The Most Troubling Issue for Every 2014 NBA Title Contender

The 2014 NBA playoffs are nearly upon us, and while the postseason is designed to separate contenders from pretenders, the truth is that no team is perfect.

When determining who has legitimate title hopes, it's clear the Western Conference is full of championship hopefuls. The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are atop the standings for a reason, but virtually every squad in the top eight could be an upset waiting to happen.

When looking out East, you'll find a much different story. It's been a two-horse race the entire year, and while there have been glimpses of hope from the third through eighth seeds, you simply can't bet on most in a seven-game series.

Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal recently broke down the biggest concerns for teams hoping to make postseason, so it's time we look at the deficiencies of those who are more likely to bring home the Larry O'Brien trophy in June.

*Rankings, standings and statistics are current as of March 14 at 2 a.m. ET.

Honorable Mentions

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Brooklyn Nets: Age and athleticism

With the Brooklyn Nets' impressive record since Jan. 1—not to mention overall record against the Miami Heat—the argument can be made this group is a true contender. Age and athleticism, however, give fans cause for concern.

Not only are the Nets dealing with ailments to Kevin Garnett and Andrei Kirilenko, but you just never know about the rest of the guys on a roster as aged as Brooklyn's. It's true basketball slows down in the playoffs, but it's also true opponents will exploit any weakness they see, even if that means pushing the tempo. 

Don't sleep on the Nets, but don't hold your breath for them, either. They may have beaten Miami three times this season, but according to ESPN New York's Mike Mazzeo, three of the last four teams to do just that were ultimately eliminated by the Heat in the playoffs.

Chicago Bulls: Scoring

With the Chicago Bulls once again entering the postseason without Derrick Rose, leaving them off the list of contenders only makes sense. The Heat and Indiana Pacers are widely considered the only true threats out East, but Chicagoans can attest to the fact their hometown crew competes night in and night out, as evidenced by a 3-3 record against Miami and Indiana.

If Chicago has any hope of making a run at a title, putting the ball in the basket must become a priority. The team is second in points allowed, but dead last in points scored—making it tough to win a series when defenses are stepping up across the league.

Toronto Raptors: Experience

The Toronto Raptors have statistical deficiencies we could nitpick, but the truth is their level of inexperience will likely come back to bite them in the postseason.

General manager Masai Ujiri did the right thing this season in not tanking and seeing how far the roster could go. The playoffs are essentially a lock, and the fanbase up north is as hungry as any group of fanatics to return to the postseason.

Unfortunately, teams such as the aging Nets and gritty Bulls have far more experience, making two of their potential first-round matchups undesirable before they are ever tasked with facing Miami or Indiana.

Golden State Warriors: Turnovers

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors have played more like an honorable mention most of the year, but we saw what they could do with their performance in the 2013 playoffs, giving fans hope the real team has yet to show up.

Despite a potent offensive attack (103.5 points per game) and an underrated defense (98.7 points per game allowed), the Warriors give up far too many opportunities with turnovers. The 15.2 times per game they turn the ball over is fourth-worst in the Association, and while it can be justified by noting they're fifth in pace, per ESPN.com, it doesn't negate the concern that they create opportunities for opponents.

This team has a chance to be even better in the 2014 postseason than it was in 2013. As long as it can hold onto the ball, fans in the Bay Area should hold onto their hopes of a run at a conference championship.

Houston Rockets: Turnovers

John Raoux/Associated Press

The Houston Rockets have without a doubt been one of the best teams in the NBA since the turn of the new year, but that won't mean much if they give away momentum once the postseason arrives.

Like the Golden State Warriors, turnovers could be trouble for this unit. According to Basketball-Reference.com, the team has a turnover percentage (an estimate of turnovers per 100 plays) of 15.0. That's the second-worst mark in the league only to the Philadelphia 76ers, which is unfortunate considering Philly seems to want nothing more than to lose games and land the top pick in 2014.

James Harden recognizes the issue, stating, "These are great teams we are playing against. They capitalize on your mistakes," per the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen.

Those great teams are about to get even tougher come playoff time, meaning Houston must figure out how to control the ball if it wants to compete in June.

Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin's Postseason Disappearing Act

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

One of the biggest issues for the Los Angeles Clippers all season has been defending the paint. Despite giving up the second-fewest transition points per game—a contributor to points in the paint—per TeamRankings.com, they allow the seventh-most points in the painted area.

