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The NBA playoffs 2020 are finally upon us, with a host of mouth-watering battles to follow in the next couple of weeks.
After a long hiatus from the usual NBA action owing to the worldwide lockdown to help curtail the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA came up with a plan to play a part of the remaining regular season in a 'bubble' in Orlando.
That has since proved to be a huge success as NBA fans around the globe have tuned in to witness the return of basketball.
The First Round of NBA playoffs 2020 has some really intriguing matches
The first-ever 'play-in' mini-tournament to decide the 8th seed in the Western Conference was also a format most fans enjoyed. Clearly, people cannot wait for the NBA playoffs 2020 to begin and it promises to be an enthralling post-season.
There are a number of exciting match-ups in the first round itself, with the lower-seeded teams stronger this year than they generally are. As a result, one can expect an upset or two in the NBA playoffs 2020.
Let us have a look at three lower-seeded teams who could outplay their higher-seeded counterparts in the first round of the NBA playoffs 2020.
#3 Miami Heat
Interestingly enough, despite being seeded lower at number 5 in the Eastern Conference than the 4th-placed Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat actually head into this NBA playoffs 2020 series as the favorites to qualify through to the second round.
Miami beat Indiana thrice in the regular season in the four times that they met, and they should continue to assert their dominance over the Pacers in the NBA playoffs 2020 as well.
The Heat have incredible squad depth, with a perfect balance of youth and experience. Led by Jimmy Butler, Miami have a solid roster with a lot of qualities and excellent floor spacing.
The shooting of Tyler Herro, Meyers Leonard, Kelly Olynyk, and particularly Duncan Robinson should be too hot for Indiana to handle. Bam Adebayo has been playing at an elite level and the presence of veterans Goran Dragic, Andre Iguodala, and Jae Crowder should help propel them into the second round.
Indiana have a few good pieces of their own in Victor Oladipo, T.J. Warren, and Malcolm Brogdon among others. However, the absence of all-star forward Domantas Sabonis is a massive blow to Nate McMillan's team and consequently, Erik Spoelstra's side should get the better of him in the NBA playoffs 2020.
If the aforementioned wasn't enough, there will be a battle within the war as well since Jimmy Butler and T.J. Warren's personal feud would likely have an effect on their performances on the court. If previous match-ups between the two are anything to go by, Butler has the upper hand over Warren heading into NBA playoffs 2020.
#2 Oklahoma City Thunder
Given a 0.2% chance of making the NBA playoffs 2020 by the experts, Oklahoma City Thunder have stunned the entire basketball world with their brilliant performance this season.
Not only have they made the NBA playoffs 2020 against all odds, but they have also done it quite comfortably at the end, finishing at the 5th spot in the Western Conference.
When OKC decided to break things up after losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in last year's First Round playoff series, they were expected to stay under the radar for a few seasons while they let their young pieces develop.
Fast forward one season and they've managed to finish even higher in the race for the NBA playoffs 2020 than they did last season with Russell Westbrook and Paul George at the helm.
The leadership of Chris Paul has helped lift the performances of Steven Adams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dennis Schroder, and Danilo Gallinari to a very high level.
Billy Donovan has the Thunder playing an effective brand of basketball where the scoring is spread nicely among their starters. After all, not a single player in their roster averages over 20 points per game.
Their rivals in this round will be fourth-seeded Houston Rockets - Paul's former employers. Although Houston are certainly the stronger team on paper, the absence of Russell Westbrook for at least the first few games could be too big a factor for James Harden to deal with single-handedly during the NBA playoffs 2020.
If this is the case, there is a very good chance that Mike D'Antoni's team is knocked out early once again into the NBA playoffs 2020.
#1 Portland Trail Blazers
Arguably the hottest team still remaining in the bubble, the Portland Trail Blazers have the most in-form player on the planet right now. Damian Lillard is enjoying a purple-patch like never before.
He has averaged 37.3 points, 9.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting almost 50% from the field and 43.6% from 3-point range.
His insane statistics, coupled with his successful attempt at getting the Blazers to their 7th straight NBA Playoffs appearance from an unlikely position earned him the unanimous 'Bubble MVP' award.
The Blazers have also surrounded Lillard with a good supporting cast, featuring CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, Carmelo Anthony, and Gary Trent Jr. That being said, the Blazers' defense has been extremely poor this season and it is difficult to expect their gifted offensive players to carry them over the line every single night.
Their first-round match-up is against the 1st seed Los Angeles Lakers, led by two of the top 5 players in the NBA in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. On paper, the Blazers should have no chance of progressing to the next round of the NBA playoffs 2020 and should in fact be swept away by a super-strong Lakers team.
With that being said, the Lakers haven't looked very good in the bubble and have struggled to score efficiently. Moreover, their lack of competent players at the guard positions means that they'll find it difficult to deal with Portland's star backcourt duo of Lillard and McCollum.
James and Davis should be too much for Terry Stotts' team to handle in the NBA playoffs 2020 either way, but crazier things have happened before! Never say never.
