View Full Version : Greatest teams to not win the title?
What are some of the greatest teams to not win the title? Those teams that were more than talented enough to pull it off, but didn't.
There are many teams that I'm completely unaware of that are surely deserving of my consideration, so my opinion is lopsided completely towards recent teams. But I know there are others here with enough knowledge and experience to definitely have some insightful thoughts about this idea.
One team that stands out in my mind is Sacramento of the early 2000s. They had some damn good players at good stages of their careers. The homer in me remembers the 04/06 spurs teams as having all the talent, ability and want to win, but just not pulling it off.
IronMexican
07-31-2009, 12:25 AM
Are we calling teams to not even make it to the finals, or all teams in general, cause that opens up a lot more teams.
Are we calling teams to not even make it to the finals, or all teams in general, cause that opens up a lot more teams.
All teams are eligible. But I'm asking for what you think were the 'greatest.' The best of the losers, you could say.
What got me thinking was how stacked many of today's contenders are, yet how most of these teams will be sent home 'early' (ie, not winning the 'ship). It won't be because they weren't talented.
IronMexican
07-31-2009, 12:31 AM
98 Jazz.
IronMexican
07-31-2009, 12:31 AM
and 2000 Blazers.
23LeBronJames23
07-31-2009, 12:36 AM
Cavs this year, Dallas in 07 and 96 sonics
baseline bum
07-31-2009, 12:44 AM
96 Sonics
mystargtr34
07-31-2009, 12:44 AM
2002 Kings were the best of the best non champs IMO
2006 Mavs were good too, but mentally too weak.
blink
07-31-2009, 12:45 AM
i hate the jazz but it's a shame stockton never got a ring. the douchebag malone can go suck one though.
86' Rockets, All the Jazz teams from the Karl Malone/Stockton Era, 2000 Blazers, 2002 Kings
The Franchise
07-31-2009, 12:48 AM
The 93 Phoenix Suns.
Mr Bones
07-31-2009, 12:54 AM
'96 Supersonics
'97 Jazz
'00 Trailblazers
'02 Kings
'03 Lakers
Leetonidas
07-31-2009, 12:54 AM
2006 Spurs and Mavericks both should have destroyed Miami in the finals. Well, Spurs would've, Mavs should've. The 2007 Mavs were pretty sick. 1998 Jazz, 2005 Suns, 2002 Kings...
JamStone
07-31-2009, 01:26 AM
The 93 Phoenix Suns.
dirk4mvp
07-31-2009, 01:29 AM
02 Kings were fucking raw.
Culburn369
07-31-2009, 01:42 AM
02 Kings were fucking raw.
What do you mean, dirk?
lefty
07-31-2009, 06:18 AM
98 jazz.
+1
spursncowboys
07-31-2009, 07:13 AM
2002 Kings were the best of the best non champs IMO
2006 Mavs were good too, but mentally too weak.
I agree with the 02 Kings. They should have won. They were the better team in every category except the one that counts-refs.
The 06 Mavs beat the Spurs with the refs so they can't really cry when the refs switch to the Heat on them.
Rogue
07-31-2009, 07:29 AM
What are some of the greatest teams to not win the title? Those teams that were more than talented enough to pull it off, but didn't.
There are many teams that I'm completely unaware of that are surely deserving of my consideration, so my opinion is lopsided completely towards recent teams. But I know there are others here with enough knowledge and experience to definitely have some insightful thoughts about this idea.
One team that stands out in my mind is Sacramento of the early 2000s. They had some damn good players at good stages of their careers. The homer in me remembers the 04/06 spurs teams as having all the talent, ability and want to win, but just not pulling it off.
Totally agreed, I think the Miami Cheat also deserve your consideration with their decent trip to the finals in 06, though they were eliminated by the boys in blue eventually. And that season represents the last highlighted point of shaq's already brilliant career and a rising star in D-Whistle, which makes that team even more memorable, not to mention the other legendary players working on that team in that season, like Gary Payton, Antonie Walker and Jason Williams.
urunobili
07-31-2009, 07:49 AM
2006 Spurs :wakeup
Brazil
07-31-2009, 07:58 AM
Kings 2002 !