Those statistics point to a significant problem when defending the rim in half-court sets; but an even bigger problem for L.A. will be if Blake Griffin disappears the way he has in years past.

According to Basketball-Reference.com, the forward's numbers drop to 17 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest in the postseason. His win shares also drop from .183 for his career to .097, quantifying how much he's struggled to contribute.

Griffin has made a case as the game's best 4 with his play this year, but it's going to take that same kind of display for the Clippers to make a run at a title. Griffin may never be an elite defender, but his efforts on offense—and on the glass—will be what makes or breaks this team's chances.

Indiana Pacers: Defensive Slump

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

A slump is called a slump for a reason. It's never used to describe a permanent problem, but it's an indicator of what must be improved by a team or player to regain a previous level of success.

The Indiana Pacers have been known for their defense throughout 2013-14, but they're facing a defensive slump with the playoffs right around the corner.

On the surface, scoring and bench production are the biggest issues here. But while those have been concerns all year, the team became the first to clinch a spot in the postseason with its league-leading defense. As the defense goes, so do the Pacers.

Now, with the defense taking a sudden step back, the team has lost four of its last five games with the only win coming against the 22-43 Boston Celtics.

If all goes according to plan, this group will have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, giving it wiggle room in close games. Defense must still be a priority, however, as the offense is not going to make up the difference.

Miami Heat: Health

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat would love to earn home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, but that won't be nearly as important as having a healthy roster, especially as it pertains to Dwyane Wade.

Anybody looking through red-and-black goggles will point to what the Heat did in 2013 with a banged-up Wade. They won a title, and while it wasn't easy, it did bring a whole new set of championship rings to South Beach, Fla.

This time around, Wade has looked good in action he's seen, and keeping it that way will do wonders for on-court chemistry and taking the pressure off of LeBron James.

As crucial as Wade is to this group's success, don't ignore a guy like Greg Oden, either. He's yet to become a truly integral part of the rotation, but he's been a strong rim protector and rebounder in limited minutes.

Success for this team has been redefined since the Big Three era began, and if it hopes to maintain its winning ways, having all significant pieces available will be of the utmost importance.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Defensive Consistency

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

The length of an NBA season makes success difficult to sustain. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, that narrative surrounds their consistency on the defensive side of the floor.

When the Thunder are competing defensively, they're nearly unstoppable. Just ask the Houston Rockets, who fell to OKC 106-98 on March 11 and were held 8.5 points below their season average.

Before the game against Houston, the Thunder had been spotty defensively going back a few weeks. They had lost five of their previous eight, giving up 99.3 points in wins and 116.8 points in losses.

Following the win over the Rockets, head coach Scott Brooks was pleased that he didn't have to talk about defenses lapses, via Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman, but he was quick to state that it's just one game and that the team is still going to "work on it" with the year coming to a close.

Portland Trail Blazers: Late-Game Execution

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Most people will look at the Portland Trail Blazers and point to either bench production or defense as the team's shortcomings. The team is 24th in points allowed this season, and according to HoopsStats.com, it's dead last in second-unit points per contest.

Those two categories have been issues all year, but the truth is their hot start to the season masked those problems, making their recent struggles in crunch time much more disturbing.

According to The Oregonian's Jason Quick, the Blazers are 0-5 in the last month when the game is within two points with fewer than two minutes to go. Head coach Terry Stotts has taken the blame, per Quick's report, stating, "I need to do a better job of putting guys in position to make plays."

Stotts went on to say, "And lately, whether it’s missed shots, missed communication, turnovers, or poor shots, ultimately it’s on me."

The coach is right, but in reality, it's the players who make plays. Portland showed early this season that it is never out of a game, but lately, it's struggled to simply close out.

San Antonio Spurs: Health

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

As B/R's Matthew Tynan put it:

"

No other issue affects this team more than health concerns when looking ahead toward the postseason. Without healthy players, the Spurs won't have a chance against the incredible competition in the Western Conference. 

"

Optimists will look at health struggles this season as a blessing in disguise for the San Antonio Spurs. When key rotation players participate in fewer outings, legs are fresher in the playoffs and lesser-used pieces become more familiar with the system.

Pessimists, however, will realize the team struggled mightily against the NBA's elite squads through much of the year, reminding us the Spurs simply aren't the same crew when not at full strength.

You can look at San Antonio's numbers all you want, but when this team is healthy, it can beat anyone, league-wide. The championship window was supposed to close after last season, but as we've seen thus far, Gregg Popovich will be ready to fight for yet another NBA title—so long as his group is healthy.