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1. Houston Rockets vs. 8. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Houston Rockets have been the NBA's best team in 2017-18, and they should be almost impervious to any first-round matchups. Drawing the Minnesota Timberwolves is the least appealing option out of the candidates that existed during the season's final week, but James Harden and Co. still match up nicely against their opening foes.

Even with Jimmy Butler back on the court, the T-Wolves aren't a great defensive team. They allow 105.1 points per 100 possessions when he's logging minutes (the best mark of any rotation member), but that would still be just the No. 12 defensive rating in the season-long standings. Plus, Butler isn't going to play 48 minutes per game throughout an entire postseason series, despite Tom Thibodeau's enduring presence as Minnesota's head coach.

A team with defense as its primary weakness isn't going to topple the top-seeded juggernaut that's climbed to its perch on the shoulders of historic offensive efforts. Harden and Chris Paul are going to have a field day, easily overcoming the absence of Luc Mbah a Moute as he tries to recover from a dislocated shoulder in time for the second round.

Prediction: Rockets in five.

2. Golden State Warriors vs. 7. San Antonio Spurs

Watching the Golden State Warriors over the last few weeks, you get the sense they're just biding their time and waiting to flip the proverbial switch at the most opportune moment. Injuries have decimated their rotation at times, but they still boast the services of three healthy All-Stars in Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. Beyond that, their bench is filled with useful veterans who understand their roles, as well as some high-upside youngsters.

But the Dubs aren't the same without Stephen Curry, who isn't likely to be available for this first-round clash with the San Antonio Spurs. On the season, they've notched a 2.9 net rating sans their star point guard (easily the worst mark on the roster), and that dropped to minus-2.7 since his second-to-last injury on March 8.

This is concerning. The defending champions are vulnerable until their floor general returns, no matter how impressive Quinn Cook has been while capitalizing on this unforeseen opportunity.

However, the Spurs aren't suited to pull off the upset. Head coach Gregg Popovich will milk as much production from his troops as humanly possible, but San Antonio is outclassed without Kawhi Leonard. It overachieved throughout the season with a roster filled of middling talents and downward-trending veterans, but it now has to deal with its leading offensive star (LaMarcus Aldridge) lining up against Golden State's premier individual stopper (Green).

In 129 Curry-less minutes against San Antonio, the Warriors have a 5.1 net rating. Unless Leonard pulls a Willis Reed, the Spurs will test the Warriors before ultimately coming up short.

Prediction: Warriors in six.

3. Portland Trail Blazers vs. 6. New Orleans Pelicans

Don't make the mistake of thinking the New Orleans Pelicans are a one-man show.

Since DeMarcus Cousins went down for the season with a ruptured Achilles, Anthony Davis has dominated the headlines. He played at an MVP-caliber level and vaulted New Orleans into the playoff picture, nearly capturing home-court advantage in the process. Just don't give so much credit to Davis that you overlook the inspired play of Jrue Holiday.

As Micah Peters explained for The Ringer, Holiday's under-the-radar status is—partially, at least—due to the very nature of his game:

"This is because Holiday is, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, tough to get excited about. He's all the things that the casual fan doesn't necessarily find interesting: hardworking, prudent, and aesthetically unadventurous, though he can be fancy if and when he needs to be. He is likely not going to produce the moments that will be looped and GIF'd into oblivion; he's the person behind the person that produces those moments. Someone has to get the steal, start the break, toss the alley. He does the vital things you might not be able to recall with much clarity, say, a week after they happen. But they're vital nonetheless."

Getting excited about his numbers is a bit easier. Since Cousins last suited up on Jan. 26, Holiday averaged 19.4 points, 7.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game while slashing 49.2/34.5/76.0 and playing praiseworthy defense.

Holiday will be crucial against Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, as he'll need to wear Portland's star guards out with his offensive assaults while keeping them in check as best he can. That isn't easy against another fringe MVP candidate in Lillard, but it's worth noting the Weber State product has struggled with his three-point stroke and submitted a negative plus/minus in four games against New Orleans this season.

This is the toughest first-round matchup to pick in either conference, but let's take the team with the best player (Davis) and an underrated supporting cast that's coming into its own at the right time.

Prediction: Pelicans in seven.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 5. Utah Jazz

The Oklahoma City Thunder have Russell Westbrook, who remains a walking triple-double playing a brand of basketball that can translate well to postseason action. Steven Adams has been one of the NBA's most improved players, and he can anchor a solid defense. Paul George is still a superstar, capable of dominating a game offensively or defensively.

But the Thunder haven't morphed into an elite unit on either end of the floor, and they're still struggling to replace Andre Roberson on defense. They're solid both offensively and defensively, but they don't have that calling card you so often need in the playoffs. And against the Utah Jazz, they're going to struggle to score.

To be fair, anyone would.

Since should-be Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert returned to action against the New York Knicks on Jan. 19, the Jazz have ceded a minuscule 95.9 points per 100 possessions—nearly four points fewer than any other organization. They're impenetrable with the shot-swatting center at the pivot, and the rest of the lineup offers few holes for the opposition to probe when operating in a half-court set.

Despite entering the playoffs as one of the NBA's hottest teams, the Jazz do have serious red flags that force hesitation before picking them to embark on a long playoff run. Their No. 1 scorer is a rookie who can sometimes struggle with his shooting efficiency. They also love using bigger lineups, which goes against the NBA grain, and they don't have many shot-creators if Donovan Mitchell is struggling.

But you need a top-tier offense to have a chance against the crescendoing Jazz, and the Thunder don't boast one. The scores in this series figure to be rather low, which plays right into Utah's hands.

Prediction: Jazz in five.