The Rockets Will Surprise The NBA World
While the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs has gone largely according to plan, the second round may bring a surprise upset
Despite the “upset” victory of the Utah Jazz in the first round against the undermanned LA Clippers (who were without Blake Griffin), all of the top seeds have advanced thus far in the NBA Playoffs.
Did Chicago strike fear of an upset early in their season against Boston? Yes, two quick wins stunned the Celtics. However, Boston rattled off four straight wins and ended the series in convincing fashion.
Memphis gave San Antonio a tough series, but still fell in six after Kawhi Leonard made a strong push for MVP consideration.
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Although MVP front-runner Russell Westbrook carried the Thunder through the regular season, running into other top MVP candidate James Harden and a more well-rounded Rockets team ended their season in a quick five game series.
The Wizards and Hawks had a contentious, grit and grind first round series that could have gone the distance. Instead, John Wall reminded the rest of the league of his star status and dropped Atlanta in six.
The upstart Milwaukee Bucks surprised Toronto early on in the series, but Toronto’s star power eventually took over the series and ended it in six games.
To the surprise of almost no one (except the most optimistic of Trail Blazer and Pacer fans), Golden State and Cleveland swept Portland and Indiana relatively easily in their opening round match ups.
Where may we see our first true upset?
While the Jazz did finish off the Clippers in Game 7, the first true surprise of the NBA Playoffs will likely come in the form of Houston beating San Antonio.
San Antonio often receives praise for their unselfish play style and excellent execution under Gregg Popovich, which is entirely justifiable.
The Spurs tend to zig in a cohesive form of team basketball, while the rest of the NBA zags towards relying on their star players in isolation sets. This has kept them competitive even after losing NBA great Tim Duncan last summer.
However, San Antonio may not be able to keep pace with James Harden and his supporting cast. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli have shown their age this season. Pau Gasol has been more effective off of the bench. LaMarcus Alrdidge has been solid in San Antonio, but has not played to the level to ascend the team above other top teams in the West.
Must Read: Five Keys To The Rockets Upsetting The Spurs
While this Spurs team is a contender, don’t be surprised when the are eliminated before the Western Conference Finals.
The Houston Rockets will knock off the Spurs in seven games for the first real surprise in the 2017 NBA Playoffs.