NBA Playoff Predictions 2012: 3 Teams Who Could Be in Trouble in 2nd Round
The NBA playoff race continues to heat up and take shape. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have officially advanced to the next round, but the contenders have continued to separate themselves from the pretenders.
Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat are heading back home for Game 5, and seem to be on their way to finishing their first-round opponents. Despite some early impressive performances in the playoffs, some teams could be in big trouble in Round 2.
We've already seen teams like New York and Chicago fall victim to the injury bug, which more than likely has hindered their championship mission in the first round. Here are three teams facing the biggest threat of falling short in the second round.
1. Philadelphia 76ers
The Chicago Bulls have lost Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to serious injuries, and possibly their fight as championship favorites. When the Sixers smelled blood, they took full advantage, gaining a strong 3-1 series lead over the Bulls.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, there's a better and hungrier team they'll have awaiting them if the Boston Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks. Quite a tall task for the eighth-seeded Sixers.
Philadelphia have a nice young team, but who knows where they would be if Chicago had a full, healthy roster? If the Bulls stayed healthy and performed in the rest of the series how they did in Game 1, the Sixers might be on the other side of the current series record. A healthy Celtics team spells nothing but trouble for the Sixers.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
Yes, the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder could be in big trouble come Round 2 of the playoffs.
The Dallas Mavericks provided a scare in all four games against the Thunder, but they never got the job done, suffering a sweep. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden each had their dominating moments against the Mavericks. Dallas never was able to close a game, and when one of the prime Thunder scorers was cold, the other was hot.
Realistically, that's the Thunder's main offense, and that could bite them in the second round of the playoffs, assuming the Lakers make it out of the first round. OKC's lack of a half-court offense and high reliance on hot shooting from Durant and Westbrook could spell trouble. Luckily, it hasn't hindered their success yet, but the playoffs are a whole new world.
The Lakers' bigs of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol will continue to create problems for Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins down low. Bynum has become unstoppable, and Kobe Bryant has had great success guarding Westbrook. If the Thunder stay cold and the Lakers' role players continue to play well (Jordan Hill, Ramon Sessions, Matt Barnes, etc.), the Thunder's world will come to an end in the second round.
3. Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have assembled a great young team this season, and it's paying off with their postseason run. However, it could come to an end if they run into the Miami Heat next round.
Miami looks more motivated and driven than last year, especially LeBron James. There is still no player in the NBA who can keep pace with the MVP favorite for 2012, and he seems to be on his way back to the NBA finals.
The Pacers have a deep team, but the Heat are just as deep and effective on all levels on their roster. It's been great watching Indiana ride back into the postseason after years of struggling, but they're not yet a finished a product. They are close to becoming elite, but now is not that time. Miami won't have a cake walk against the Pacers, but it's quite unlikely that this series would go past six games.
