NBA Playoffs 2012: Power Ranking Teams with Best Chance at Winning a Title

The NBA playoffs have taken a route no one was expecting a month ago, and as a result, the main title contenders are quite different. 

Whether it's been because of injuries, poor play or even stellar play, the odds have changed. The Chicago Bulls, an early favorite, are obviously out of it. The Miami Heat's arrow is pointing down, and the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are proving to everyone just how dangerous they can be. 

Let's take an updated look at what teams have the best chance of going to the finals and taking home the trophy. 

4. Boston Celtics

I love how Kevin Garnett is playing like the Kevin Garnett of old and I like Boston's style of play. They play hard defense and are better served playing a half-court game, similar to Dallas last season. 

Nonetheless, the Celtics are in a dog fight with Philadelphia, and although I think they'll get past the Sixers, I'm not confident about it.

Philadelphia plays a similar drag-you-through-the-mud style and will certainly give the Celtics some trouble in Games 5, 6 and possibly 7. 

3. Indiana Pacers

The Pacers currently lead the Miami Heat two games to one, and they have flat-out looked like the better team. 

Yet they continue to be underrated.

Much like the 2004 Detroit Pistons, this Pacers team is very deep and doesn't really have a superstar. Danny Granger might be the closest thing, but he's been busy battling with LeBron James and hasn't put up big numbers.

Instead, guys like David West, Roy Hibbert and Paul George continue to step up. The Pacers have seven or eight players who can lead the team in scoring, they have good presence on the inside and out and they are comfortable whether the game slows down or speeds up.

People forget how well this Pacers team played in the last month of the season. They are simply just continuing that success, and all of a sudden people are surprised. 

This is a dangerous team and my pick to make it to the finals out of the East. 

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder have shown the propensity to struggle against both Dallas and Los Angeles, but they've also shown to be the best closing team in the NBA.

That's pretty easy to say when you have Kevin Durant, who can do things like this:

Pairing Durant with Russell Westbrook and James Harden makes the Thunder extremely dangerous on offense, especially on the break. However, they aren't as bad as people think in half-court sets, either, because of their ability to take people off the dribble.

Oklahoma City's biggest concern is the inside presence. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins provide a nice defensive presence, but they aren't factors on offense.

OKC's biggest weapons are playing fast, using their athleticism and scoring the ball, but the Lakers, even though they trail three games to one, are showing this offense can be slowed down.

1. San Antonio Spurs

This is not a Gregg Popovich team of old.

The Spurs aren't an elite defensive team, but they will outscore you in an impressive fashion.

Much like the Pacers, this team is deep. The only difference is San Antonio is even deeper, they move the ball extremely well and they have the best point guard in the playoffs right now.

Every Spur has a certain role and they all do it to perfection on offense. They drive, kick, swing the ball well and knock down open shots. It's a well-oiled machine in the half-court, but the Spurs are also very good on the fast break. 

During the regular season, the Spurs averaged 108.5 points per 100 possessions. In the playoffs, where they have yet to lose a game, they are averaging 109.2.

Even when they fell down to the Los Angeles Clippers by 24 points in Game 3, it was pretty obvious they would come back and at least make it close. The Spurs ended up winning by double-digits like it was nothing.

Normal teams don't do those kinds of things. This team is special. 

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