USA TODAY Sports

Issue: Defensive inconsistencies

In the Western Conference, where high-powered offenses reign supreme, defense seems to be what separates pretenders from contenders.

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With that established, the Golden State Warriors may be edging towards pretender status, as they're allowing league's eighth-most points per game, 100.7.

Add in the fact that the Warriors aren't forcing many turnovers, and it's starting to look like the Memphis Grizzlies could have a favorable first-round matchup on their hands.

The Warriors have turned the ball over 14.2 times per 100 plays while they've forced just 12.3 per 100 plays, according to Basketball-Reference. Both of those numbers fall in the bottom 10 of their respective categories.
Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
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Issue: Defensive activity

The Houston Rockets sit atop or near the top of the league in nearly every major offensive category, so they shouldn't have a problem winning a few playoff games based on raw offensive firepower alone.

What could prevent them from a pulling a first-round upset, however, is the team's lack of defensive intensity and activity.

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According to Basketball-Reference, the Rockets rank 25th in the NBA, allowing an effective field-goal percentage of 50.9, while they've generated the third-fewest blocks (257) of any team.
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The Rockets benefit from the fact that they score nearly four points more per 100 possessions than they allow, but they won't be able to slack on defense the way they have for most of this season en route to extended postseason success.