POWER RANKINGS: UP NEXT...PLAYOFFS!!!

The Phoenix Suns have been the team everyone has been chasing all season, an appropriate bounce-back after a heartbreaking end to last year. Will they be the last ones standing this time around?

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LET'S GO!!!!

The regular season is a thing of the past now, with the focus on who is best fit to survive this basketball gauntlet we call, the NBA playoffs.

In past years, there has been a clear preferred Finals matchup based upon the best teams in the respective conferences.

But are NBA fans really itching to see a Miami-Phoenix finals matchup?

Not really.

And that’s why this postseason journey has the makings of one of the best we’ve had in years.

Why?

Because one of the knocks against the NBA playoffs, has been the relatively predictable nature of who moves on.

But this year has a different feel, especially when you look at the teams competing in the play-in tournament (specifically those in the Eastern Conference) and realize how easily those teams could not only get out of the play-in tournament but win a couple of series, too.

The Phoenix Suns have been the class of the NBA all season, but they are far from a lock to return to the NBA Finals in what's shaping up to be one of the more wide-open playoff chases we've seen in quite some time.

However, we've seen enough teams to know which ones are best poised to not just show up in the playoffs, but show out when the games truly matter.

Here’s the Super 7 heading into the playoffs.

1. Phoenix (64-18)

We have seen Suns teams of the past in the hunt to win an NBA title. But this team, this year, is indeed the best shot this franchise has ever had of winning that oh-so-elusive first NBA championship with Devin Booker who should be in the conversation for league MVP, leading the way.

2. Memphis (56-26)

The Grizzlies may be young, but they get after it at both ends of the floor. They are one of just two teams in the NBA (the other team is the Phoenix Suns) ranked among the NBA’s top six in both offensive and defensive rating this season.

3. Boston (51-31)

If Robert Williams’ potential return “sooner than later” from a torn meniscus tear in his left knee on March 28, Boston becomes the team to beat in the East. Their success as a team and ability to impact games at an elite level at both ends of the floor, will make them a tough team to beat regardless of the opponent.

4. Miami (53-29)

They have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but the Heat either tied or lost the head-to-head series with the Eastern Conference’s top-three teams (Boston, Milwaukee and Philadelphia)

5. Milwaukee (51-31)

Opening the playoffs against the struggling Chicago Bulls is an ideal matchup for the defending champions who have been flying just below the radar all season despite bringing back the bulk of last year’s championship squad.

6. Dallas (52-30)

Jason Kidd doesn’t get enough credit for the job he has done this season as the Mavs' head coach. It shouldn’t be a surprise. As was the case in Milwaukee and Brooklyn, Kidd’s first year on the job saw a notable improvement in what ultimately matters most - wins.

7. Golden State (53-29)

The Warriors’ Big Three of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are still really good. But with each missing significant chunks of this season with injuries, there’s a growing sense in NBA circles that Father Time is calling each of them sooner than expected which should bring about a greater sense of urgency on their part in what may be their last strong run as an NBA title contender.