Biggest Choke Teams in 21 Century

[DarkReign]

because of shaq/wade being better then they were in 2005,and because they got deeper on their bench.It was a tough loss yeah but hardly a choke,because in order to choke you have to either be the overwhelming favorites or have a large lead in a series like 2-0 or 3-1 and then lose.The Mavs Choked last year as they were both favored over Miami and had a 2-0 lead.I know your a piston hater but to rank the 06 pistosn in the top 3 is silly

Yes, they choked. There is no doubt about that. Anything less than a Finals appearance for ANY team that wins 60+ games is a choke-job.

[RedWingz]

We'll have to disagree on this one.

You're speaking choke as in giving away something that appeared to be won. I'm talking about a choke in terms of expectations that were placed on a team that were not met.

64 wins and no le to show for it with home court advantage. You just might be the only Piston fan who wasn't diappointed in last years finish. After the high expectations that were placed on the Pistons, there were a lot of angry Piston fans that I remember on various internet boards, including this one.

And, you're wrong with the Piston hating remarks. I'm just calling it as I see it.

Im dissapointed yes but Its not like Miami was way below us in expectation,they were the 2nd best team in the east. and many people picked them before the season to win it all Its a mild choke at best,certainly not in the top of the 21st century

[RedWingz]

Yes, they choked. There is no doubt about that. Anything less than a Finals appearance for ANY team that wins 60+ games is a choke-job.

guess I consider choking differantly, to me you cant choke against a team that makes it to the stanley cup finals.Its not like Calgary or Edmonton went out in the next round after bumping off the wings.Sorry but I just cant rank it as a big choke,compared to so many others

[peskypesky]

Mavs. Two years in a row.

And in other sports, the Yankees when they blew the 3-0 lead on the Red Sox. Pitifulness.

[picnroll]

20th Centruy would be the 1980 Russian Olympic hockey team.

[ShackO]

Mavs. Two years in a row.

And in other sports, the Yankees when they blew the 3-0 lead on the Red Sox. Pitifulness.

lol..... What he said..........

[Agloco]

The Mavericks never were the best team in the NBA. Best teams don't lose a first round series. They were more like a 50-53 win team who managed to get that extra lucky 14-17 wins.

I beg to differ on two points:

1) The Mavs were in fact the best team at the end of the regular season. Don't read too much into the fact that an unorthodox style of play led to their demise. Unlucky matchup. It doesn't take away from what they did over the regular season.

2) You get lucky in winning 5-7 more games not 14-17. When you win that many, there's something more there than just luck. It's a skill level that you're not recognizing.

Fact is, any team like the Warriors are capable of getting hot and beating any team in a series. The Warriors played much better against the Mavs than they played anyone else this season. Kinda makes you wonder why eh?


Having said that, I think the Mavs choked plain and simple.