#10 New York Knicks
The best storyline of the NBA season is that the New York Knicks are back! After missing the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, the Knicks are well on their way to making the playoffs this year and find themselves as a team that nobody wants to play.
They are one of the top defensive teams in the entire NBA and with one of the hottest players in the league right now in Julius Randle, they are a team many of the top seeds in the East do not want to play come playoff time.
If you are playing against the Knicks, you better be getting ready for 48 minutes of street fighting because this team is tenacious and brings it every single second they are playing. They are a tough, gritty and motivated team that definitely has what it takes to win a series in the first-round of the playoffs.
They may have been the laughing stock of the NBA over the last few years, but the Knicks are a serious playoff team that are not to be taken for granted whatsoever!
#9 Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard is out right now due to a hamstring injury, but a full strength, the Portland Trail Blazers are a scary offensive team. Damian Lillard has been sensational this season and with C.J. McCollum back after suffering a foot injury, they have what it takes to potentially be a tough out in the playoffs.
Defensively, this team is a mess, which will ultimately be their downfall, but offensively, they have two of the best pure backcourt scores in the entire NBA, as well as key contributors in Robert Covington, Carmelo Anthony and Norman Powell, who are all more than capable of knocking down big shots.
Enes Kanter is a rebounding machine in the paint, as is Jusef Nurkic, giving the Blazers plenty of chances for second-chance opportunities offensively as well! Given their fast-pace tempo and ability to knock down shots from anywhere on the court, the Portland Trail Blazers are definitely in this year’s championship conversation, but they still may be one piece away from making the NBA Finals this season.
RELATED: 2021 NBA Mock Draft: Davion Mitchell’s big tourney bolsters stock
#8 Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray tearing his ACL in his left knee is a major blow to the Denver Nuggets season and could ultimately take them out of the championship conversation out West, but since Murray injured his knee, the Nuggets have won three straight games.
Nikola Jokic seems to be running away with the MVP award at this point and in their most recent double overtime win against the Memphis Grizzlies, Jokic dropped 47 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists!
With Jokic having his best season and playing the best basketball of his career, as well as other key guys in Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. and Will Barton stepping up their game, the Nuggets should once again be a threat in the postseason, but losing Jamal Murray is really going to hurt them against some of the top teams in the NBA and it will show.
#7 Milwaukee Bucks
Give the ball to Giannis and get out of the way. This is the Milwaukee Bucks game plan offensively, which works most of the time, but over the last few years, this philosophy has not worked for the Bucks in the playoffs.
Someone else other than Antetokounmpo is going to have to make plays down the stretch for the Bucks this season in the postseason if they are to live up to their championship hype, which is why they find themselves 7th on our power rankings list.
Is Khris Middleton going to step up and be the guy the Bucks are paying him to be or will Jrue Holiday be that “second-guy” next to Giannis in the postseason? Overall, the Bucks are not that impressive of a team outside of their starting rotation, which is why they could struggle in the postseason.
With a bunch of three-point shooters and the 2x defending NBA MVP, the Bucks have a great chance to find playoff success, but it is one of those scenarios where it is “I will believe it when I see it” with this year’s Bucks squad.
#6 Los Angeles Clippers
For some reason, the Clippers are being overlooked this year and while it may be because of their lack of success over the last few years in the postseason, they are not to be overlooked this season! Paul George is playing some of the best basketball of his career and with both he and Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers have their best chance to make the NBA Finals this season.
In the past, they had a lot of inexperienced players and guys who were trying to prove themselves, but now, they have a ton of veteran, experienced talent that bring championship experience with them.
Kawhi Leonard, Rajon Rondo and Serge Ibaka all have NBA Finals experience and with other key veteran talents in Nic Batum, Marcus Morris and Patrick Beverley, this is the Clippers best chance to finally break through and make their first ever Western Conference Finals appearance.
Whether they can beat the likes of the Lakers, Suns or Jazz in a 7-game series is yet to be known, but do not overlook this year’s Clippers team because they have been dominant all season long.
