With a 16th win in their last 21 games, Vince Carter and Jason Kidd could lead the Nets to a most unexpected playoff berth. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

The NBA's 2004-05 regular season ends Wednesday. Other than the final spot in the East -- the Nets and Cavs are still battling it out for the No. 8 seed -- the playoff field is set. After five and a half months of positioning, the real action begins this weekend, and it promises to be entertaining.

If the regular season is any indication, the postseason is ripe for a major upset or two. From the Malice at the Palace to the Suns' finish atop the NBA standings, the '04-05 campaign was a year of jaw-dropping surprises.

It was a season in which the Suns, Sonics, Bulls and Wizards enjoyed spectacular turnarounds, while the T'wolves, Lakers, Jazz and Cavs failed to meet expectations.

It was a season in which scoring went up (six teams averaged more than 100 points a game, compared to two a year ago) and turnovers decreased (14.5 from 15.0).

It was a season in which Vince Carter got a change of scenery, Grant Hill made a stirring comeback, Kobe Bryant saw his rape case dismissed and Shaq cracked us up with a size-22 All-Star sneaker phone.

It was a season in which new rules paved the way for more fluid offense ... Josh Smith went retro to win the Dunk Contest ... Danny Ainge re-acquired 'Toine ... The Clippers weren't the worst team in L.A. ... Emeka Okafor and Dwight Howard showed rookies could average a double-double ...The Bulls somehow overcame an 0-9 start ... The Mavs got a defense ... George Karl worked his magic again ... Baron Davis brought hope to the Bay Area ...T-Mac and Yao showed progress ... Allen Iverson passed the ball ...and neither New York nor L.A. sent a team to the playoffs for the first time since '76.

It was a season in which the coaching carousel kept spinning out of control. Some of the changes were shockers (Rudy Tomjanovich, Hubie Brown, Flip Saunders, Don Nelson). Others were more predictable (Lenny Wilkens, Jeff Bzdelik). One worked spectacularly (George Karl for Michael Cooper). One failed miserably (Brendan Malone for Paul Silas). Meanwhile, Phil Jackson's presence loomed over the landscape while Larry Brown seemed to be getting ready to pack his bags (again).

Fittingly, there was intrigue right down to the final day. The Nets and Cavs will go to battle Wednesday night with their respective seasons on the line. New Jersey can clinch the No. 8 and final spot in the East with a victory at Boston. Cleveland needs a victory at Toronto -- and a Nets loss -- to snatch the final spot and earn LeBron James his first career playoff berth.

Then it's onto the playoffs. The Suns and Heat enter as the favorites in the West and East, respectively, by virtue of their superior regular-season records. But Phoenix still has to prove it can play its favored up-tempo style in the more typically grind-it-out playoffs while Miami enters the postseason with Shaq having sat out much of the past three weeks with, first, a stomach virus and, now, a bruised thigh. If either of those heavyweights falter, the Spurs and Pistons both boast the balance and championship pedigrees to reach the Finals.

Injuries, as usual, could play a critical role in deciding who comes out on top next June. Several top contenders enter the playoffs with key players facing health issues. Shaq, Tim Duncan (ankle) and Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal (shoulder) all missed significant time late in the season, as did Seattle's Rashard Lewis (foot) and Denver's Kenyon Martin (bruised sternum). How well those stars recover from their ailments could make a huge difference in their teams' title runs.

Also, a slew of talented players who have been out a long time might return to their clubs and each provide a major spark. Brad Miller and Bobby Jackson would make the Kings a dangerous sleeper in the West. Vladimir Radmanovic would be a valuable weapon for the Sonics. Voshon Lenard might be able to help the Nuggets if he's not too rusty from missing almost the entire season. And the thought of Richard Jefferson joining forces with Jason Kidd and Vince Carter for the Nets can't be too comforting for Miami coach Stan Van Gundy.

It all adds up to a potentially exciting NBA playoff season. After the disastrous start in Auburn Hills, Mich., the league has recovered as well as could be hoped. Now it just hopes to finish the job.