(Translator's note: The author of this article is Andy Bailey, a reporter from NBA. The views in the article do not represent the translator.)
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- discussion | BR review of historical teams TOP50 (41-50)
- discussion | BR review of historical teams TOP50 (31-40)
NBA (or BAA, originally called this name) can be traced back to the period of World War II, and it appeared in 1946.
That season, the Golden State Warriors won the championship under Joe Fox. He averaged 23.2 points per game with a shooting percentage of 30.5%, making him the best scorer in the league.
946, the sport of basketball has undergone great changes. Most of the teams and stars we mentioned below have promoted the progress of basketball to some extent. The most dominant team in every era has led a trend that has attracted other teams in the league - think about the league's reaction to the recent Golden State Warriors dynasty. The Warriors forced every team to pursue positionless basketball, pursue accurate shooting and fast-paced offense, and pursue shooting at the three-point line.
Other dynasty teams in history have the same influence.
Before we select the top 50 teams in history, let us explain our selection criteria first.
This selection is a very big project - but there is no way, and we have nothing else to do. Our selection criteria are very complex.
First of all, we counted the following data of all 1,507 teams in the history of the league:
- regular season playoff win rate
- simple regular season playoff evaluation system (combination of point difference and schedule intensity)
- regular season playoff relative offensive efficiency (team scores per 100 rounds minus league average score)
- regular season playoff relative defensive efficiency (team loses points per 100 rounds minus league average score)
- regular season playoff net winning points (team scores per 100 rounds minus league average score)
At the same time, the selected team must at least enter the finals of that year. This excludes some regular season strong teams, such as the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2008-09 season.
Last point: Cross-era comparison is inevitable, and no one knows how Wilt- Chamberlain and Bill Russell played in those eras. Therefore, when Guan Gong fights Qin Qiong, our choices are of course subjective in the choices of individual teams, but we have no choice.
Let's go, time machine
30.2001-02 season, Los Angeles Lakers
In the 2001-02 season, the OK combination won its third and last championship, and fell apart two years later. Obviously Kobe and O'Neal are the protagonists of this team, but it cannot be denied that they have received strong support from many role players in their championship journey.
Believe it or not, Robert Horry ranked second in the team in the playoffs BPM rankings, second only to O'Neal. This is thanks to his contribution on the defensive end and his 38.7% three-point shooting percentage, as well as his big heart attributes that he is more confident in the critical moment.
In addition, Rick Fox is also their key figure. During the playoffs, he averaged 9.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game. When he was on the court, the Lakers had 8.4 points in a hundred rounds, and when he was away, that number turned into -8.1.
Derek Fisher became the starting point guard of the Lakers team during the playoffs. (He gave up this position in 2003-04 and returned to the Lakers in 2007-08.) He averaged 10.2 points per game and repeatedly hit key three-pointers.
However, looking back, the Lakers' dominance ultimately depends on Kobe and O'Neal - the OK combination of the 2001-02 season is unstoppable.
The Lakers have entered the dynasty's "regular season load management period", but once the playoffs arrive, they show their fangs again. Together, they averaged 52.4 points, 16.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game.
Their stories are also wonderful enough, even controversial. The 2002 Western Conference Finals took place between the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings - NBA conspiracy theorists still miss this series.
Kings are the top seed of the West, entering Game 3 with a 2-1 lead and entering Game 6 with a 3-2 lead. But none of them could seize the opportunity to achieve it overnight.
's most classic match was in the fourth game of the series. With little time left, the Kings held a two-point lead. The game came to the last leg and the Lakers attacked. Divac successfully defended Kobe and O'Neal's attack. But while fighting for rebounds, Divac miserably pushed the ball into Horry's hands. Horry made a three-pointer very calmly, and the light went on, rewriting the big score to 2-2. (Video Touch Me)
The Lakers did not give the Kings another chance, and swept the Nets 4-0 in the finals to establish their dynasty.
29. In the 2011-12 season, Miami Heat
2011-12 season, the first championship team of LeBron , they played with the pain of losing the 2011 finals throughout the season and turned grief into strength. In the 21st century, the Heat ranked in the top ten in the playoff winning rate, relative offensive efficiency and net winning points. More importantly, they finally won a championship trophy. lost to the Mavericks in 2011, the Heat team will not lose any more. What makes them go further as a team is that they solve the problem of coexistence between Wade and LeBron.
