the slate of teams currently nipping at their heels, they will find themselves as healthy as they have been all year heading into the postseason.

Once this squad reaches full-strength, they are liable to play up to their full potential.

And the sky's the ceiling in that department. 

Milwaukee Bucks

Let's face it, when a roster boasts the likes of both Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, anything can happen.

The Bucks currently sit a game-and-a-half outside of the playoffs, but after winning seven of their last 10, their postseason hopes are far from obsolete.

Nine of Milwaukee's last 18 games are against playoff or potential playoff teams, but only one—a game against the Thunder—is worth fearing. 

Jennings' decision-making ability is at an all-time high, and the play of unheralded role players like Ersan Ilyasova, Drew Gooden and Shaun Livingston has giving the Bucks depth no one knew they had.

And let's not forget Ellis, who is liable to drop 30 or more on any given night.

Over the course of the season, Milwaukee has shown it can aggravate the most elite of teams—Lakers, Heat, Bulls—and with a seventh-ranked offense, that isn't going to change. 

Inexperience is definitely an issue moving forward, but if the Knicks or Celtics begin to taper off and the Bucks find themselves in the playoffs, the stage is set for a miraculous postseason run.

Houston Rockets

Imagining just how lethal the Rockets would be with a healthy Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry is a scary notion to present.

Houston came out of the All-Star break with a win over the Raptors, and then went on to lose five straight. Since then, though, a group of unknown role players and defensively oriented veterans have pushed the Rockets above .500.

With 19 games to play, the Rockets are currently clinging to the Western Conference's final playoff spot. While there are plenty of teams looking to push Houston out of the running, their stunningly deep rotation is going to make such a task exceptionally difficult.

The Rockets score, they defend and perhaps most importantly, they fight, even when shorthanded.

Their loss to the Mavericks was a heartbreaker, but it cannot be stressed enough that it took an extra five minutes for the defending champs to scrape a victory.

Should Houston get healthy in time for the postseason, this borderline playoff team has the potential to be one of the very last ones standing. 

Phoenix Suns

Steve Nash is walking proof that great play is contagious.

Nash has taken a group of under-the-radar role players and led them into the realm of postseason possibilities.

The Suns are currently one game outside of the West's final playoffs spot, and despite a tough schedule to finish out the season, this team remains a viable postseason candidate.

Phoenix is 11-4 since the All-Star break, a run that has included victories over the Rockets, Mavericks, Clippers and Pacers, as well as a near-win over the Heat.

Under the direction of Nash, Phoenix has become one of the most unselfish and efficient teams in the NBA. They're a threat to come away with a win, regardless of the opponent, and have proven unafraid of taking their show on the road.

The Western Conference's playoff picture may be a litter of uncertainty now, but a resolution will present itself at some point.

And don't be surprised if that resolution dictates we watch the Suns wreak a slew of postseason havoc. 

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