NBA Playoff Predictions: 5 Teams Destined to Disappoint

The race to the NBA postseason continues to heat up.

With around 20 games of regular-season play left in the 2011-12 season, the playoff chase is as close and competitive as anyone could imagine. In the Western Conference, there is a 3.5-game gap between the Los Angeles Lakers at the third seed and the Houston Rockets at the eighth seed. In the Eastern Conference, the gap between the third-place Orlando Magic and the eighth-place New York Knicks is only 4.5 games.

In the NBA world, just making a cameo in a seven-game playoff series isn't good enough. It all comes down to winning the Larry O'Brien Championship trophy. Coming up short only earns you the LeBron James label of a choke artist.

Many teams are plagued by injuries; other teams are aging at the wrong side of 30, and some teams just aren't built for a championship run.

Here are five teams that will fall short this upcoming postseason.

1. Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic have been a dramatic mess all season. The constant chatter of Dwight Howard leaving has become the main focus on the year, but Orlando has quietly kept control at the No. 3 seed with a 32-18 record.

Even with the brief regular-season success, don't expect it to carry over into the playoffs.

The Magic have been playing with essentially the same roster for the past few years, and they continue to come up small in the postseason. With the same roster core and the same offensive philosophy, things won't change for this team.

Orlando ranks first in the NBA with 26.8 three-point attempts per game and third with 38 percent of three-pointers made. The Magic can't keep living and dying behind the three-point line.

Dwight Howard is still the best defending big man in basketball, but he earns his paychecks on offense from alley-oops and put-backs from offensive rebounds. With no legitimate post-game and an atrocious 48-percent average from the free-throw line, Howard can be pretty unreliable unless he's dunking the basketball.

Elite playoff teams like Chicago or Miami are quick enough and smart enough to contain the Magic from their three-point attack. Orlando has been too inconsistent and relies too heavily on shots from behind the arc.

Orlando is 4th in defense and is without question one of the best help-defending teams in the NBA, but their offensive system continues to hold them back.

It brings success in the regular season, but it won't get them far in the playoffs.

2. Dallas Mavericks

Last season, the Dallas Mavericks were the prime example of a "team" trumping "talent."

Don't expect a repeat of last seasons' championship run.

Dallas is one of the oldest teams in the league, and it's quite noticeable when younger and faster teams play against them. Just look back at the first game of the season versus Miami or when they fell victim to Linsanity versus New York in February.

It's a struggle watching Jason Kidd trying to defend faster guards, especially in a point-guard-driven league.

Tyson Chandler signing with the New York Knicks and JJ Barea signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves were two huge losses for the Mavericks. Chandler was the centerpiece of Dallas' defensive resurgence. Despite being seventh in overall defense, they don't have the same spark or physicality as they did with Chandler.

Barea was a big contributor off the bench last season, especially in the playoffs. Jason Terry comes off the bench, but he plays the minutes of a starter with just over 30 per game. Terry will always be a valuable piece off the bench, but Dallas doesn't have much production beyond that.

Lamar Odom and Delonte West haven't played up to their expectations, and they need to step up if Dallas is going to make a serious run in the postseason.

Dirk Nowitzki is still a top-10 player in the NBA, but he'll have to get back to his MVP form and help spark the Mavericks down this stretch. When Nowitzki flips the switch, he's as dangerous as anybody else in the league. But it won't mean anything if his supporting cast doesn't do their part.

With the younger NBA teams like Oklahoma City gaining experience and gelling together, that spells trouble for aging teams like Dallas.

The Mavs have a chance to make it out the first round, but don't expect a longer run after that.

3. Boston Celtics

The hourglass is running out on the Boston Celtics—quickly.

When the "Big Three" came together in 2007-08, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce weren't in their prime, but they were still good enough to win a ring or two. It was a quick-fix decision; they weren't positioned to run the East for the next five to eight years like Miami's superstar trio.

Since winning their ring in 2008 and trading away Kendrick Perkins, Boston hasn't been the same.

With the exception of Rajon Rondo, the Celtics have taken monster steps backwards. The Celtics hold the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and a 27-22 record, but that's not acceptable on the Boston Celtic scale.

Boston has been plagued with injuries all season, which has disrupted the continuity of the team. Rondo is playing like a top-five point guard in the NBA, and Paul Pierce still has a little left in the tank. Outside of those two, Boston has been far less than impressive—especially their frontcourt.

The Celtics rank 26th in points and 30th in rebounding. Offensively it's been quite a struggle this season with Boston, and a quick turnaround isn't expected in this last stretch of the season or in the playoffs.

Boston has 17 games left, 11 of which are against playoff teams, including Miami three times in April. Boston will be tested heavily throughout the rest of the year. They're running the risk of missing the playoffs, but that's not likely to happen.

Boston should begin to focus on the future, because they're not in position to win a championship this season.

4. San Antonio Spurs

Year after year, analysts continue to write off the San Antonio Spurs by saying their on the decline. And year after year, the Spurs surprise everybody and cruise through the regular season to earn a top seed in the West. And year after year, the Spurs run out of steam and lose early in the playoffs.

This year isn't anything different.

The Spurs have been hot this season with a 33-14 record and the No. 2 seed in the West. San Antonio even put together a nice 11-game winning streak in late January through February. The Spurs have been extremely impressive while dealing with an aging unit and with Manu Ginobili only playing in 18 games this season.

From the fourth seed through the ninth of the Western Conference, there is a one 1.5-game gap between the LA Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and their nightmare from last years' playoffs, the Memphis Grizzlies.

If the Spurs maintain the No. 2 seed or jump OKC for No. 1, more than likely the Spurs will get out of the first round. After the first round, however,  there is no guarantee for this team.

Tony Parker has been on a roll this year, averaging 19.5 points and eight assists per game, but Tim Duncan is clearly on the down-slope, averaging just 14.7 points per game.

If San Antonio wants to contend for a championship, they'll need to keep up with other dangerous frontcourt teams like the Lakers, Clippers and Grizzlies.

The Spurs are the usual well-rounded, fundamental team, but another collapse looks quite possible. This is another impressive San Antonio regular-season showing, but deja-vu does seem likely with the playoffs on the rise, especially with the dangerous teams in the Western Conference.

5. Los Angeles Clippers

Here come the Los Angeles Clippers!

The Clippers have finally established themselves as a legit NBA team and one of the most exciting teams to watch. The entire "Lob City" phenomenon has taken the NBA by storm, making the Clippers a fan favorite everywhere.

"Lob City" is a true definition of being a prisoner of the moment. Exciting doesn't automatically translate to greatness. The Clippers are a good team, but they're not a finished product yet.

Blake Griffin has transformed into quite the superstar for the Clippers. He's one of the top athletes in sports and is always on "SportsCenter" with a highlight dunk. He's improved his offensive game significantly from last season by adding a 15-foot jumper to his arsenal, and Chris Paul passing you the ball will make anyone better.

But he needs to polish his game a bit more without assistance from Paul. Griffin is a great athlete, but he is not yet a great power forward.

Losing Chauncey Billups for the year was a huge loss for the Clippers, especially when looking into the postseason. Billups is one of the best veteran leaders in the NBA. The Clippers have plenty of talent to make a run in the playoffs, but they'll need all the leadership possible, especially with the speculation of Vinny Del Negro losing control of the team.

Los Angeles has been quite the surprise this season, but they're not quite the championship powerhouse everybody was predicting them to be. In a year or two, they'll definitely be in the discussion, but right now they have a slight hold on the fourth seed in the West.

A strong playoff run is expected by many, but those wishes will be put on hold for a short while.