Which team would you rather face in the first round in the playoffs?

[JBcat]

As of right now it looks like we will be playing one of these teams in the playoffs. 

First I want to stay away from Wade as much as possible.  I don't care about his supporting cast.   He is capable of carrying a team on his back for an entire series.

The Bulls gave us a run for our money last year and even though 3 rotation players are gone from that team Gordon, Salmons, and Thomas I would still rather stay away from them.   Rose is a tough matchup for Rondo as well as Deng is historically for Pierce.  Noah is a just pain to deal with.  I don't think they are as good as last year's team but I'd still rather stay away.

The Bucks are an enigma to me.   They always seem to have 1 or 2 key players injured but if healthy they could be dangerous.  They just got Salmons in a trade and Bogut in my opinion is a very underrated player.  If they have Redd and Jennings on their game I just don't know if I want to play them. 

The Bobcats always play us tough and are a gritty team.   I don't want Paul and Ray to get run down dealing with Jackson and Wallace for a whole series. 

Lastly the Raptors.   We always seem to play the Raptors well and even though they have the best record of this bunch I think we matchup well against them.  Rondo would run circles whoever the Raptors throw out there at point guard.  Nobody can handle Ray on that team.   I'd take Paul over Hedo any day of the week and a healthy KG would slow down Bosh.  Bargnani is not an easy matchup for us but we would be fine and could put Perk on Bosh and KG on Bargnani to mix things up.   

[Donoghus]

Bucks.  I think we'd roll all over them.

[celticinorlando]

1. bucks

2. bulls

3. raptors

4. bobcats

[Who]

They all look like comfortable wins. Nobody threatening.

A little wary of the Bobcats but the Celtics have played very well against them in the past.

[GreenFaith1819]

As long as we continue to play like we are playing, to me it doesn't matter who we play in the first round.

And I really hope our road in the playoffs takes us to playing ATL...I want to de-claw that bear once and for all.

[GranTur]

The only team that remotely scares me is the Bobcats because they play good defense and can get reddddd hot.

Thankfully we play well against them.

Our first round should be a joke.

[twinbree]

I only hope this will be the year we have it relatively easy because for the past couple of seasons it seems we have drawn the worst possible 1st round opponent. 

[sk7326]

I only hope this will be the year we have it relatively easy because for the past couple of seasons it seems we have drawn the worst possible 1st round opponent. 

Hawks were an easy opponent - the series went 7 because of concentration lapses and close games in ATL, but we crushed them so comprehensively in BOS that I was never really worried. Bulls last year was about our health problems.

All of our opponents are shaky but athletic ... I think of the 5-8 nominees out there the Bucks are the best team, the one that plays the best defense and the best inside-outside balance.

The Raptors are the best offense but the softest, and the least athletic - I think they are the easiest mark for us. 

[Mike-Dub]

Bucks.  I think we'd roll all over them.

Bucks are easily the team I'd like to face most in the first round.  I too think we would roll over them.

[twinbree]

I only hope this will be the year we have it relatively easy because for the past couple of seasons it seems we have drawn the worst possible 1st round opponent. 

Hawks were an easy opponent - the series went 7 because of concentration lapses and close games in ATL, but we crushed them so comprehensively in BOS that I was never really worried. Bulls last year was about our health problems.
 

They both should have been easy but they weren't. That's my point. They were the worst possible because they took advantage of our weaknesses in a way other opponents may not have done. Obviously I don't know if we'd have gone 7 with the others but in hindsight the Raptors/Wiz/Sixers trio and the Pistons/Sixers/Heat seem to me like they would have been less trouble.

[Drucci]

Bucks or Raptors. The Raptors can be "tricky" because they have a lot of talent but they are the softest team of the East (if not of the league) and they can't defend to save their lives... you can still fear that they get hot during the playoffs and start making absurd shots but still we have good matchups at almost every position and Sheed ownes the Raptors' big men so I would feel really good if we met them.

But the Bucks are the easiest team of the list.

I think we would roll over Chicago but it's true that the Deng/Pierce matchup is quite scary. We owned the Bobcats this season but we never played them since they started clicking so I'd rather avoid them. Miami could be tough too with Wade. The Heat has a lot of talent, the only problem of this team is consistency, so, once again, I would rather avoid this team since they preach defense like Charlotte and can be tough. Definitely a "trap team".

It would be great to face an easy opponent in the first round this year, after all the struggles we had the past two seasons!

So I voted for Milwaukee.

[JBcat]

Just checking back in.  Looks like most people pick the Bucks.  TPs for everyone who responded. 

[twinbree]

I've changed my mind about the Bucks. Bogut seems like a match up that will give Perk trouble and I don't know if I want our best interior defender to have his hands full given the slippage in the perimeter defense.
I think I prefer the Raptors. They do have talent but they seem like they don't have much fight in them.

[billysan]

Based on our previous (recent) success, I take the Raptors first followed closely by the Bucks and lastly the Bobcats. The Bulls would be after the Bobcats and be followed by the Heat.

We just seem to own the Raptors and I love beating up on Bosh.

[Jon Niednagel]

Based on our previous (recent) success, I take the Raptors first followed closely by the Bucks and lastly the Bobcats. The Bulls would be after the Bobcats and be followed by the Heat.

We just seem to own the Raptors and I love beating up on Bosh.

I agree with everything written here and voted accordingly.