Year of the Upset

[Mavinator]

This may be the year of the playoff upset in the NBA. We all know the Mavs could win the series against the Jazz maybe more easily than the Jazz could against the Mavs. The Suns have quietly amassed one of the best late-season records in the NBA recently, and they could easily knock Sacramento out in the first round. The only team the Blazers seem to play well against is their first-round opponent, the Lakers. The Timberwolves seem to give the Spurs a lot of trouble, with one win and one tight overtime loss that was largely due to a terrible call in the last minute. The Pacers are a much better team than the Sixers over the past few weeks. Miami, despite having maybe the most talented starting lineup in the east, has had few opportunities for its guys to play together, lacks chemistry, and they've already been blown out by Charlotte in the opening game. The Raptors lead the season series against the Knicks 3-1, and the only reason they lost today was because Carter was way off his game. The way things look, it's doubtful that many homecourt-advantaged teams will make it out of the first round at all...