NBA Playoff Bracket 2012: Breaking Down Toughest Potential Roads to Finals

It goes without saying that making it to the NBA Finals is an extremely difficult task, but some teams will inevitably have a tougher road than others. Teams with a lower seed are immediately at a disadvantage, but even if they are somehow able to find a way to advance past the first round, things most definitely don't get any easier.

Pretty much any team in the playoffs is capable of winning one series, but turning the trick three times in order to get to the finals is an entirely different animal. Crazy things happen in the NBA all the time, so it probably wouldn't be fair to count a team out right away, but there are some squads that will need to go on a historic run to go all the way.

Here are three teams with the toughest potential roads to the NBA Finals and an NBA playoff bracket from ESPN for your viewing pleasure. 

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks surprised many by winning the NBA championship last season, but they have taken a bit of a step back this year as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. With battle-tested veterans like Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd in the fold, you can't discount the Mavs' chances, but they have a tough road ahead of them.

In the first round, the Mavericks will have to dispatch of the No. 2-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. After that, a matchup with the No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers and superstar Kobe Bryant would be likely. Provided Dallas figures out a way to get past both of those teams, a battle with the rival San Antonio Spurs would likely stand in the way of a repeat trip to the finals.

Because the Mavericks are so polished, they have a puncher's chance, but since they will likely have to go through the top three seeds in the West, it's unlikely.

Philadelphia 76ers

Few are giving the Philadelphia 76ers any sort of shot to go the distance in the playoffs, and that is for good reason. The Sixers began the season extremely well and were playing like one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, but things fell apart from there, resulting in the 76ers being the No. 8 seed. That means that they will take on the Chicago Bulls in the first round.

Beating Chicago will be tough enough, especially with a healthy Derrick Rose in the picture, but Philly may have to go through three championship-caliber teams in total. After the Bulls, the 76ers would have to face the winner of the matchup between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta will give Boston a run for its money, but the Celtics should come out on top and will be a tough out thanks to their leadership. If the Sixers can make it that far, then LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami heat would likely be waiting.

I don't anticipate the 76ers getting past the Bulls, but looking at their potential road demonstrates how important it is to get a good seed. The Sixers let things slip away in the second half of the season, and that seems to have cost them a chance to do damage in the postseason. 

Denver Nuggets

Like the Dallas Mavericks, the Denver Nuggets have an absolutely brutal road through the Western Conference in order to get to the NBA Finals. Denver has a solid, deep team that allowed it to grab the No. 6 seed, but there isn't an easy series to be had. The fact that the Nuggets have so many good interchangeable parts bodes well for their chances in a long series, but they lack the top-flight talent of other teams.

Denver's road is similar to the Mavericks' in that it would have to beat Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. After that, the Nuggets would draw either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Mavs, if they were able to pull off a first-round upset. That would then likely lead to a series against the San Antonio Spurs, who are laden both with depth and experienced stars like Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

The Nuggets have developed into a better overall team since trading Carmelo Anthony last season, but they need a player who can take over games in order to reach that next level. They don't have that, unfortunately, and when you couple that with a difficult road to the finals, it's tough to imagine Denver getting too far.