Texas_Ranger
07-31-2009, 08:02 AM
2006 Heat
:rollin
Phillip
07-31-2009, 08:04 AM
various Blazers teams from the 80's to early 2000's, including the squad that somehow blew game 7 against Shaq/Kobe in 2000. that was a sick squad. the ones that made a couple finals in the late 80's and early 90's with clyde were really good too.
the 2006 spurs were IMO the best of all the spurs teams. they just ran into another really good team, that also happened to match up pretty well with them. Mavs just seemed to want it more too. but i personally dont think they really classify since they had won the previous year and the next year. but that 06 team i think was the spurs at their best, right when younger players were really playing at their best (Parker/Manu), and right before older players started really declining (Timmy, Finley, Barry, Bowen)
almost every team that lost to Jordan in the 90s were really good
there was some really solid 76ers squads in the 80s that didnt win.
Phillip
07-31-2009, 08:05 AM
The 06 Mavs beat the Spurs with the refs so they can't really cry when the refs switch to the Heat on them.
lol, butthurt
Killakobe81
07-31-2009, 08:20 AM
'84 Lakers, 2000 Blazers, '02 Kings, Drexler Blazers squads of '90's Jazz squad with MAlone Stockton malone and Eaton (which was deeper than the overrated 90's squad), the 90's Knicks with Ewing starks etc the 80's Mavs with Aguire and crew, early 90's Cavs AND mid 80's hawks ...
Cleveland last year? LOL said all year OVERRATED!! this year's squad wil be better and STILL won't win it ...
resistanze
07-31-2009, 08:23 AM
2002 Lakers.
j-money24
07-31-2009, 09:12 AM
Suns 06 if Stoudamire was healthy, Suns 07 should have won it too.
Mavs 06 and Mavs 07 also could have won it if they didnt run up into Golden state lol
Queens 02 maybe should have won it too.
DUNCANownsKOBE2
07-31-2009, 10:20 AM
No team from 2005-2007 that didn't win a title should be put on this list. It was a weak era in basketball and those teams that didn't win wouldn't even be a contender for the upcoming season.
hater
07-31-2009, 10:24 AM
04 Spurs
kamikazi_player
07-31-2009, 10:25 AM
2002 Kings were the best of the best non champs IMO
:tu
Others that come up to mind are Suns 2007 and Knicks 1994
lil_penny
07-31-2009, 10:40 AM
03 lakers
02 kings
00 blazers
98 jazz
A couple suns teams and blazer teams in the 90's
Darrin
07-31-2009, 11:55 AM
What are some of the greatest teams to not win the title? Those teams that were more than talented enough to pull it off, but didn't.
There are many teams that I'm completely unaware of that are surely deserving of my consideration, so my opinion is lopsided completely towards recent teams. But I know there are others here with enough knowledge and experience to definitely have some insightful thoughts about this idea.
One team that stands out in my mind is Sacramento of the early 2000s. They had some damn good players at good stages of their careers. The homer in me remembers the 04/06 spurs teams as having all the talent, ability and want to win, but just not pulling it off.
The 1987-88 Detroit Pistons
The 1991-92 Portland Trailblazers
The 1992-93 New York Knicks
The 1992-93 Phoenix Suns
The 1997-98 Utah Jazz
The 1999-00 Portland Trailblazers
THe 2002-03 Sacramento Kings
The 2004-05 Phoenix Suns
The 2005-06 Dallas Mavericks
The 2007-08 Detroit Pistons
j-money24
07-31-2009, 11:59 AM
The 2007-08 Detroit Pistons
:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao
Might as well put the 2007-2008 Lakers and Cavs. Those team could have easily beat the Pistons that year.
