NBA Playoffs 2013: Most Difficult Potential Matchup for Top-Seeded Teams

The final day of NBA regular-season action will be a fitting prelude to the drama of postseason play. With several playoff pairings yet to be determined, Wednesday’s contests could ultimately decide the fate of nearly every team in search of an NBA title.

In the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks are each 21 games back from first place, with one game to play. The Hawks had a chance to pull away Tuesday night, but a loss to the Toronto Raptors kept Chicago very much in the hunt for the fifth seed in the East.

The Western Conference features a couple of equally tight races, including the battle between the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies for the fourth seed. The Clippers lead by just half a game with each team scheduled to finish its season Wednesday night.

In addition, the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are slated for a 10:30 p.m. EDT contest Wednesday that boasts massive playoff implications. With a Lakers win, Houston falls to the eighth seed in the West. A Los Angeles loss (with a Utah win) would result in the Lakers missing the playoff altogether.

Each of those position battles could have a big impact on the top seeds in each conference, despite already having their playoff spot locked up. Matchups are a huge part of postseason play, and they will ultimately determine which team is crowned NBA champions at the end of the season.

Let’s take a look at the top seeds from each conference and break down the matchup (or matchups) that presents the most difficult challenge should the teams square off in the playoffs. The following teams should hope for a first-round outcome that keeps their toughest opponents out of the equation.

Miami Heat

Biggest Challenges: New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers

Miami has been a wrecking ball throughout the regular season, and it doesn’t take an expert to predict another championship appearance in the Heat’s future. But as we have seen so many times before, nothing is guaranteed in the NBA playoffs.

New York and Indiana have given the Heat as much as they can handle this season, combining for a 5-2 record against LeBron James and his championship squad. The two teams have done it in very different ways, but each will be a difficult challenge should Miami have to face them in later rounds.

The Knicks have found a new gear in the final stretch of the season, ripping off 15 wins in their last 17 games. Despite a bevy of injuries to some of New York’s key contributors, Carmelo Anthony has found a new level down the stretch. He hasn’t scored less than 21 points a game since March 20.

Indiana doesn’t have New York’s offensive prowess, but it does boast one of the best defensive squads in the entire NBA. Ranked second in points allowed (90.5 per game) and first in rebounds per game (45.9), the Pacers play a style of basketball perfect for shutting down Miami’s explosive scorers—as evident by their 2-1 record against the Heat this season.

Miami won’t face a potential matchup with either team until the conference finals, but it should hope neither makes it that far. The Heat may be able to win a seven-game series against Indiana and New York, but those drawn-out series tend to take a lot out of a team in the hunt for a NBA championship. 

 

Oklahoma City Thunder

Biggest Challenge: Denver Nuggets

Denver seems to be a nightmare matchup for nearly any team in the Western Conference. With a 3-1 record against the Thunder this season, the Nuggets have an excellent chance of besting Oklahoma City in a playoff series.

Denver is banged up at the moment, but it boasts one of the deepest rosters in the entire league. Oklahoma City’s depth has come into question at times this year, and that disparity often makes a big difference in a seven-game set.

For the Thunder to face Denver in the playoffs, the Nuggets will first have to get past Golden State and either the Spurs, Lakers, Rockets or Jazz. Of those squads, only San Antonio seems like a likely candidate to derail Denver’s championship aspirations.

Still, a lot has to go right for Denver and Oklahoma City to face off in the Western Conference finals. Kevin Durant and his team should hope a team in the bottom half of the bracket can knock off the Nuggets before it gets to that point.

 

San Antonio Spurs

Biggest Challenges: Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets

San Antonio’s greatest asset is also its biggest problem. The Spurs have a ton of experience, but that experience comes with the perils of age—something that has worn down the Spurs late in the season.

Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker are all questionable for the team’s final regular-season contest (per CBSSports.com). Additionally, Boris Diaw is likely out for the season and Manu Ginobili is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury.

Some of those injury issues will clear up, but they all highlight the biggest challenge San Antonio will face over the course of the postseason.

And then there’s the matter of regular-season performance.

The Spurs didn’t have great success against any playoff team in the Western Conference this year. Houston is the only team they defeated more than twice in the regular season, and the Clippers, Lakers, Thunder and Nuggets combined for a 7-8 record against the West’s No. 2 seed. That kind of mediocrity suggest a challenging first-round matchup that could result in either an early exit or a lack of momentum heading into the second round.

With the youth and explosive scoring ability of Oklahoma City and Denver, San Antonio should hope to avoid its top-seeded counterparts in the playoffs this year, especially if early-round series end up going six or seven games.

New York Knicks

Biggest Challenge: Chicago Bulls

The Knicks enjoyed a lot of regular-season success against Eastern Conference playoff teams this year (including a 3-1 mark against Miami), but they didn’t fare so well against the Bulls.

The Derrick Rose-less Bulls were 4-0 against New York on the year, including a win on April 11 that snapped the Knicks’ 13-game winning streak. Chicago may be without its superstar point guard, but it isn’t going to exit the playoffs without a fight.

To make matters worse, a loss to Washington Wednesday night would have the potential to relegate Chicago to the No. 6 seed, creating the potential for New York to face the Bulls in the second round of the playoffs.

The Knicks have to hope for a Chicago win on Wednesday to keep the two squads from facing off until the conference finals. Chicago is a strong team, but there’s a good chance it doesn’t make it through two playoff series to face New York in the Eastern Conference finals.