Best NBA team to NOT win a title in the last 25 years

[tuq]

I am interested in is people's opinions on teams that should have won against their competition that year but somehow fell short. Going back to the 25 years, this is what I've come up with:

Interestingly, in the period between the 1983 and 1990 seasons, only the Celtics failed to win the title despite having the best regular season record. That was in 1985 and the Lakers only won one fewer game. Plus it's hard to argue that any of those champions were clearly inferior to another team.

That leads us to the 1990 Los Angeles Lakers. In the year after Kareem's retirement, a seemingly rejuvenated Lakers squad led by MVP Magic Johnson and COY Pat Riley won 63 games but got pozzed in the second round by the Suns, 4-1.

The 1991 Portland Trailblazers dominated the regular season before falling fairly meekly to an inferior Lakers squad in the WCF, only to watch them lose to the Bulls in the finals.

The 1993 Phoenix Suns had Chuck Rock as their MVP and lots of veteran talent that had challenged for a ring for years leading up to that season. They paced the NBA with 62 wins that season and came close to beating the Bulls in the finals.

The 1994 Seattle Supersonics had an incredible regular season, winning 63 games and a +9.0 point differential and six players in double figures. But all anyone remembers is Dikembe Mutumbo clutching the ball on the floor after Denver won the last three games of the series in the first instance of a number 8 seed beating the top seed.

The 1995 Utah Jazz didn't even have the best record that year. They won 60 games which was second to the Spurs' 62, however their PD was +8.0 to the Spurs' +6.0 and their bench was ridiculously deep, featuring nine regulars averaging more than six points per game. However, they fell in a short series to the 47-win Rockets, who then went on to luckbox their way to the title.

The 2002 Sacramento Kings. Best record (62 wins) and PD (+7.6) in the league. Woulda shoulda coulda but fell to the two-time defending champion Lakers in painful fashion.

The 2003 Dallas Mavericks. Tied with the Spurs for the best record, had a huge edge in PD but probably lost that to experience. This is a borderline submission but they were a very good team, and their 62 expected wins was five clear of anyone else.

The 2004 Indiana Pacers. This was Reggie Miller's last best shot at a title. They fell to the Pistons in the ECF in a series in which every final score ended up something like 58-56.

The 2007 Dallas Mavericks. This one is kinda tricky, as the Spurs won nine fewer games but had both a better PD and actually also had three more expected wins. Still, the Mavericks were the darlings of the regular season, had made the finals the year before, and had a veteran team with something to prove. History has shown that champions have to take their lumps - as the Pistons did with the Celtics and Lakers, or the Bulls did with the Pistons - but that they oftentimes eventually get there.

I've considered also doing this poll with the NFL, MLB, and college football and basketball, and one thing I realized is that the NBA clearly has the highest percentage of 'deserving' winners, with the NFL probably closely behind. The long series and disparity in talent leads to a surprisingly low number of WTF? winners.

[johnnylovescandy]

04-05 Pistons

[MacGuyV]

In retrospect I'm not sure how those Portland teams were as good as they were. Was Clyde better than everyone thinks or were Jerome Kersey, Duckworth, et al better than everyone thought?

The Kings got hosed by the refs so I guess they have an argument.

edit: 10k ftw.

[doubLe a tom]

91-92 and 92-93 knicks were really good. probably would have won championships if it wasnt for jordan

[tuq]

I also want to point out that I fear my thread will get nitted to death. That's why I sat on it for a day and PMed Clark for his thoughts prior to even posting it.

The book on the Glide is that he was very good but got in his own way in pressure circumstances. He never led his team to a title; it was only after being traded to Houston and playing a distant second fiddle to Hakeem that he got a ring. Which was a ridiculous title but that's another story.

As for those Portland teams, I also think it had to do with every single one of those players peaking at the same time. And Terry Porter was underrated IMO.

[tuq]

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04-05 Pistons

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PD of +3.8 and 53 expected wins. They weren't the best team in the league, not close, and those numbers came against a weak Eastern Conference.

[ClarkNasty]

I think the Seattle team the Bulls beat in the finals was awesome, but obviously not the best team in the league that year.

[THEOSU]

88-9 cavs, be severely wounded in a pit of flames if you think otherwise.

[tuq]

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I think the Seattle team the Bulls beat in the finals was awesome, but obviously not the best team in the league that year.

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Yeah I considered making it a "best team to not win the title" poll instead, but that just opens up a Pandora's Box of teams that were in the neighborhood of the best team or who had the misfortune of having a great year the same season that someone had an even better one. And the 1996 Sonics are no doubt the best example of that bad timing. 64 wins and a +7.8 PD, both would lead the NBA most seasons. But they did it at the same time as a 72 win Bulls team with a (lol) +12.3 PD.

[doubLe a tom]

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88-9 cavs, be severely wounded in a pit of flames if you think otherwise.

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