NBA Pretender or Contender: What title favorites have a real chance to win it all?

Which NBA Title favorites are pretenders and which are real contenders with the start of the NBA Playoffs around the corner?

The NBA playoffs are quickly approaching, so you better start getting familiar with the teams likely to make the cut. The Eastern Conference has been dominated all season long by the Boston Celtics, whereas the Western Conference has been more of a toss-up given the day.

We are just about a month and a week away from playoff time. The trade deadline has solidified playoff rosters, as have the buyout market signings. Teams are more or less complete and ready to make their way into the postseason with their current rosters.

Once the playoffs begin, 16 teams will be given a shot to achieve the ultimate glory - winning the NBA Championship. Only one team can be crowned the winner. The other 15 teams will hit the drawing board with the hopes of better luck next season.

For today's exercise, we are going to look at the top three teams in each Conference and determine which team is a pretender and which team is a contender. Which teams have what it takes to be coined NBA's best, and which teams don't belong in the conversation? With that said, let's take a look at the current standings and find out who is legit and who is not.