In 2012, Wade explained his sacrifice to ESPN:
"In a sense, taking a step back is probably one of the hardest decisions I have made in basketball. Many people don't understand that. They will say, 'What are you doing?' But for me, I just want more wins. I'm tired of constantly scoring, and I just want to win now."
"I think some things have to be said by myself: 'Come on, brother. You are the best basketball player in the world, we will listen to you, be yourself.' When I said this, I could feel that he ( James ) seemed to be relieved."
averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and LeBron won the MVP this season. However, as a team with not a fast offensive pace, Wade and Bosh , as the team's second and third choices, have really shrunk in their personal data. But in fact, Wade ranked tenth in the MVP vote; Bosh was also selected as the All-Star.
011-12 season was also Bathir's first season in Miami. He didn't play a very important role in the regular season, but he started most of the playoffs, becoming the last puzzle in the small ball lineup. When LeBron, Battier, Bosh and Wade are all on the court, the Heat are able to achieve indiscriminate turnover positions on the defensive end. Due to the shrinking season, people often question the value of this championship. But few teams in history have had so many talented players, let alone a team that has both talent and chemistry.
28.1980-81 season, Boston Celtics
A year after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the playoffs, Larry Bird and the Celtics made a comeback in the 1980-81 season and finally dominated the league.
In the second season of his career, Bird averaged 21.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. But in fact, another Hall of Famer Robert Parish was the team leader in Boston that season. In 28 minutes of playing time, he scored 18.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.8 assists
In addition, rookie Kevin McHale should not be underestimated. He averaged 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game during his playing time of only 20.1 minutes per game.
However, the final FMVP of that season was neither Bird nor Parish, but Cedric Maxville. In six games against Houston Rockets in the Finals, Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 blocks, shooting 56.8% from the field.
This is somewhat similar to the situation in Iguodala in 2015. Stephen Curry and Bird are both players with the highest average score per game in the team, but they are not favored by the judges.
Boston coach Bill Feich said of Maxville's award winning: "I was surprised, I thought it would be Bird."
However, history has been written like that. Iguodala's defense is a key link in the 2015 Warriors' victory; without Maxville, the Celtics would not be able to deal with Moses Malone.
27.1964-65 season, Boston Celtics
Bill Russell and his Celtics ruled the league for decades. He won his first championship in 1957 and his last and 11th championship in 1969. It is difficult to choose one of these 11 teams. In the end, we selected the Celtics from the 1964-65 season as representatives of their peak.
In that season, Russell averaged 24.1 rebounds, 14.1 points and 5.3 assists per game, winning the regular season MVP for the fifth and last time. In addition, this season can be regarded as the peak of Sam Jones , leading the team with an average of 25.9 points per game. In addition, John Haflicek, Tom Heinthorne, Tom Sanders , Willy Naurs and KC Jones are all indispensable parts of this team.
Their playoff journey is also full of storyline and legendary.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics met Chamberlain and his Philadelphia 76ers . The legendary big man delivered a horror report card of 31.4 rebounds and 30.1 points per game. But in the end, he still had two fists and lost at the Celtics in 7 games.
This tiebreak battle will be remembered forever by history. With the last 5 seconds left, the Celtics led by a slight advantage of 110-109. Bill Russell's mistake allowed the Celtics to hand over the ball, and the Sixers had the opportunity to overtake.
Then, Hal Grell of the 76ers served on the sideline. At this time, Celtics' Haflicke successfully predicted Greer's serving route and directly pointed the ball into his teammate Sam Jones's hand. Then the 76ers didn't have time to foul. The time was over and the game ended, and the Celtics made it to the finals.
"Havlicek intercepted the ball! Havlicek intercepted the ball!" The commentator's excited voice seemed to be still lingering over the North Shore Garden Arena.
In the finals, the Celtics defeated their old rival Los Angeles Lakers again - this is perhaps the best Celtics of the Russell era.
26.2006-07 season, San Antonio Spurs
006-07 season can be regarded as the peak of the GDP combination. Duncan still maintained a stable state, averaging 20 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.4 blocks per game. Tony Parker averaged 18.6 points and 5.5 assists per game. Manu Ginobili averaged 16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 three-pointers per game, while leading the team in BPM.
Not only that, after the past decade of cooperation, they have found a tacit understanding like fish and water. In the regular season and the playoffs, when the GDP combination appeared together, the Spurs' net winning score reached 13.8 in 100 rounds.
