Which is the best NBA team to never win a ring?

[jerry springer]

Ive been watching the NFL and its superbowl teams series and it also shows a few teams who went very close i.e Buffalo who lost 4 superbowls from 1990 to 94 and there is also the case of the pats who went undefeated only to lose the superbowl in 2007.

So my question is.

Which is the best NBA team to never win a ring? Was it Seattle(or San Antonio) in 95? Utah in 98? Phoenix in 93? Portland in 1990 or 2000? Sacramento in 2001? Or is there any other past teams which hold higher merits?

Nominate your team,its line-up and its record and explain why it was the best team to never win a ring.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Gotta go with either Portland 1989-92 or Sacramento 2001-03.

Portland posted 59, 63, and 57 wins over those three seasons. They lost the '90 Finals to the Pistons, the '92 Finals to the Bulls and fell in the Western Conference Finals to the Lakers in '91.

The Blazers had Terry Porter, Clyde Drexler, Jerome Kersey, Buck Williams and Kevin Duckworth starting for them in those years with Cliff Robinson, Danny Ainge, Drazen Petrovic (briefly), Robert Pack and Mark Bryant coming off the bench.

That team played some MEAN defense- Drexler, Kersey and Robinson were unbelievably long and athletic and Williams was a beast inside. Their '91 team ranked #2 offensively in the NBA and #3 defensively, so they got it done at both ends.

If they'd been able to bring Sabonis over at that point, it would have been game over- Duckworth was their weakest link.

****

I'd probably have to go with the 2002 Kings though, as they were the best team that year and ought to have won the championship.

Mike Bibby (was a huge upgrade for them at PG) Doug Christie, Peja Stojakovic, Chris Webber and Vlade Divac started for them, with Bobby Jackson, Hedo Turkoglu, Scot Pollard, Lawrence Funderburke and Gerald Wallace in reserve.

They went 61-21 in 2002, even with Webber missing a third of the season. They ranked #3 offensively and #6 defensively (contrary to popular perception they were a tough defensive team). Ridiculously good passing team.

In the playoffs they won twice in Utah, twice in Dallas and gave the Lakers fits at the Staples Center in the WCF. What happened in that series probably doesn't require further explanation.

Their 2003 team was probably even more loaded, as they added Keon Clark and Jim Jackson without losing anyone. They went 59-23 despite a plethora of injuries. Losing C-Webb early in the Dallas series killed them that year.

 

[fidstar]

Utah 96-97 and 97-98 team. Won 64 and 62 games in back to back seasons. Unlucky to run into the Bulls.

 

[peternorth]

2004 Lakers.

4 hall of famers joined forces and sacrificed their own games to reach a common goal - the holy grail.

but the season never really got off the ground. payton complained about a lack of shots, i think shaq was overweight and unfit. kobe was kobe. then malone, who NEVER got injured, got injured. chemistry became an issue and was demonstrated in the finals against a well oiled piston outfit. the pistons fired on all cylinders as if they were a well lubricated machine running on premium unleaded fuel.

i've always felt this was an opportunity missed. malone is one of my favourite players of ALL TIME and payton was supposed to be the ball hawk. but it never eventuated.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2004.html

C: Shaq, Sampson (not Ralph)
PF: Malone, Horace Grant, Stanislav Medvadenko, Cook (stretch 4)
SF: Fox, George, Russell (not Bill), Udoka (aka the Hotstepper), Walton
SG: Kobe, Rush
PG: Payton, Fisher

 

[peternorth]

Any Utah team that ran into the Bulls with MJ. Seriously great teams with players who bought into the system and team ethos. I mean, look at the players - stockton, hornacek, foster, ostertag, adam keefe. how does this group of whiteys challenge the bulls?

 

[ioppolo]

2002/2003 Kings...will always have a soft spot for them.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Any Utah team that ran into the Bulls with MJ. Seriously great teams with players who bought into the system and team ethos. I mean, look at the players - stockton, hornacek, foster, ostertag, adam keefe. how does this group of whiteys challenge the bulls?

Stockton (obviously) and Hornacek were proper ballers though!

Put them on the same team as Malone and you're going to rank top-5 offensively every year, ultra-efficient.

Bryon Russell was underrated too, suffered from Ehlo syndrome really.

 

[boomering]

No doubt the Sacramento Kings teams were just beautiful teams to watch. They got screwed in Game 6. Check out youtube- The Greatest tragedy in sports. A great doco about how the kings were robbed

 

[Burningleviathan]

Utah 96-97 and 97-98 team. Won 64 and 62 games in back to back seasons. Unlucky to run into the Bulls.

They were lucky to get past the Rox in '97-98 (I think) Barkley, Hakeem, Clyde. We lost our point guard early in the year and Stockton took the replacement to pieces, Also hit the game winner in the WCF, the bastard.

 

[jerry springer]

im going to go with 95-96 Seattle Supersonics

C-Earvin Johnson
PF Kemp
SF -Detlepf Schrempf
SG - Hawkins
PG - Payton

Bench

Perkins
McMillian
Askew
Snow

Coach G. Karl.

