The NBA playoffs weren't set without drama.This occurred in both conferences, though the most dramatic development was the Miami Heat missing out in the Eastern Conference despite an epic tear to close the season. Out in the Western Conference, fans will need to wait another year to see the budding Denver Nuggets take on the regulars.A hefty dose of the regulars isn't a bad thing. The Cleveland Cavaliers surrendered a top seed and teams like the Indiana Pacers are fighting for the right to keep superstars (in this case, Paul George). Out West, superstars like James Harden and Russell Westbrook have Warriors-toppling ambitions.The wealth of storylines makes for one of the best brackets in recent memory, so let's take a look at an all-encompassing view of the playoffs.Final StandingsTitle OddsBracket and PredictionsNotable Series to Watch (4) Wizards vs. (5) HawksThe Eastern Conference has some great matchups this year, especially with LeBron James and the Cavaliers having to get close with Lance Stephenson (Born Ready) and the Pacers yet again.But most of the attention should go to the mid-seed bout between the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks, mostly thanks to the former.Which isn't meant to disrespect the Hawks. But these aren't the same old Hawks, not with Al Horford in Boston. Old guard Paul Millsap still leads the team and posts 18.1 points per game, but the arrival of Dwight Howard couldn't propel Atlanta into serious conversation for a top seed in the conference.On the flip side, the Wizards feel like a coming-of-age story. John Wall and Bradley Beal are still one of the Association's most dangerous backcourts and both average 23.1 points per game. The somewhat overlooked Markieff Morris trade created the perfect third option, and Otto Porter Jr. keeps stretching the court while knocking down 43.4 percent of his attempts from range.These slightly new wrinkles alongside Wall and Beal are a big part of the reason the Wizards won this season series 3-1.As Ben Standig of Locked On Wizards noted, personalities like Charles Barkley think the Wizards have the momentum necessary to steal the conference:It's true, and a journey that begins by taking out one of the old guards in the conference. The fifth-ranked offense in the NBA at 109.2 points per game will eventually wear down Atlanta, which is a nightmare scenario for the top two seeds in the bracket.Their nightmare scenario is a dream for fans.(3) Rockets vs. (6) ThunderExpect something else'A duel between Harden and Westbrook is everything fans could have asked for in the playoffs, even without the MVP conversation hanging over their heads.In fact, the conversation might be the great divider in sports today. Harden underwent a little switched position of sorts and came out averaging 29.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 11.2 assists per game while shooting 44 percent from the floor. Westbrook lost Kevin Durant and went for 31.6, 10.7 and 10.4 in those same areas while shooting 42.5 percent.The truth of the matter' There isn't a wrong choice for MVP. That also means there's not a surefire choice and somebody deserving will get snubbed.For shame, but what better way to settle the race than with a seven-game playoff series. Dime Magazine's Oliver Maroney brought up a good point about the incessant comparisons of those around the MVP candidates:Viewed through such a lens, Harden is absolutely the MVP right now considering he holds a 3-1 advantage against Westbrook this year. The playoffs are a different animal, of course, and Westbrook dropped a 50-burger all of three games ago. He's posted 40 or more points three times since the start of the month to help the Thunder close the year on a 4-3 mark.No matter how the series turns out, fans can't go wrong. Either team can stand up to the top seeds in the Western Conference, though one has to wonder how exhausting this series will be.Either way, Harden and Westbrook's trajectories have demanded this series. Fans finally have it, even if it's only a first-round clash.All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. Odds courtesy of OddsShark.
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