Best options for Charlotte Bobcats opponents in NBA playoffs

photo courtesty of Charlotte Bobcats instagram

 

 

 

The Charlotte Bobcats season has been a success far beyond imaginable to everyone, including the Bobcats front office. The team that has reached the playoffs once in its 11 year lifetime is headed to the playoffs again, but with one huge difference. They have a shot. Not necessarily at winning the title. Not even the series. But maybe, just maybe, they could win a game or two and challenge a contender. speaking of contenders, lets take a look at some of the options the Bobcats could be facing in this years playoffs.

 

 

Indiana Pacers

 

 

The Indiana Pacers, currently sitting in the top spot out East, are legit. They are not the same Pacers team as last year. With additions of Evan Turner, Luis Scola, and Andrew Bynum and the emergence of Lance Stephenson, this team is liking their chances this year round. You know who is not liking their chances this year? The Charlotte Bobcats, if they end up facing this powerhouse of the East. The lineups just dont matchup. Roy Hibbert would be able to contain Big Al over a whole series. Lance Stephenson would overwhelm Gerald Henderson on offense. MKG has shown a weakness in letting up high scoring games to superstars like Carmelo and LeBron. And finally David West would just downright bully McRoberts down in the post. The only position favorable for CHA would be Kemba vs George Hill. That would not be enough for CHA. Despite the success experienced earlier this year, with the bench of Indiana and the star power in their starting lineup, the Pacers would most likely handle the Bobcats rather quickly.

 

 

 

Miami Heat

 

Nobody wants to play the Heat in the playoffs. Nobody. The Heat in the playoffs are a completely different team than the regular season Heat. LeBron flips a switch that fans never knew was possible, and D-Wade and Bosh step up even more. While the lack of PG and true Center in the Heat lineup are favorable to Charlotte, since the Bobcats two best players play those positions, the Heat’s Big three are just too much for the likes of MKG, Hendo, and McRoberts, just as they have proved to be against Kevin Durant and Tim Duncan’s crew the past two years. This is not a team to want to go against in the first round for the Bobcats, but it may be the best and only option.

 

 

 

Toronto Raptors 

 

Now a half game out of the third seed, the Raptors have looked great this year. Lowry and DeRozan have revitalized this organization and have them thinking contention. I put them here because I could not justify putting Chicago under the “Contender” title. When IF the Bobcats can catch the Wizards for that crucial 6th seed, this is the team the Bobcats would most likely find themselves against. Luckily for Charlotte, they have experienced some great success vs the Raptors this year, sweeping the season series. A Raptors-Bobcats playoff series would most likely be the most intense and entertaining series coming from the Eastern conference first round. Two teams overachieving fighting for something CHA has never achieved and something TOR has not achieved in a long time (a second round trip in the playoffs). But of all the options, this would be the most favorable for CHA.

 

 

 

Most favorable for Charlotte: 

 

Toronto Raptors