Top East & West Teams That Most Of Us Are Underestimating That Can Shock The World Instantly

As the NBA playoffs inches closer, everyone has their money on the Lakers, the Clippers or the Bucks. And rightly so, as we have seen a glimpse of how deadly they can be during the regular season.

However, let’s not rule out the lower seeded teams just yet. There have been multiple instances of lower seeded teams upsetting the top teams in the Playoffs.

Most recently, the Golden State Warriors beating the reigning MVP Dirk Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks in 2007 and eighth seeded Memphis Grizzlies beating the San Antonio Spurs in 2012, are all testaments to the fact that basketball is an unpredictable game and nothing is over until the fat lady sings.

In all the glam light that the LA teams and the Bucks are getting, there are some teams that we all are sleeping on.

Here are the top teams in the NBA we should not be underestimating during the 2020 Playoffs:

Boston Celtics:

After Kyrie Irving left, no one expected the Celtics to perform the way that they are this season. Few teams have their level of depth or coaching. They didn’t seem to have the level of All-Star power other teams do, but they are simultaneously deep and talented and play hellacious defense.

Jayson Tatum’s defense has largely gone unnoticed. Boston has a Defensive Rating of 104 with him on court. The void that Al Horford left behind defensively is filled by Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart.

Their only evident weakness at the moment is in the department of rim protection. The lack of big men might haunt them while facing Giannis Antetokounpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

If Kemba Walker plays like the All-Star he is, the Celtics may have a real shot at emerging as the Eastern Conference champions.

Toronto Raptors:

Defending champions Toronto Raptors were completely side-lined after Kawhi Leonard’s departure at the beginning of the season. What people fail to see is Toronto’s biggest asset is - Nick Nurse.

The Raptors thrive on Nurse’s outside-the-box coaching. His scheme against Milwaukee and the ‘Box and One’ defence on Stephen Curry last season did wonders for them last season.

Pascal Siakam is breaking out as an All-Star level player and has Playoff experience. They just lack a hyper-efficient scoring threat.

Also, this all hinges on Marc Gasol being Marc Gasol during the Playoffs, otherwise any hopes of a Canadian repeat become an afterthought.

It’s not true when people say Toronto doesn’t have a superstar. They do, and he wears massive bifocals and goes by the name of Nick Nurse.

Denver Nuggets:

The Denver Nuggets managed to keep their third seed in a heavily competitive West leaving behind a team like the Houston Rockets with two former MVPs. If Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray take a big leap come postseason, they have a legitimate shot.

Being in West, having to face experienced teams like the Lakers, the Clippers and the Rockets is going to be challenging. The Nuggets are having some of the best years in the team’s history thriving on Jokic’s shoulder.

And following the body transformation that The Joker has had in quarantine, he will come up big on defense, something which he lacked originally. They may not be championship-ready just yet but they are a major threat to any Western Conference team later this year.

With the balance resumed in the league, the Playoffs are going to be intense and these teams are not to be taken lightly. They have potential to be major Playoff threats for the rest of the rosters and you’d be a fool if you overlook them.