NBA: 9 Bold and league-altering predictions heading into the playoffs

The Phoenix Suns will upset the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round

There's no taking away the season the Minnesota Timberwolves had this year. It will go down as their best regular-season performance in 20 years. However, they got a tough draw in the first round as they prepare to go up against the Phoenix Suns. Even though the Wolves have the best defense in the NBA, they're going to have their hands full with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. Add in the fact that the Wolves struggled mightily against the Suns during the regular season, in which they went 0-3 against them, and it's easy to see why this matchup could be a natural breeding ground for an upset.

If the Suns are able to stay healthy throughout this series, I predict they're going to pull off the upset and advance to the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Even though the Suns have struggled with consistency all throughout this season, this team was built for the NBA Playoffs.

They have three players that can take over a game at any moment and each of these three players are also almost impossible to game plan around. The Wolves had a great season and there's nothing to take away from them, but the Suns have been built for this very moment. I believe they come through in this matchup.