Top 20 storylines heading into the NBA playoffs

Current reports suggest that Curry will miss at least two more games, possibly longer. With no Kawhi Leonard to deal with, the Warriors should be fine against San Antonio. After that, though? They'll need a healthy Curry if they want to knock off the Rockets, who have home court advantage throughout the playoffs. I suspect if you asked most NBA fans who their pick is to win the NBA title, most would still say Golden State, despite the fact that this season has been somewhat bumpy. The only way that happens is if they are at full strength; as great as this team is, no Curry most likely means no championship.

Quick — name the last year that two teams other than the Warriors and Cavaliers met in the NBA Finals. You have to go back to 2014, when Gregg Popovich's Spurs dominated the Heat, four games to one. After that, LeBron James went back to Cleveland, shifted the balance of power in the East, and the Warriors emerged in the West, first as a mere powerhouse, then as a super team. This year's Warriors finished the season in a 7-10 funk, and the Cavs have been uneven most of the year. Can the Rockets vanquish Golden State? Can Toronto finally find a way past Cleveland? Could a mystery team make a run? Perhaps a little shakeup at the top of the mountain would be good for the league.

If someone rattles off their list of the top five players in the NBA and they don't include Davis, declare their list null and void, admonish them, and make them start over. The Brow is an indomitable force, and the kind of player who can carry a team a long way if he gets hot for a long enough stretch. Davis' play has been especially impressive after DeMarcus Cousins went down with a season-ending injury, and watching him try to carry the Pelicans in the playoffs will be appointment viewing, especially since so many of the league's other greats are more perimeter-oriented players.

The opportunity is there for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Boston is weakened and very vulnerable without Kyrie Irving. With Kyrie, Boston would likely be a comfortable favorite, but his absence deprives the Celtics of their fourth quarter general and shotmaker. Antetokounmpo has further improved his game this year, and if Milwaukee can spring an upset on one of the league's most storied franchises, it would be a big shot in the arm for The Greek Freak's popularity with a wider, more casual audience.

Speaking of the Celtics, it's hard not to think of what might have been this year. Gordon Hayward went down with a catastrophic injury five minutes into the season. After the Celtics righted themselves, Kyrie's knee betrayed him. That the Celtics still managed to grab the 2 seed is a testament to Brad Stevens and the remaining players on the roster. The Celtics play stout team defense, but one shudders to think about just how good they could have been with Hayward and Irving healthy. In that hypothetical, are they the favorites to come out of the East? You'd have to think so. Alas.

LeBron James, at 33 years young, is having arguably the best season of his career. If it isn't quite that, it is a remarkable campaign for a guy who should be starting to show some signs of decline. Not only is James not slowing down, he's very possibly speeding up. He has the same explosiveness he had in his early 20s, and threw down some of the most vicious, forceful dunks of his career this season. Oh, and he's (understandably) mad that most pundits are all but handing James Harden the MVP award. The only thing left to find out is just how far James can carry a talented but inconsistent Cavs team.

What do we have, exactly? The Rockets are being taken seriously by Vegas, as they have the second-best odds to win it all. Problem is, they still trail Golden State, even though they finished seven games ahead of the Warriors in the standings, and have very clearly been the league's best team this year. So what do James Harden and company have to do to earn respect? The mission for Houston is simple: beat Golden State, win it all, and never be doubted again.

Get ready to hear a whole lot about Toronto's bench. Led by Fred VanVleet, the Raptors' second unit was the league's best this year, and a fearsome force that carried the day for Toronto on several occasions where the Raptors' starters were lackluster. Everything that Toronto does is viewed through the prism of whether or not it will help them get by Cleveland, should the two teams meet. Given the Cavs' mercurial nature this year, Toronto's bench dominance could make a series between the teams very interesting indeed.

Embiid's fractured orbital bone is still healing, but basketball fans everywhere are hoping that the Sixers last long enough in these playoffs for Embiid to return. Simmons looks for all the world like the NBA's next big thing, and Embiid might be the only other young player in his orbit, in that regard. Perhaps the most fascinating scenario in the East involves Embiid and Simmons rising to the moment, and Philly putting it all together at the right time and making a "one year too early" run to the NBA Finals. Sixers-Rockets or Sixers-Warriors? I wouldn't hate it.

Donovan Mitchell didn't toil in anonymity all season. Far from it. He got plenty of plaudits for his incredible rookie season. The problem is, as good as Mitchell has been, his game is more conventional, insofar as he's a gifted outside shooter who can attack the rim at will. Those guys aren't a dime a dozen by any stretch, but we have seen them before. Unfortunately for Mitchell, his primary competition for Rookie of the Year, Ben Simmons, is something of a unicorn. If we've seen someone like him before, it was maybe LeBron, and that's it. As a result, Mitchell has been somewhat overlooked. If he pushes the Jazz through at least a round in the playoffs, he will get more of the respect and attention he deserves.

