NBA Playoffs 2012: Mavericks and Teams Who'll Test Favorites

After a wacky, abbreviated regular season necessitated by the lockout, the NBA Playoffs are already set to begin. It's fair to say that there are only about two or three teams in each conference that most believe have a legitimate shot at going all the way and winning the title, but there is at least a team or two every year that surprises in the first round and goes on a run.

That isn't to say that any of the top seeds are guaranteed to be knocked off in the first round, but some of them will most definitely be pushed to the brink. These lower-seeded teams don't have much to lose, so they can enter the series loose and perform without pressure. That makes them extremely dangerous and difficult to handle.

Here are three teams who are sure to test favorites in the first round.

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are only the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference this season after winning it all last year, but even though they have regressed it doesn't mean that they will be an easy out. They will take on the No. 2-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals.

The Mavs came out on top last year, so they obviously know what it takes to beat the Thunder. Dallas' veteran trio of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd may not be in their respective primes, but they tend to elevate their games in big moments.

Conversely, the Thunder have a young triumvirate in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden that is searching for its first true taste of playoff success. There is no doubt that the Thunder are the more talented and all-around better team, but you can never discount experience come playoff time. I still expect OKC to come out on top in the end, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Dallas push the series to seven games or to even find a way to upset the Thunder.

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks certainly aren't unfamiliar with the task of playing the Boston Celtics in the NBA Playoffs, and they will do so once again this season. Although the Hawks have home-court advantage, they are considered to be the clear underdogs because of the Celtics' playoff experience and their excellent play down the stretch. The Hawks have become a perennial playoff team in their own right, though, and have pushed the Celtics to the brink before.

Atlanta went 1-2 against Boston during the regular season, but those two losses came by a grand total of five points. The Hawks are a tough matchup for the Celtics because their athletic players such as Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, Jeff Teague and Marvin Williams are tough on the Celtics' aging stars like Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

Atlanta would have received a huge boost if Al Horford could have returned from injury, but even though he will miss the series, the Hawks will give the Celtics plenty of trouble.

Memphis Grizzlies

Thanks to their acquisition of point guard Chris Paul this offseason, the Los Angeles Clippers became a hot pick to be major contenders in the Western Conference. Although they disappointed for much of the year, they turned it on late and ended up with the No. 5. They will take on the No. 4 Memphis Grizzlies, but will be favored over the Grizz despite the difference in seeding. That probably has a lot to do with the star power Paul and Blake Griffin bring the the Clips.

The Grizzlies may not be as flashy, but they get results as they upset the San Antonio Spurs in the first round last year as a No. 8 seed. Memphis' team is largely the same this year with Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley playing big roles, but it is even stronger thanks to Rudy Gay as he was injured during the Grizzlies' run last season.

I consider Memphis to be a better all-around team than L.A. and expect the Grizzlies to come out on top.