1995 Suns (were up 3-1 on the eventual champs, Rockets, who swept the Magic).
2002 Kings: No doubt were the best team in the league that year. Very questionable calls.
2006 Mavs: Got to hand it to em. They beat a championship caliber team in the 2006 Spurs and its a travesty that they lost.
DUNCANownsKOBE2
07-31-2009, 12:08 PM
1995 Suns (were up 3-1 on the eventual champs, Rockets, who swept the Magic).
+1
Especially since Danny Manning got injured when they had by far the best record.
pauls931
07-31-2009, 01:11 PM
Another vote for the 93 suns.hmmm I wonder what Richard Dumas is up to these days?
DUNCANownsKOBE2
07-31-2009, 01:12 PM
Another vote for the 93 suns.hmmm I wonder what Richard Dumas is up to these days?
The same thing Amare's mom and DJ Strawberry's dad are up to.
It was the 1972-73 Boston Celtics. That was the best of the 70's Celtics teams- better than the 74 and 76 champions.
They were 68-14.
They were one of the greatest running teams of all time- faster than the running Lakers of the 80's.
For those that never saw them: they played like D'Antoni's Suns except they ran even better, played great defense, and rebounded really well.
They used to run off made baskets.
Havlicek never stopped sprinting. Cowens was the second fastest center of all time. Jo Jo White was spectacular during those seasons. Chaney was a great defensive guard. Silas and Nelson got most of the rest of the minutes. They had a little superfast back up point named Hambone Williams who used to increase the speed when he entered the game.
Tommy Heinsohn was the coach and he was one of the best ever.
The only reason they did not win the title that year is John Havlicek separated his shoulder and literally played one handed against the Knicks in the Eastern Finals (which still went to 7 games). If Havlicek had been healthy they would have destroyed that Knicks team.
Also the late 60's Lakers with Wilt, Baylor and West were great. They just could never beat Russell.
Without question the Utah Jazz, the best team of the two *might* be the 96-97 team because they lost to a Bulls team that had seven more wins than they would have in 97-98.
The 96-97 Jazz team also had two more wins than they would have in 97-98 so overall both teams were better record wise in 96-97.
The fact that they played the Bulls twice in the Finals, during the midst of a three peat, with a team that had arguably the greatest player of all time says a lot about the Jazz, plus they took them to six games both times (Which isn't a great achievement but at least they didn't roll over).
The 95-96 Sonics team went six games with the 72-10 Bulls which is something. That team went 64-18.
himat
07-31-2009, 01:35 PM
2004: Indiana Pacers
2005: Detroit Pistons
2006: Dallas Mavericks
2007: Phoenix Suns
2008: None
2009: None
I didn't really see a very good team in 2008 and 2009 that could have a great chance at beating the champs of that year.
Chillen
07-31-2009, 01:42 PM
1993 Phoenix Suns
Jordan and Paxon's shot, that was a decent team with Barkley, had to play a great Bulls team.
1997 Utah Jazz
1998 Utah Jazz
Sloan, Stockton and Malone had the unfortunate privledge of having to play the mighty MJ and his Bulls.
2002 New Jersey Nets
2003 New Jersey Nets
Had to play a tough 3 peat Lakers team and next season an upcoming Spurs team with an emerging big 3 in Duncan, Ginobili and Parker.
2006 San Antonio Spurs
lost to the Mavericks in 7 games, that Ginobili foul on Dirk and a bad play at the end of the 4th quarter cost the Spurs hopes of repeating. They would have crushed Miami in the NBA finals.
baseline bum
07-31-2009, 01:52 PM
'84 Lakers, 2000 Blazers, '02 Kings, Drexler Blazers squads of '90's Jazz squad with MAlone Stockton malone and Eaton (which was deeper than the overrated 90's squad), the 90's Knicks with Ewing starks etc the 80's Mavs with Aguire and crew, early 90's Cavs AND mid 80's hawks ...
Cleveland last year? LOL said all year OVERRATED!! this year's squad wil be better and STILL won't win it ...
The 96 Sonics would trash every one of those teams except the 84 Lakers.