No story this season has been stranger than the sad plight of Kawhi Leonard. The all-world Spurs forward has only played in nine games while being hampered by a quad injury. There appears to be an obvious rift between Leonard and the organization, so much so that it seems very plausible that he'll be traded this off-season. His absence also means that the Spurs, who were impressive just by making the playoffs, will probably find that their stay is a short one. Still, watching Gregg Popovich try to beat arguably the best team in the league with chicken wire and duct tape should be fun. 

Russell Westbrook certainly loves a challenge, and he should get the kind of mano-a-mano showdown he craves against Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz in the first round. Westbrook averaged a triple-double again this season, going hard after rebounds in Oklahoma City's final two games to get what he needed. He's not going it alone by any stretch, especially with Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and Steven Adams around, it just feels that way. That being said, OKC will go only as far as Russ carries them. It will be plenty of fun to watch possibly the league's most visibly intense competitor try to will his team to victory. Also, every Thunder game brings with it the possibility that Westbrook will just abandon the concept of passing altogether.

The mask itself looks funky, but it's worth wondering how much Joel Embiid will be affected, if at all, by wearing it whenever he returns from injury. A mask was the greatest thing that ever happened to Rip Hamilton, so maybe Embiid will experience a similar bump, but the Sixers will probably settle for him being the same old Joel whenever he returns to the lineup. Also, Embiid's injury history in general makes him a fascinating person to watch in these playoffs. If he comes back healthy and not having missed a beat, the Sixers really could win the East, and perhaps more.

DeMar DeRozan is one of the NBA's most underappreciated stars, and he did nothing but improve his game this year, adding the three-point shot as a more reliable part of his repertoire after being known as a mid-range master for years. His Raptors have rarely been taken seriously as a challenger to the Cavaliers, but this year they look more dangerous than ever before. If Toronto is going to vanquish Cleveland, DeRozan will have to be the engine powering the effort. If the Raptors do make it out of the east, expect DeMar DeRozan to become a household name.

Oh, you remember Damian Lillard, right? As electric a pure scorer as there is in the league, especially from the point guard position. Lillard is a first-team All-NBA caliber performer, but, somewhat similar to DeRozan, doesn't get the attention he deserves because he plays in the shadow of even bigger names — in particular, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. Portland's first round matchup with New Orleans is the best battle of superstars that the first round has to offer, and if Lillard's Trail Blazers survive, his stock will rise even more.

Minnesota's overtime win over Denver, in what was a de facto play-in game, clearly has the league thinking about making such contests a formal part of the playoff process. While LeBron James called the concept "wack," expect this to be a talking point at times during games as well as studio shows. It figures to be something that the league revisits this summer. My opinion? It wouldn't be a bad idea, if kept within reason and not stretched out so as to render the season meaningless.

The last two, and arguably three postseasons have started with Golden State being the obvious favorite. While the Warriors are still the betting favorite, the combination of Steph Curry's injury and their lackluster finish to the season has some wondering if there is true vulnerability there. One thing is inarguable — these Warriors are not a juggernaut. They might still win the NBA title, but this isn't the kind of team that is going to slice through all of their opponents like a hot knife through butter. Watching the Warriors have some tough battles within their own conference would only be a good thing.

Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Markelle Fultz, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are just some of the next wave of stars and superstars who will define the league for the next decade-plus. The NBA should be thrilled that so many young, legitimately excellent players qualified for the post-season. When youth is served, everyone wins. What will really be fun is seeing how many of these guys, some of whom still can't drink legally, will be able to push teams featuring more veteran stars to the brink, and possibly eliminate them.

Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are understandably getting most of the publicity, but Markelle Fultz is lurking just in the background, and could be a true x-factor for Philadelphia in these playoffs. If Fultz can look for his own shot with confidence, and convert the occasional jumper, Philly will be capable of putting out several different lineups that can cause matchup nightmares for opponents. The most interesting thing about Fultz is that, unlike with Simmons and Embiid, there doesn't yet exist the quality that makes you just assume a great performance. Fultz is a true variable, both good and bad, and few things in sports are more fun than the truly unpredictable.

Karl-Anthony Towns might be the best offensive true center in the league today. Jimmy Butler is a superb player at both ends of the court. And then there's Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins underachieved in his fourth season, as most of his numbers dropped significantly. Wiggins' talent is virtually limitless, but he's something of a cipher. There's no moping or anything else that's obviously "off," but more often than not he doesn't take over games the way his talent suggests he could, and should. Will the light switch flip on for Wiggins now that the lights are brightest? If it does, Minnesota might be able to give the Rockets a pretty interesting series.