Barring any injury, Miami should make the Finals. It would take a lot of coaching skill to stop the athleticism of Dwade and LBJ. Indiana had their number in the playoffs last year and for 2 games this season but in last years playoffs Bosh was down and in the first two games LBJ was not on his mad streak yet. A healthy NYK would also be a legit threat because of their shooting and with Melo and JR smith also being athletic, its a good match.
As for the west, if the Lakers can put together a winning streak of 7-8 games, then I can say they found a bit of chemistry and would also be a legit threat in the playoffs regardless of who they face. Pau will be coming off the bench for sure anyway so he wont disrupt the starting 5 offense, what would be tricky though is Jamisons role when Pau gets back, not unless Pau shifts to a 5-spot as a sub to Dwight instead of his usual 4.
In the East, Miami stands alone. There are no other contenders from the East. Indiana is young and bullheaded but inexperienced. New York, as good as they have been this season compared to previous seasons, is fool's gold. Don't let their record fool you. NYK is just a mediocre team that can randomly win against top tier teams but they will never really pose a threat to any contender. The Bulls would have been the only real threat to the Heat but the absence of their superstar makes them irrelevant this season.
As for the Lakers, Pau should definitely be the center for the bench when he comes back. He will give Dwight some rest. With Jamison's play as of late, D'antoni would be dumb to relegate him back into oblivion once Pau comes back. The bench would be solid with Pau,Jamison, M33ks,Blake and whoever for the 5th man.