Phillip
07-31-2009, 01:52 PM
For those that never saw them: they played like D'Antoni's Suns except they ran even better, played great defense, and rebounded really well.
Impossible.
Defense didn't exist until the late 80's and early 90's.
Impossible.
Defense didn't exist until the late 80's and early 90's.
You never saw basketball before the 80's did you? The two greatest defensive players that ever lived (Russell and Wilt) played mostly in the 50's and 60's.
The best defensive guard I ever saw was Walt Frazier.
Also Havlicek, Silas, and Chaney were superb defenders. Havlicek and Chaney were two of the best ever at their spots. (Satch Sanders was also on that team but he was older by then, not the world class defender he was in the 60's.)
iggypop123
07-31-2009, 05:35 PM
the 69 lakers can destroy those 90's teams. id love to see how webber would have guarded wilt
Mr Bones
07-31-2009, 05:46 PM
Impossible.
Defense didn't exist until the late 80's and early 90's.
:lol I think Bill Russell might beg to differ.
Mr Bones
07-31-2009, 05:48 PM
2002 Kings: No doubt were the best team in the league that year. Very questionable calls.
:lol The Lakers were lucky that only 5 of Shaq's 12 fouls in that game were whistled.
TD4THREE
07-31-2009, 06:25 PM
One team that people don't mention(mostly because of hakeem's performance against them) is the 95 spurs. Not saying they were the greatest, but they won 62 games that year, and had the MVP(Drob), Rodman,Elliott,AJ,and Del Negro
cobbler
07-31-2009, 07:12 PM
60's (name a year) Lakers.
82-83 Lakers. After winning title the Lakers had the #1 pick in draft. I don't know if that has ever happend before or since. They chose Worthy and brought him along slowly during the season. Just as they were preparing to head to the playoffs... Worthy broke his leg and that was that.
mavs>spurs2
07-31-2009, 07:15 PM
02 Kings were fucking raw.
:lmao where are you from? i didnt know anyone else actually used that term :lol
La Peace
07-31-2009, 07:28 PM
Going to add 4 more teams to that list this year.
The Franchise
07-31-2009, 07:30 PM
:lol The Lakers were lucky that only 5 of Shaq's 12 fouls in that game were whistled.
You're to generous.
Gouken
07-31-2009, 07:31 PM
:lol The Lakers were lucky that only 5 of Shaq's 12 fouls in that game were whistled.
The Kings still had opportunities to win regardless. Airballs from Peja and Christie and a ton of missed FT's down the stretch cost them. Not to mention if Horry doesn't hit that shot in Game 4 the Lakers wouldn't have won that series.
Surprised the 2004 Lakers haven't made the list.
Granted, they had half a bag of Skittles for a bench, but you shouldn't need much behind the Mamba, the Mailman, the Big Diesel, and the Glove.
45 bank shot
07-31-2009, 08:57 PM
kings
j-money24
07-31-2009, 08:59 PM
Surprised the 2004 Lakers haven't made the list.
Granted, they had half a bag of Skittles for a bench, but you shouldn't need much behind the Mamba, the Mailman, the Big Diesel, and the Glove.
They were probably the most talented non-champion team but you gotta give it to Detriot, they owned us in 2004. Though i think we could of did better since Malone was injured in the Finals and Kobe-Shaq drama.
Girasuck
07-31-2009, 09:56 PM
According to Hollinger, yes I know it's Hollinger, the 97-98 Jazz team is his pick for the greatest team to never win a title. Of course I agree. Even though the 96-97 Jazz had more wins, there was something about the 97-98 team that made them better. Maybe it was because they had the best record in the NBA, or that they destroyed the Lakers in the WCF, or that they swept the season series from the Bulls. It was a damn shame they didn't win that year. Losing to the Bulls in 97 hurt, but I expected us to lose that series. Losing in 98 was like having a knife inserted into your heart, then twisted around, then ripped out and shoved down your throat. I still can't get over it.
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