LA Clippers
I don't think people understand just how dangerous the LA Clippers are heading into the NBA Playoffs. Kawhi Leonard appears as healthy as he's looked in years, and the rest of the supporting cast continues to play at a high level. LA is 18-3 in their last 21 games, and this team is playing some of the best basketball in the league heading into their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.
Even though the Clippers did get a tough first-round draw, this might be the year where you want the Nuggets. They just fired their head coach, and there's a chance that Jamal Murray isn't going to be 100 percent healthy. Those two factors could go a long way in helping the Clippers pull off a first-round upset. If LA is going to make a deep run in the postseason, this could be the matchup that propels them.
At least for now, the Clippers should be considered a dark-horse threat in the West. However, if they can continue to play at the level they closed the season at, LA is going to be a team that is impossible to overlook. The pieces may finally be in place for the Clippers to make a deep run, and it will be fascinating to watch it all unfold.