NBA Playoffs 2018: Power ranking all 16 playoff teams

Heading into the 2018 NBA playoffs, which teams appear poised for a deep run?

Imagine if the NBA playoffs were a 16-team tournament in which the No. 1 seed could select its first-round opponent (from either conference), so on and so forth. Who would each higher seed pick?

That thought process fuels these power rankings.

Would the Houston Rockets select an injury-ravaged Boston Celtics team sans Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving? Or would they lean toward one of the Eastern Conference’s lower-seeded teams, figuring their talent would win out against a healthier squad that lacks the star talent of Boston’s Al Horford-Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown core?

How about the Toronto Raptors, who own the league’s second-best record but will be a popular upset pick in either the Eastern Conference Semifinals or Eastern Conference Finals? Would they pick a Washington Wizards team that seemingly can’t get out of its own way, or would they prefer the San Antonio Spurs or New Orleans Pelicans without Kawhi Leonard and DeMarcus Cousins, respectively?

Luckily for the NBA’s top seeds, the league’s playoff bracket takes the choice out of their hands. That doesn’t mean we can’t evaluate which teams are heading into the postseason looking like legitimate contenders for a deep run versus who might be ripe for a first-round knockout, though.

Taking into account each team’s recent win-loss record (particularly from the All-Star break onward), current injury issues and potential pitfalls, let’s start with a squad whose own head coach ripped it to shreds earlier this month.

Next: 16. Washington Wizards