5 long-shot NBA title contenders

The 2017 NBA regular season is coming to a close, and the true contenders have now been separated from the pretenders. The Cleveland Cavaliers and either the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs are the heavy favorites to play in the NBA Finals, with many figuring we will see a repeat of the past two seasons between the Warriors and Cavs. That doesn’t seem like a lock at this point considering the Cavs are enduring some defensive struggles of late, while the Warriors are trying to find their way with Kevin Durant out due to injury.

We’re not saying those teams won’t make the NBA Finals for the third straight year, but you just never know what will happen between injuries and other flukes. It might take a miracle, but here’s a look at five long-shot NBA title contenders who could piece things together at just the right time and win it all if everything breaks in their favor.

1. Washington Wizards

It’s hard to say the Wizards are true “long-shots,” but when the NBA championship discussion takes place, they are very rarely listed among the head of the pack. It’s almost always the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors leading the way, while the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs are given the next best odds.

But the Wizards are right there among the very best the league has to offer — specifically in the Eastern Conference.

They have gotten so hot that they’re only a few games back of the No. 1 seed. Their 109.2 points per game is second only to the Cavaliers in the conference, and their point differential (+2.1) is also fourth-best in the East.

After starting the season 2-8 and enduring some questions about their locker-room chemistry, the Wizards have stormed back. For the first time in the lives of most of their fans, they’re not only relevant, but should be considered possible contenders for the title.

Led by John Wall, who is now top-10 in fourth quarter scoring, and Otto Porter Jr., who is putting up career-highs and leads the NBA in 3-point percentage, the Wizards are a legitimate force to be reckoned with. They’re even more dangerous for the playoffs now that they’ve expanded their rotation by adding Bojan Bogdanovic and Brandon Jennings.

2. Utah Jazz

The Jazz lead the Oklahoma City Thunder by a few games in the division, and over the last two weeks, have reeled off some rather impressive wins. Their impressive win came at home over the Houston Rockets, while they split at home and on the road against the Clippers.

Considering the Jazz had lost 17 of their last 18 to the Clippers, the 114-108 victory on March 14 not only gave Utah a little momentum and confidence when it came to playing other playoff teams, it also helped boost team confidence by showing them they belong.

The Jazz have really emerged this season under Quin Snyder.

Gordon Hayward has developed into one of the best players in the league, as he’s averaging a career-high 21.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. George Hill and Rodney Hood have proven to be a solid backcourt duo. And the Jazz have the big difference-maker in the middle: Rudy Gobert. Not only is Gobert potentially the biggest-impact player on the defensive end in the league, but he also is second in the league in field goal percentage at 65.7 this year, and fifth with 12.8 rebounds per game.

The one issue that could, potentially, plague the Jazz is their overall lack of postseason experience. Their roster is relatively young, so they’ll need to lean on the wisdom of vets like Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw when the postseason arrives.

3. Los Angeles Clippers

There are rumors swirling that Doc Rivers may leave Los Angeles to join the Orlando Magic, which could derail any potential playoff run for the Clippers. However, at least as of now, everyone is saying the right thing and insisting they’re focused only on the task at hand.

Unfortunately for Los Angeles, since injuries began riddling their roster, they’ve had lingering issues beyond just their ability to focus.

Through the end November, the Clippers really seemed to be turning a corner. They had arguably the league’s best defense and sported the second-best point differential in the NBA. Their bench was playing well, their starters were gelling, and they had a reason to be hopeful.

Things haven’t been quite as positive since then with L.A. playing around .500 ball since mid-December, but there’s no reason to believe that they can’t ultimately return to form. And if they suddenly get completely healthy — especially when it comes to DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin — the Clippers could find themselves getting hot leading into the playoffs.

It’s a lot of ifs and buts, but there’s no mistaking how talented the Clippers are when they’re healthy and have consistency in their lineup. They just would have to hope for someone else to knock off the Warriors first, because they’ve lost nine in a row to Golden State.

4. Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are interesting in that they’re a relative unknown. At times they look like legitimate playoff contenders, while at other times they look overwhelmed and undermanned.

Those kind of teams can be quite dangerous, however.

That uncertainty going into the playoffs can be used as an asset so long as Toronto is completely healthy and mentally ready to take on teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom they’ve not beaten this season.

Still, with DeMar DeRozan back and healthy after missing a few games due to an ankle injury earlier this year, the Raptors are slowly easing into a groove. They’ve won six in a row and have a favorable schedule to close out the season.

If the Raptors can continue this recent roll and beat up on the teams they should, they can narrow the gap between themselves and the Wizards for the No. 3 seed, which would set them up for a much easier opening-round match-up in the playoffs. From there, anything is possible.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder are far from dominant this season, but they have an X-factor: Russell Westbrook.

Given that Westbrook is Oklahoma City’s sole superstar, some will read “X-factor” and think that’s a ridiculous notion. But one look at what Westbrook has done this season, and it’s easy to see why he could turn the NBA playoffs upside-down.

Not only is he having one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history, but he has also helped propel the Thunder to a 42-31 record without much assistance, and that’s saying something.

Some could argue that Westbrook alone won’t be enough to make the Thunder competitive in the playoffs, but in a best of seven format, he can certainly make things close. And if Oklahoma City can come up with any additional help during crunch time, they’re potentially as dangerous as anyone in the league over the span of an elimination series.

All the Thunder need is that one extra guy to step up alongside of Westbrook and shine. And in every major American sport, there’s always someone that slinks out from the shadows and comes up big when the world least expects it. If that person happens to be a member of the Thunder this year (paging Victor Oladipo), watch out.