Best Team to Not Win the Title: NBA

[Big Sexy]

This is going to be a new thread series that I'm starting where I will go to every major sport and ask "what is the best team to not win the title." I had a best player to never win a title series a while back and this will be along those same lines. Just to be clear this is not talking about the history of a franchise, this is a team in a particular year. For example, in the NFL you wouldn't be confined to just choosing teams like the Lions and Browns who have never won a Super Bowl, you would go to a specific year and say "2007 Patriots" or whatever your answer is. Be sure to give reasons for your answer.

I started with the NBA because I believe this is the hardest one to pick. There are so many great teams that were around during the Jordan era of the 90's and Lakers/Celtics era of the 80's that couldn't break through because of those dynasties. My pick for the best team to not win the title in the NBA is the 1987-88 Bad Boy Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons won the title the next two years after this but they should have had a three peat as they were the best team in the NBA from 87-90. After taking out the Bullets in round 1, MJ in the second round, and the mighty Celtics in the conference finals, the Pistons met the LA Lakers in the finals. LA was the defending champs and it was a great series. The Pistons ended up with a 3-2 series lead.

In game 6 the Pistons were down by 8 in the third quarter when Isiah Thomas went off, scoring the next 14 points in the game. After that he rolled his ankle but returned 35 seconds later and on the bad ankle scored 11 more points to finish with 25 in the third. The Pistons had a one point lead with under 30 seconds left and the Lakers gave the ball to Kareem who missed a sky hook BUT Bill Laimbeer was called for a phantom foul as replays showed it was not a foul. Kareem made both free throws and the Lakers took a one point lead. Isiah missed a shot as time expired and the refs had cost the Pistons the game. The Lakers went on to win game 7 108-105 and the series. Isiah Thomas had 43 points and 8 assists in his courageous game 6 performance and the Pistons were the better team, but the refs took the series and the title away from them.

Honorable mentions: 96-97 and 97-98 Jazz, 2000-2001 Kings, 68-69 and 69-70 Lakers, 93-94 Knicks, and 04-05 Pistons.

 

[Davi323]

I couldn't agree more. The refs cost the Detroit Pistons that championship, the Lakers didn't win it. I still get annoyed at the phantom foul called on Bill Laimbeer that sent Kareem Abdul Jabbar to the line in that game. Some people might say "they still had game 7 to win" but, game 7 should never have been necessary. Bill Laimbeer did NOT foul Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

I am glad that you started out with the 87-88 Pistons, because for me, that was the obvious answer as a Michigan native who watched them get jobbed out of the NBA title live. I don't have any animosity about the 04-05 Pistons, but old emotions run deep, and the 87-88 season left emotional scars. Its weird...I have seen Detroit win all 3 of their NBA titles, and all came after that 87-88 season. They should be more recent memories. But its that damn phantom foul that stuck with me for the past 23 years.

 

[Calderownz]

Two me, two teams in particular come to mind immediately. While I'm sure there are better examples, these two teams are just more recent.

1. The 95-96 Seattle Supersonics. Shawn Kemp and Gary Peyton and a bunch of second team all stars. Great record that year, with 64-18. They got to the finals and were crushed by the Michael Jordan express.

2. The 96-97 Utah Jazz. Basically, including their record of 64-18 and two main players in Malone and Stockton, the Jazz suffered virtually the exact same destiny as the Sonics.

They weren't the best teams ever, but without Jordan in the league, both teams probably have championships.

I'm sure I could think of some better teams, but they come to mind as of now.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

They weren't the best teams ever, but without Jordan in the league, both teams probably have championships.

All NBA fans in NY, Michigan, Seattle and Utah say the exact same thing. And the fans in Houston thank him for leaving for nearly two years. That's one reason he was so great.

Anyways, I'm gonna throw in the 03-04 Lakers. Yes, the players like Payton and Malone were aged HOFers just chasing a ring, but that doesn't mean they weren't any good. Not to mention a couple of guys names O'Neal and Bryant. Frankly, most people blame those 2's egos for being the reason they didn't win.

 

[Dean Winchester]

This is going to be a new thread series that I'm starting where I will go to every major sport and ask "what is the best team to not win the title." I had a best player to never win a title series a while back and this will be along those same lines. Just to be clear this is not talking about the history of a franchise, this is a team in a particular year. For example, in the NFL you wouldn't be confined to just choosing teams like the Lions and Browns who have never won a Super Bowl, you would go to a specific year and say "2007 Patriots" or whatever your answer is. Be sure to give reasons for your answer.

I started with the NBA because I believe this is the hardest one to pick. There are so many great teams that were around during the Jordan era of the 90's and Lakers/Celtics era of the 80's that couldn't break through because of those dynasties. My pick for the best team to not win the title in the NBA is the 1987-88 Bad Boy Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons won the title the next two years after this but they should have had a three peat as they were the best team in the NBA from 87-90. After taking out the Bullets in round 1, MJ in the second round, and the mighty Celtics in the conference finals, the Pistons met the LA Lakers in the finals. LA was the defending champs and it was a great series. The Pistons ended up with a 3-2 series lead.

In game 6 the Pistons were down by 8 in the third quarter when Isiah Thomas went off, scoring the next 14 points in the game. After that he rolled his ankle but returned 35 seconds later and on the bad ankle scored 11 more points to finish with 25 in the third. The Pistons had a one point lead with under 30 seconds left and the Lakers gave the ball to Kareem who missed a sky hook BUT Bill Laimbeer was called for a phantom foul as replays showed it was not a foul. Kareem made both free throws and the Lakers took a one point lead. Isiah missed a shot as time expired and the refs had cost the Pistons the game. The Lakers went on to win game 7 108-105 and the series. Isiah Thomas had 43 points and 8 assists in his courageous game 6 performance and the Pistons were the better team, but the refs took the series and the title away from them.

