Amid the shining moments being created in the NCAA tournament, the NBA is quietly shaping up for its own postseason run.  Being long and drawn-out as it is, the upset potential of any up-and-coming team is usually diminished by the Association’s best-of-seven playoff series format.

But this year, teams are not backing into the playoffs.  In fact, positions 3-8 are still up for grabs in both conferences.  Only a couple of teams can truly be cemented into the second round – L.A. and Cleveland. 

Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings have led Milwaukee to the NBA's best record since the All-Star break.

How about everyone else?  Well, teams like Boston, Denver, Utah, and Atlanta have played good basketball over the course of the entire regular season.  But, they are not elite and are therefore prone to working harder than they should – or even being defeated – in a first-round series depending on who they match up with. 

So, they’d better be careful, and hope that they don’t face any of these dangerous teams below in the opening round:

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks have been a different unit of late.  Since the All-Star break, they have won 14 of 17 games including wins over Cleveland, Boston, Utah and Denver.  They have excelled in true team fashion, with varying nightly contributions from Carlos Delfino, Jerry Stackhouse and Ersan Ilyasova.  The emerging duo of rookie Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut have had some big games, but there’s been one constant during this amazing stretch.

Swingman John Salmons has been just what Milwaukee ordered.  He breezed into town shortly after the All-Star break, and has solidified the Bucks’ offense by averaging 19.8 points per game.  The Bucks desperately needed a big guard type player, and the 6’6″ Salmons fits the mold.  The 7-year veteran from Miami can play and guard 3 positions, providing the versatility required for a team in the playoff picture.

The Bucks have proven that they have the confidence to take down elite teams, so much so that they have positioned themselves into the #5 spot in the Eastern Conference.  We should not be surprised to see them give their opponent a tougher first-round series than they expected.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Currently sitting in the Western Conference’s #6 position, the OKC Thunder would be slated to battle the rejuvenated Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the postseason.  While Dallas has been playing great, a team like the Thunder could be a dangerous trap that they could fall victim to.  Why?

The two teams have gone head-to-head on three occasions this season, and the Thunder have fared increasingly better each time.  They suffered a 14-point loss in December, a 1-point loss in January and a 13-point win on February 16.  The progressive results speak to the all-around improvement in the Thunder’s play.  Since the beginning of February, Oklahoma City has posted two seperate winning streaks of 5 and 7 games and sport a record of 16-5 over that same time span.

Durant and Westbrook could cause some major problems with their youth and athleticism.

Dallas’ two major advantages on opponents are Dirk Nowitzki and their wide-open style of play.  The Thunder can negate Dirk with the young, quick, and long players it has on its roster.  OKC plays more wide open than any team in the league, with dynamic duo Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant leading the way.  In a run-and-gun shootout, I’m certainly favoring the young legs of Oklahoma City.  It’ll be up to Rick Carlisle (or the coach of whoever their opponent is) to pound the Thunder in hopes of keeping them grounded.

But regardless, they have the talent and confidence to scare you.

Charlotte Bobcats

Their record says it all.  The Bobcats are 35-34, and over the course of the season they have been inconsistent.  They have wins against the Cavs (twice), Magic, Lakers, and Nuggets.  But they also have losses to the Nets (twice), Pacers (twice) and the Knicks (twice).  They are the mold of of a team that plays up or down to their competition.  And that makes them extremely dangerous in the postseason.

Charlotte is rugged, and any Larry Brown squad is going to be a defense-first one.  Stephen Jackson is definitely the X-factor for this team.  Jackson says he “makes love to pressure” and he’s proven it time and time again.  He’s a clutch player who plays with a chip on his shoulder – a trait that is sorely needed come playoff time.

Defense, unpredictability, Stephen Jackson and coach Brown make this team as tough as any in a postseason series.

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