NBA Playoff Predictions: Lakers vs. Pacers and the 10 Worst Finals Matchups

It's around that time where Selection Sunday is approaching, and the NBA Playoffs are mere months away.

The San Antonio Spurs are on top in the West, and the Boston Celtics are on top in the East, but at this point, nothing is guaranteed. 

This is truly the last stretch of the regular season, and as we have seen already, teams like the Lakers, Celtics, Bulls and Spurs have been flicking on that "next-level switch" to head into the playoffs with a high level of confidence. 

But what does this stretch mean for the lower seed teams? Teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies, the New Orleans Hornets, the Indiana Pacers and so on are teams that are projected to make the playoffs—and so, with only a little bit of the season left, these teams are looking like they will be playing the top tier teams in the league. 

No one really likes watching their teams playing in a boring, first-round playoff series, but there is no avoiding it.

In this slideshow, I will be listing the top 10 worst potential finals matchups from the bottom to the top.

Hope you enjoy, and as always, feel free to comment afterwards. 

10. Hawks vs. Blazers

Besides Blazers fans and Hawks fans, the majority of the people wouldn't want to see this matchup happen anytime soon. 

The two teams are more than average, and they do have the players to potentially make a good series out of this, but the atmosphere of the finals just wouldn't be the same without the Celtics, Bulls, Lakers, Spurs or even the Heat. 

It sounds unfair to these two teams, but the simple fact is that the great franchises find ways to make their way into the finals year in, year out and for that reason, fans expect to see the usual teams in there. 

But, looking at the matchup between the Blazers and the Hawks, the biggest potential problem would be the huge potential for blowout games, whether it be the Blazers or Hawks. The two teams just don't seem to have the capability to take their games to that next level of play, and for that reason, this series wouldn't be as good as many would think. 

9. Magic vs. Nuggets

One might scratch their heads when taking a look at this potential finals matchup, but don't be deceived by the names of the teams—this series would be in huge favor of the Magic. 

Once again, the name of the game is size, and the Magic have plenty of it with Dwight Howard and Brandon Bass.

The Nuggets do have Nene Hilario, but he alone would not be enough to prevent the Magic from winning the series and the potential title. 

The Nuggets are definitely on the rise, but at this moment, Denver just don't have what it takes to defeat the Magic. This honestly wouldn't be a competitive series at all.

8. Celtics vs. Suns

With Steve Nash aging and the Suns struggling to even really be in the playoff picture, this matchup with the Celtics would prove to simply be a blowout in the making. 

The Celtics are still arguably the best team in the league, and with their experience and depth off the bench, they would easily dominate the no-defense Suns. 

The Suns really wouldn't stand a chance against the Celtics, mentally or physically. Easy choice, this would potentially be one of the worst matchups possible. 

7. Nuggets vs. Pacers

With Melo and Billups gone, the Nuggets don't have as much firepower as they used to and although that didn't take too much away from their team's ability to play, the playoffs are still all about excitement and showcase for the world to see. 

Neither team really has one superstar that's good enough to take over game in, game out, and for that reason, this matchup would potentially be very boring. 

6. Spurs vs. 76ers

If you want to talk about being boring and yet dominating a series, this is it. The Spurs would flick the 76ers off as if they were a small mosquito. 

This is the start of a new era in Spurs basketball, and if they were to meet the 76ers, one might as well count another championship for Coach Popovich, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. 

The fast-paced style of play that the Spurs carry would tire the 76ers after a couple of games, and with home court advantage, the Spurs would basically have an advantage in every aspect of the game. 

5. Hornets vs. Bobcats

The Charlotte Bobcats are currently not in the playoff picture, but they are still right behind the Pacers for the eighth spot in the East and would in all honestly probably be more exciting than the Pacers—which doesn't really mean too much. 

With the loss of Gerald Wallace, the Bobcats only really have Stephen Jackson left, and while he's still a more than solid player, it's always hard to replace your best. 

For this reason, the Bobcats vs. the Hornets wouldn't be a very pretty scenario. Both teams would struggle to score, and Kwame Brown would be dominated down low by David West in every game, which wouldn't be very exciting to watch. 

Of course, this is a long shot at best for these two teams to meet in the finals, and hopefully, it stays that way for our sake. 

4. Bulls vs. Suns

The Chicago Bulls have a good chance of coming out of the East, and if they were to meet the Suns in the finals, they would have to be breathing a sigh of relief. 

The Bulls are stronger, faster and more talented than the Suns and, with the kind of year that Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose are having, the Bulls would have just too much firepower for the rebuilding Suns.

This matchup would most likely end up a blowout series. 

3. Lakers vs. Pacers

It's not a good sign when the Pacers are in this slideshow multiple times, but there is no denying that if they were to play the Lakers in the finals, it would be a blowout. 

The Lakers inside presence, with the addition of Gasol and Kobe, would simply overwhelm the Pacers and though they are a decent team, this matchup would most definitely be a joke. 

Let's take this one step further and call this a potential sweep between these two teams, and I'll let you figure out who has the upper-hand. 

2. Celtics vs. Memphis

The Memphis Grizzlies have been on a downfall ever since they were considered to be among the NBA's best.

We are now finding out they are nothing more than a playoff team. 

This matchup between the Grizzlies and Celtics would prove to be a game of inside domination—with the advantage, of course, going to the Celtics. 

By playoff time, the Celtics should be healthy enough to compete with any team from either conference.

In this specific matchup, Gasol simply wouldn't be enough to contain Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, Shaquille O'Neal and Glen Davis down low. 

The Grizzlies would match up decently in the other areas, but as I just mentioned, the playoffs come down to who controls the paint, and that would certainly be the Celtics. 

1. 76ers vs. Hornets

Naturally, people assume that the lowest seed playing against the top seed will be the worst potential matchup, but it doesn't always work that way. 

With both of these teams in the seventh spot in their respective conferences, this matchup would be hard to come about, but as the saying goes, "This is Where Amazing Happens."

These two teams would create potentially one of the worst offensive showcases in NBA history—and considering the two teams aren't exactly the greatest defensive teams, either, it seems as though this one wouldn't give anything exciting for NBA fans to root for.