NBA Playoffs 2012: Which Team Will Crush Mavericks' Repeat Dreams?

Despite being the defending NBA Champions, the Dallas Mavericks are not getting a lot of respect as the playoffs begin today. 

Sure, they got matched up with Oklahoma City, who most people believe will at least represent the Western Conference in the Finals, if not win the whole thing.

But is it possible we are underestimating the Mavericks this year? No one was talking about them when the postseason started last year and look how that turned out. 

Here are the biggest threats to the Mavericks repeating as NBA Champions, ranked from least likely to eliminate them to most likely.

(Note: This list is based partly on my own predictions of what will happen in the playoffs and the likelihood the Mavericks will play a team.)

No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers

Speaking of teams not getting talked about, the Lakers are going to have a lot of work to do just to get past Denver in the first round. If they are able to do that, they would get a matchup with the Mavericks, assuming they get out of the first round.

Right now, the Lakers are a deeper team than the Mavericks. They have a little more offensive firepower with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Plus, the return of Metta World Peace will make them even stronger defensively, though he is ticking time-bomb ready to explode.

As long as Bryant stays healthy, the Lakers could put together a surprising run in these playoffs. At the very least, they would be able to take down the Mavericks in a short series.

No. 2 Denver Nuggets

I believe that the Nuggets are going to upset the Lakers in the first round, which is why they get this spot on the list. 

George Karl has done a remarkable job of keeping this team afloat after the Carmelo Anthony trade last season. They are much better equipped to handle a playoff run now than in recent years. 

This team is loaded with firepower on offense. They also have great balance, with seven players averaging at least 10 points and four more with at least 8.6 points per game. 

They aren't going to play much defense, but the Mavericks don't have the length and athleticism to keep up with the Nuggets over the course of a seven-game series. 

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder

I could sit here and make up reasons why the Mavericks could get to a second-round matchup with the Lakers or Nuggets, but in the end we all see the writing on the wall. 

Last year, the Mavericks were able to put everything together for one magical run that included knocking off the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. 

In a lot of ways this series is going to be the final stepping stone for the Thunder on their way to the NBA Finals. We have been touting them as the next great team for years, they just have to get past that mental block in order to reach that level. 

Now is the time for the Thunder to make the run that we all expect from them, and it starts by showing the defending NBA Champions why they are the best team in the league, even if overall records did not show that. 

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