Washington Wizards
Out in the Eastern Conference, it would be tough to see any of the lower seeds making a real run through the tournament. But, if there were one team that could, it would be the Washington Wizards. The Wizards would be my pick (if I had to choose an underdog) for a number of reasons. For one, they would have the best playoff in the Eastern Conference tournament on their roster.
Bradley Beal is a player that could carry the Wizards into the postseason. He was the second-leading in the NBA this season and should he get hot, could really do some damage in such a format.
Secondly, overall, the Wizards are a pretty dangerous offensive team. While they are statistically the worst defense in the NBA, they have the league’s 13th best offense. If the Wizards could even be average on defense, they could emerge as one of the two teams to find their way to the tournament final.
Again, a play-in tournament for the NBA Playoffs isn’t ideal on any level but could provide the league with some extra theater heading into the postseason.