Record: 64-18, Finished 1st in NBA Pacific Division,They beat Sactown,Houston and Utah before they ran into the 72-10 Bulls and we know how good they were.They didnt disgrace themselves though and went down 4-2 in the finals. From memory George Karl made some strange decisions with his line-up in the finals( playing Frank Brickowski on Rodman)

 

[fidstar]

They were lucky to get past the Rox in '97-98 (I think) Barkley, Hakeem, Clyde. We lost our point guard early in the year and Stockton took the replacement to pieces, Also hit the game winner in the WCF, the bastard.

True, but Houston was a great team (look at those names). Utah then only lost 1 game in the next two rounds (which included the Spurs and the Lakers)

 

[Son of Skeletor]

True, but Houston was a great team (look at those names). Utah then only lost 1 game in the next two rounds (which included the Spurs and the Lakers)

My only argument with Utah's '98 team was that they had the Bulls dead to rights in Game 6 and couldn't put them away.

 

[PP34]

I'd say one of Jerry West's Laker teams that went down to the Celtics.

 

[peternorth]

im going to go with 95-96 Seattle Supersonics

C-Earvin Johnson
PF Kemp
SF -Detlepf Schrempf
SG - Hawkins
PG - Payton

Bench

Perkins
McMillian
Askew
Snow

Coach G. Karl.

Record: 64-18, Finished 1st in NBA Pacific Division,They beat Sactown,Houston and Utah before they ran into the 72-10 Bulls and we know how good they were.They didnt disgrace themselves though and went down 4-2 in the finals. From memory George Karl made some strange decisions with his line-up in the finals( playing Frank Brickowski on Rodman)

i also believe rodman told longley to man the fk up and be aggressive.

 

[Damon_3388]

If they'd been able to bring Sabonis over at that point, it would have been game over- Duckworth was their weakest link.

And he was a two-time All-Star too.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

And he was a two-time All-Star too.

He was, though with all due respect to the deceased, God knows why.

The list of players better than him never selected to be an All-Star would be lengthy- his own teammate Kersey for starters.

 

[The Casey Cat]

im going to go with 95-96 Seattle Supersonics

C-Earvin Johnson
PF Kemp
SF -Detlepf Schrempf
SG - Hawkins
PG - Payton

Bench

Perkins
McMillian
Askew
Snow

Coach G. Karl.

Record: 64-18, Finished 1st in NBA Pacific Division,They beat Sactown,Houston and Utah before they ran into the 72-10 Bulls and we know how good they were.They didnt disgrace themselves though and went down 4-2 in the finals. From memory George Karl made some strange decisions with his line-up in the finals( playing Frank Brickowski on Rodman)

Can't believe it was so many posts before they were mentioned. Had a remarkable stretch of seasons from 92-98 winning 55,63,57,64,57 and 61 games. ####ed up majorly in 94 that was their chance looking back with Jordan out.

 

[jerry springer]

there must be a eastern Conference nomination somewhere?

 

[peternorth]

there must be a eastern Conference nomination somewhere?

knicks 2012-13

 

[The Casey Cat]

there must be a eastern Conference nomination somewhere?

Knicks of the early 90s were pretty good as were the mid 90s Magic. Indiana were probably a little unlucky the Pistons got Sheed in 04 and seemed to be steaming toward a title in early 04/05 until the brawl.

 

[PP34]

What about the 2007 Mavs?

That team was damn good and then they choked.

 

[The Casey Cat]

What about the 2007 Mavs?

That team was damn good and then they choked.

Got their ring eventually.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

there must be a eastern Conference nomination somewhere?

Off the top of my head- '92-'94 Knicks, '94-'96 Magic (lack of bench hurt them), '97-'99 Pacers.

Orlando got hammered by Houston and Chicago (although did Grant get hurt?), which hurts their argument.

I reckon the '94 Knicks with Derek Harper looked better on paper, but the '93 Knicks seemed to play at a higher level.

Late 90s Pacers were the strongest, mainly b/c Bernie Bickerstaff gifted them Jalen Rose and Chris Mullin (indirectly). Had they not traded Antonio Davis for Jonathan Bender in '99 I reckon they could have beaten the Lakers in the 2000 Finals.

The 21st century has been light on for worthy candidates in the East- 2003 Nets? Maybe 2011 Bulls.

What about the 2007 Mavs?

That team was damn good and then they choked.

When they choke in the first round, it kinda makes it tough to consider them.. ditto '94 Sonics.

 

[Primetime Pricey]

Our 90's team was really good. unfortunately we were in the Jordan era otherwise we could have won a few. Def the 2nd beat in the East during that time

 

[peternorth]

Our 90's team was really good. unfortunately we were in the Jordan era otherwise we could have won a few. Def the 2nd beat in the East during that time

you had a fun team in the year spurs beat youse. sprewell, houston, LJ.