Three Dark Horses For The Playoffs

[RonnieBrewer (Reverse Layup)]

Three Dark Horses For The Playoffs
Authored by Andrew Russell - 2nd April, 2007 - 12:57 am

Everybody loves an upset, especially of mammoth proportions; the NBA and its
fan base (this fan included) are no different. I will not begin with
outlandish predictions of eighth seeded NBA playoff teams are likely to hoist
the coveted Larry O'Brian at the end. However, I will propose this years'
crop of post-season elite should be fearful of some incredibly dynamic and
strong middle of the pack seeds.

Among the teams I qualify as midlevel dark horse contenders are the Utah Jazz,
Toronto Raptors , and Chicago Bulls . I would toy with the idea of including
the Washington Wizards as well, but Sunday's injury to Caron Butler is
devastating.

But back to the dark horse picks, there is one thing these teams all have in
common, deep benches and dynamic offenses, not to mention solid glue players
to keep the ship from sinking when faced with adversity.

The first team was the least likely to contend, but perhaps one of the most
intriguing stories of the season, the Toronto Raptors . The Raptors brought
in a savvy GM in Bryan Colangelo who has completely revamped the former
Raptors, and they are now finally out of Vince Carter's lingering shadow.
Colangelo has put together a serviceable bench that now features the likes of
Juan Dixon, Jose Calderon, and Andrea Bargnani (who should be back for the
post-season).

This Raptors squad has a constantly improving leader in Chris Bosh who's
been hungry for an opportunity to perform in the post-season. Given the
chance, I believe Bosh will begin to shape and define how he'll be remembered
as a superstar in the NBA for years to come. A notice to any team having to
face the Raptors in the playoffs, expect a well spread offense with efficient
shooting threats throughout. The one major weakness that will be the limiting
factor for the Raptors is rebounding. The unassuming X factor to watch for
during the playoffs for the Raptors is back up point guard Jose Calderon.
If he's able to shoot effectively and dictate pace during the battle of the
benches, these crucial minutes could leave the Raps in great shape in the
closing minutes of tight games.

The second team to watch in the East is the not so baby Bulls. The tedious
process of rebuilding is very much over in Chicago, and its time to watch the
Bulls thrive in the 'windy city' shine for many seasons. Like the Raptors,
Chicago has young talent and a deep bench that could carry their squad deep
into the playoffs; as well they have high caliber leadership in Kirk Hinrich.

Let's not begin to forget that the defending champs Miami Heat might
arguably had their biggest challenge come from the Bulls in last year's
post-season run. Then add in a superior defender Ben Wallace, a greatly
improved Luol Deng, explosive rookies, and the continued Ben Gordon instant
offense… and voila you have a major championship threat. If the bulls have
a weakness, it is their lack of interior scoring. Earlier in the season GM
Paxson was looking to rectify this situation by exploring the option of a
trade for Memphis star Pau Gasol, but the trigger was not pulled on what
would have been a blockbuster.

With the streakiness of some Chicago shooters the fear of cold shooting
percentages is a possibility, but the number of scoring possibilities
overshadows this potential worry. One X factor to watch for is Andres Nocioni.
His spark off the bench is a huge positive for Chicago, as well he is an
active defenders, whom when playing at his peak has the type of energy that
alters the tempo of any game he enters.

The final dark horse worth taking a serious look at is the Utah Jazz . This
is a team that has struck gold via the draft by moving up to select former
Illinois star Deron Williams. This emerging elite point guard has proven a
strong work ethic is paying off, and Williams is putting up numbers that are
getting talked about. Factor in a career year from Carlos Boozer, and
continued strong veteran play and leadership from Derek Fisher, and you've
got a team that's looking prepped to make a run in the West.

The Jazz have also gotten exceptional interior play from Mehmet Okur this
season, who is able to step outside at drill the 3 when necessary or battle
inside. Utah has been able to play tight games with the likes of the West's
big three Phoenix, San Antonio, and Dallas. In fact, Utah is undefeated
against Phoenix to date, and has split with San Antonio and Dallas. The X
factor for the Utah Jazz during the post-season will be the contribution from
F/PF Andrei Kirilenko. Kirilenko has the ability to run the floor and score
on the break, while he can also be a force to be reckoned with on the
defensive end, constantly forcing opponents to adjust shots. However,
Kirilenko has played extremely lethargic at times this season, and was even
linked in numerous trade rumors. If AK47 brings it in the playoffs, look out.

When all the talking heads have finally rattled out their predictions; San
Antonio, Dallas, Detroit, Phoenix, and Miami votes will be the overwhelming
majority and rightfully so. But the fact remains that this season there are
some hungry middle of the pack challengers that won't go down without a fight,
and will create exciting match-ups.

Wilt Chamberlain probably put it best,
"everybody pulls for David, nobody roots for Goliath."



http://www.realgm.com/src_feature_article/
126/20070402/three_dark_horses_for_the_playoffs/ 

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