NBA Playoffs 2012 Predictions: Veteran Teams Guaranteed to Fall Short of Goals

When the NBA postseason begins, a lot of eyes are going to be on the teams that have been there and done that before. 

You know, teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. Same goes for the Chicago Bulls and the Oklahoma City Thunder. People will also be watching the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat closely after what they did last year. 

Only two teams will make it to the Finals, and only one will win the whole thing. All 16 teams that enter the playoffs will look to do exactly that.

There are four veteran teams in particular that won't. I can feel it in my bones.

Don't worry, I have other reasons, too. Allow me to explain.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns still have work to do to lock up a spot in the Western Conference playoffs. But given how well they have been playing since the break and given the unpredictability of the competition, I have faith that the Suns will sneak into the postseason.

Then, they will sneak right back out of the postseason. The Suns have done well to even get in the postseason discussion, but they are just not built to actually succeed in the playoffs.

As you've no doubt noticed, the Suns are old. They are led by an old point guard in Steve Nash, and he's surrounded by fellow geezers like Michael Redd and Grant Hill. The Suns have gotten good work out of their 20-somethings this season, but none of them are rising stars that the Suns can rally around. The veterans will have to carry the Suns through the playoffs.

The problem? The Suns are going to be matched up against one of the best teams the Western Conference has to offer. It doesn't matter if it's the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder. Whoever it is will have no trouble sending the Suns packing.

There will be no shame in the Suns' inevitable defeat. But make no mistake, it is inevitable.

Orlando Magic

This one might be a little too obvious, as the big concern in Orlando right now is whether Dwight Howard will be able to make it back for the playoffs.

Good question. At last check, the Orlando Sentinel reported on Sunday that Howard is going to rest his injured back for 10 days and then be reevaluated. Magic general manager Otis Smith admitted there's no guarantee that Howard will be healthy when the playoffs begin.

It doesn't really matter, though. With Howard, the Magic have a shot at making it to the second round, and they even have a shot at making it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

But no further than that. The Magic don't have the collective firepower to compete with the top dogs in the East.

If Howard doesn't return, or if he returns less than 100 percent healthy, the Magic will be categorically doomed. 

Either way, it won't be long before reports start surfacing from Orlando that Howard isn't happy with the team. That's par for the course.

New York Knicks

I have to admit, I figured the Knicks would drop like a stone as soon as Jeremy Lin was put on the shelf. The whole Linsanity thing had long since bitten the dust, but there was no denying his importance to this team.

The Knicks haven't dropped like a stone. They have played very good basketball and it's certainly worth noting that the only games they have lost this month were to Indiana, Chicago and Miami, who are currently the three top teams in the East.

All of this bodes well for the Knicks heading into the playoffs, which they are almost sure to make at this point. But can they turn this hot stretch into a deep playoff run?

I don't think so. The Knicks are looking at an opening series against either the Bulls or the Heat, and they won't have home-court advantage. That will be crucial, as the Heat and Bulls don't have a habit of losing games at home. 

The Bulls' depth borders on being unfair, and the Heat can ride their Big Three to the Finals just like they did last year. 

The Knicks had several nice runs this year, but they will finally stop generating headlines in the postseason.

San Antonio Spurs

Remember when I mocked the Suns for being old? Well, they've got nothing on the Spurs.

Tim Duncan has a lot of miles on him. Ditto for Manu Ginobili and Stephen Jackson. The lot of them are still very much capable of being productive, but their best basketball is in the past.

Credit where credit is due, the Spurs are not all about the old guys. There's some good young talent on this team, and their youth movement gives the team the depth its needs to make a run through the postseason.

What worries me about the Spurs is that they will run into a team like the Grizzlies again. The Grizzlies were (and still are) more athletic than the Spurs, and they simply wanted it more. 

It doesn't look like the Spurs are going to run into a younger, hungrier team in the first round of the playoffs, but they will eventually. When they do, things will not end well.

Once again, it will be apparent that the Spurs' dynasty is crumbling.