NBA Playoffs 2013: Dark-Horse Teams to Fear
With a grueling 2012-13 NBA regular season nearly behind us, the postseason is taking shape. Teams are beginning to secure their respective seeds in the playoff structure and matchups are being set.
The question is, which dark-horse teams are worth fearing?
Some teams are high quality, but have failed to piece together a win/loss record that places them amongst the elite. Other teams have specific strengths that few can match.
Regardless of what it is, the following teams are as dangerous as any.
Boston Celtics
W-L Record: 40-37
Scoring Offense: 96.3 (19th)
Scoring Defense: 96.4 (11th)
Key Statistic: .335 Opponent 3PT FG percentage (second)
No matter how many injuries they've sustained, no one in their right mind would count the Boston Celtics out come the postseason. Not when the team is led by Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and limitless depth.
Not when Jeff Green is performing at a star-caliber level and they remain an elite defensive unit.
Boston crashes the perimeter as well as anyone, throwing bodies at the three-point line and holding opponents to 33.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. That number ranks second in the NBA, which goes on par with the rest of their defensive pressure.
Boston ranks fifth in opponent field-goal percentage and sixth in opponent points-per-shot.
As for their offensive woes, we know not to doubt the Celtics' ability to put up points with Paul Pierce on the floor. With Green coming off of a month in which he averaged 17.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 blocks per game, the Celtics offense has been revitalized.
With as much postseason experience as they possess, the Celtics are as dangerous as any team in the NBA.
Golden State Warriors
W-L Record: 44-33
Scoring Offense: 100.8 (ninth)
Scoring Defense: 100.1 (19th)
Key Statistic: .438 Opponent FG percentage (fourth)
The Golden State Warriors are considered by many to be a below-average defensive unit. There's reason to believe that to be true, as the Warriors are 19th in the NBA in scoring defense.
With that being said, Golden State also ranks fourth in the NBA in opponent field-goal percentage and 10th in opponent points-per-shot—not so below average, are they?
The key to the Warriors' success is the fact that they are constantly out in transition, ranking fifth in the NBA in pace. As long as their offensive is clicking, they should be able to compete with any caliber opponent.
Seeing as the Warriors rank first in three-point field-goal percentage and 11th in field-goal percentage, there's a strong possibility that those shots will fall. For that reason, one thing is perfectly clear.
Whomever they draw, the Warriors have the potential to pull off a first-round upset.
Houston Rockets
W-L Record: 44-34
Scoring Offense: 106.2 (first)
Scoring Defense: 102.7 (28th)
Key Statistic: .462 FG percentage (eighth)
The Houston Rockets are one of the most potent offensive units in the NBA. They're first in scoring offense, eighth in field-goal percentage and seventh in three-point field-goal percentage.
For that reason, it's fair to assume that the Rockets will make some sort of noise in the postseason—regardless of whom they draw.
On top of experiencing team success, Houston is led by one of the most versatile players in the NBA in shooting guard James Harden. Not only can Harden shoot the ball, but he can penetrate off of the dribble, score and facilitate.
It doesn't hurt that Harden leads the league in free-throw attempts per game—even ahead of Dwight Howard.
Furthermore, Harden has three years and 43 games of postseason experience. Although he failed to show up in the 2012 NBA Finals, he was magnificent against the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks.
Houston has a high-octane offense with a leader who has been here before—that may be enough to overcome their defensive woes for at least one round.
