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The most dangerous NBA teams flying under the radar
Fresh off his first All-Star appearance, can Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Bucks to the playoffs? Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports

The most dangerous NBA teams flying under the radar

The NBA has always been a league of haves and have-nots, but things don't always go chalk. Since the Denver Nuggets became the first NBA eight seed to topple a one seed when they defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in 1994, four other eight seeds have upset ones: the Knicks over the Heat ('99), Warriors over Mavericks ('07), Grizzlies over Spurs ('11) and most recently the 76ers over the Bulls ('12).

There have been countless other upsets, with six and seven seeds finding ways to advance. Welcome back to the Yardbarker roundtable, where we asked around panelists:

What teams can really throw a wrench in the playoff seeding — i.e., which lower-tier teams do the top seeds absolutely not want to see in the postseason?

Alex Wong: I'm going to go with the Los Angeles Clippers. They've been falling in the standings in the West, and the general perception is that this team will come up short in the playoffs again, which is a valid argument considering the path to getting out of the second round is much tougher if Los Angeles ends up in the 4-5 matchup and faces Golden State in round two. But, if the Clippers get Chris Paul back at full strength and have a healthy roster heading into the playoffs, does a team like Utah really want to see this team in round one?

Sam Greszes: I feel like the answer to this question is always the Atlanta Hawks — that endlessly uninteresting despite their unpredictability team that seems doomed to a Sisyphean fate of meeting the Cavs in the playoffs year after year.

It's frustrating being a Hawks fan, because they seem to be able both to play up and down to any kind of competition they face, besting the Rockets one night and then losing to the Jazz the next. But on those nights when Kent Bazemore catches fire, the rest of the Eastern Conference should be on notice.


The Atlanta Hawks are tough to beat when Kent Bazemore goes off. Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports

Jason Clinkscales: Because the 4-7 seeds in the West are fairly close, the team that can really shake things up may be the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s not the Grindhouse that we became accustomed to in seasons past, but there’s something fascinating about how new coach David Fizdale adjusted the rotation to kick up the offense. They’re more athletic and deeper than past seasons, which could be a challenge for a team like Houston, whom they’d face if the playoffs began today.

Daniel Tran: The Milwaukee Bucks are currently outside of the playoff picture in the East, but with the race to the postseason so close, they can cause a lot of havoc with their up-tempo style and rising superstar.

The emergence of Giannis Antetokounmpo has powered the Bucks so far. He currently leads the team in points, rebounds and assists. Jabari Parker might be out for the rest of the season due to an ACL tear, but Khris Middleton (18.2 points per game 2015-2016) returned to game action recently and is getting his rhythm back.

Milwaukee's offense is top 10 in field goal percentage, three-point percentage and assists. If the team's middling defense improves, the Bucks could cause chaos in the Eastern Conference.

Sean Keane: I think the Utah Jazz would be a nightmare for the Spurs if the Jazz drop to the seven seed, and not just because Boris Diaw could distract Gregg Popovich by talking about wine and restaurants. Utah has a lot of length and the ability to grind out games. And while they're really banged up right now, I don't think any of the East top seeds want to deal with Giannis and the Bucks in a seven-game series, especially with Michael Beasley's minutes slowly being taken by Khris Middleton.


Rudy Gobert anchors the defense for the Utah Jazz. Russ Isabella/USA TODAY Sports

Shiloh Carder: Portland. The Trail Blazers have grossly underachieved this season but are sitting just outside the eighth spot in the West right now. If they can get in, they could be dangerous. They fought valiantly against Golden State last year and could be a team that foils a team like the Rockets or Clippers if they face them.

Demetrius Bell: This is going to sound wild and maybe even a bit reactionary after recent events, but a potential Nuggets-Warriors series wouldn't be a complete cakewalk for Golden State. Granted, it would still be difficult for Denver to really hang with the Warriors over a seven-game series, but I could still see the Nuggets possibly stretching that series out to six games. In the long run, it'll probably just be a bump in the road for Golden State, but in the short term it'll be extremely annoying for the Warriors.

David Matthews: In the East, I think the Raptors (especially now with Serge Ibaka) and the Pacers will make things difficult and have a good chance to advance to the second round. In the West, I wouldn't want anything to do with the Thunder or the Jazz in the first or second round.

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