Honorable mentions: 96-97 and 97-98 Jazz, 2000-2001 Kings, 68-69 and 69-70 Lakers, 93-94 Knicks, and 04-05 Pistons.

You said 2000-2001 Kings you sure it was not 2001-2002 Kings....that team had best record in the NBA that year and cheated out of the WCF by the Lakers because of the referee scandal.

 

[Dean Winchester]

All NBA fans in NY, Michigan, Seattle and Utah say the exact same thing. And the fans in Houston thank him for leaving for nearly two years. That's one reason he was so great.

Anyways, I'm gonna throw in the 03-04 Lakers. Yes, the players like Payton and Malone were aged HOFers just chasing a ring, but that doesn't mean they weren't any good. Not to mention a couple of guys names O'Neal and Bryant. Frankly, most people blame those 2's egos for being the reason they didn't win.

Yeah but like Houston the Knicks, Jazz and Supersonics had chances in 1994 and 1995 to win the NBA Championship but failed. And Detroit Pistons were done after 1991 when lost ECF to Chicago so dono why they in the equation.

 

[Big Sexy]

Anyways, I'm gonna throw in the 03-04 Lakers. Yes, the players like Payton and Malone were aged HOFers just chasing a ring, but that doesn't mean they weren't any good. Not to mention a couple of guys names O'Neal and Bryant. Frankly, most people blame those 2's egos for being the reason they didn't win.

I didn't mention that LA team because of the fact they got absolutely crushed by the Pistons in the finals. It was basically a 5 game sweep. The Lakers were never really close in that series.

You said 2000-2001 Kings you sure it was not 2001-2002 Kings....that team had best record in the NBA that year and cheated out of the WCF by the Lakers because of the referee scandal.

Yes I meant the 2001-2002 Kings. They took the Lakers to 7 games and Robert Horry stopped them from reaching the finals. Had they beaten LA they would have swept the Nets in the finals.

 

[jmt225]

Yes I meant the 2001-2002 Kings. They took the Lakers to 7 games and Robert Horry stopped them from reaching the finals. Had they beaten LA they would have swept the Nets in the finals.

The refs beat them, not Robert Horry. Games 4 and 6 in that series were by far the worst officiating games in sports history. Robert Horry may have hit the winning shot in game 4, but best believe that's not why the won. They won because of the referees. Watch that game and you'll see the Kings jump to a fucking 24 point lead in the first half, only for it to get cut down just because of free throws; free throws by the way that shouldn't have even counted from Shaq's end since just like in Game 6, every time he took a free throw, he broke the rule about crossing the free throw line before the ball hits the rim. He did that throughout the series, and shockingly, it was the best free throw playoffs series he's ever had.

And of course, I don't even need to bring up Game 6, the biggest robbery in the history of sports.

So, yeah... obviously my answer is the 2001-2002 Sacramento Kings, the only team listed in this thread who got cheated out of a championship, rather than losing it fair and square.

 

[Big Sexy]

So, yeah... obviously my answer is the 2001-2002 Sacramento Kings, the only team listed in this thread who got cheated out of a championship, rather than losing it fair and square.

Wrong. The Kings may have been cheated by the refs but so were the 87-88 Pistons. You ask any coach, player, or ref to watch the phantom foul and they'll tell you that Laimbeer did not foul Kareem late in game 6. If that foul isn't called then the Pistons win that game which would have won the series and the title. Detroit was flat out robbed of a three peat and Isiah Thomas was robbed of what would have been an even more legendary game 6 had the Pistons not been screwed.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Wrong. The Kings may have been cheated by the refs but so were the 87-88 Pistons. You ask any coach, player, or ref to watch the phantom foul and they'll tell you that Laimbeer did not foul Kareem late in game 6. If that foul isn't called then the Pistons win that game which would have won the series and the title. Detroit was flat out robbed of a three peat and Isiah Thomas was robbed of what would have been an even more legendary game 6 had the Pistons not been screwed.

I didn't mention this team because I don't think they were at the caliber of the other teams we've listed, but if we're gonna start including teams that lost soley on being screwed by the refs (and arguably because of David Stern's hate for Mark Cuban) you have to include the 05-06 Dallas Mavericks. That game was 2 1/2 games of dominance by Dallas, then 3 1/2 of dominance by the refs. You can see the swing in game 3. Dallas was dominating them again and the refs turned it around and never stopped. I farted at one point during the game and got called for a foul on Dwayne Wade. So many terrible calls, not to mention the phantom call at the end of Game 5 I believe it was. I actually watched near the end of game 6 where Wade pushed a guy away from him with his forearm near the 3 point line and the defender got called for a foul. I don't even know how they would justify that one.

 

[Big Sexy]

I didn't mention this team because I don't think they were at the caliber of the other teams we've listed

Are you saying you don't think the 87-88 Pistons are on the caliber of the other teams? Because if you are that is the biggest bullshit statement that has been made in this thread. Nearly the exact same Piston team would go on to win back to back titles the next two years and it should have been a three peat because the Pistons in the 88 Finals were a better team then the Lakers and the refs just took the title away from them.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Are you saying you don't think the 87-88 Pistons are on the caliber of the other teams? Because if you are that is the biggest bullshit statement that has been made in this thread. Nearly the exact same Piston team would go on to win back to back titles the next two years and it should have been a three peat because the Pistons in the 88 Finals were a better team then the Lakers and the refs just took the title away from them.

Woah there. Not at all what I said. I was referring to the team that followed the statement you quoted: the 05-06 Mavericks. Sorry if the way I worded it was poor.