In addition, Bruce Bowen is the defensive pioneer of the 1st team of the best defensive lineup, while maintaining a 38.4% three-point shooting percentage. Michael Finley averaged 9 points per game quietly. Brent Barry has the most slightest shot.
This is the typical Spurs style, with stars and role players fulfilling each other.
With the tacit understanding of the Big Three and the contribution of the role players, the Spurs easily won the championship with a record of 16 wins and 4 losses in the playoffs (including sweeping their opponents in the finals).
But just like the Lakers' performance in the 2001-02 playoffs, the Spurs' promotion path is not as calm as it is reflected in the data sheet.
in the Western Conference semi-finals faced Suns in the fourth game, Robert Horry hit Steve Nash with a "hockey-style" save. This brutal move angered Stoudemire on the Suns' bench and Boris Dior .They were furious and vowed to compete with Horry.
So the Suns' starting power forward and substitute power forward were both suspended for one game, missing the key G5. The Spurs easily won the last two games of the series and easily won the championship of the season.
They didn't have to win the game in this way. But history has been written like that.
25.1989-90 season, the Detroit Pistons
989-90 season achieved two consecutive championships, thanks to the leadership of Isaiah Thomas. Thomas's career playoff BPM ranks 16th in history. In the playoffs that year, he averaged 20.5 points, 8.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.
In the seventh game against Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, Thomas scored 21 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds. For the second consecutive year, he led the Pistons to block Michael Jordan in the playoffs, recognized as the best player in the league.
Of course, Thomas also has many effective helpers around him. Last season's FMVP Joe Dumas was also very good, averaging 17.8 points per game with a shooting percentage of 40.0%. James Edwards averaged 14.5 points per game, Mark Aguirre averaged 14.1 points per game, and Winnie Johnson on the bench averaged 9.8 points per game.
The biggest feature of this team is its strength. John Sally is an excellent franchise guard, contributing 1.9 blocks per game in 23.3 minutes of playing time. Dennis Rodman won the Defensive Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year. Bill Ranbill is a pioneer of the space-based big man and a thug for the Pistons. He averaged 12.1 points per game, made 2.0 three-pointers per game, and maintained a 36.1% shooting percentage.
24.1998-99 season, San Antonio Spurs
998-99 season was the era of the double towers, and Duncan and David Robinson may be the strongest frontcourt combination ever. They both have both offensive and defensive character and have a humble personality. In the second season of his career, Duncan averaged 21.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.4 assists, ranking third in the MVP voting.
Meanwhile, Robinson may have passed his peak, but he still contributed steadily 15.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.1 assists.
When both of them were on the court, the Spurs beat their opponents by 12.7 points per 100 rounds. In the high-intensity confrontation in the playoffs, this pair of inside teams often gets more courageous as they fight. In the playoffs, the two played at the same time reached a terrifying 19.3 net win.
However, things are not always smooth sailing. San Antonio Spurs started this season with a record of 6 wins and 8 losses. On the offensive end, their inside line seems very crowded. Things began to improve until Robinson chose to take the initiative to retreat to the secondary position.
Popovich said: "If he is a bastard, if he is not smart enough, if he can't take the initiative to sacrifice for the team, then my trouble will be great."
Robinson's selflessness seems to have infected Duncan, and he led the Spurs to continue writing his greatness in the 21st century with the same humility.
23.2008-09 season, Los Angeles Lakers
This is another position that may be a little incredible. How could the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008-09 season be better than every OK team led by Kobe and Gasol?
OK, don't worry, let's take a look.
First of all, they have a better Kobe. His 5.9 BPM this season is better than any year he has had during his three-game winning streak, with his 50.2% real shooting percentage tied for the third highest in his career (only behind his performances in the 2012-13 and 2007-08 seasons). What's more important is that Kobe performed better in the playoffs. In fact, the 2009 playoffs may have been the best year of Kobe's career.
averaged 30.2 points, 5.5 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. This is Kobe's basic data order. Additionally, he has made career-highest in both BPM and turnover rates. In the playoffs, when Kobe was on the court, the Lakers beat their opponents by 9.7 points in a hundred rounds; when Kobe was not there, that number became -2.7.
But this team is not just Kobe. Gasol, Ariza , Odom , Bynum and Fisher are all players who are very good at fighting tough battles. Players such as Vujasic and Jordan Famal have made timely contributions to the team in the playoffs. It is no exaggeration to say that this team is much stronger than the Lakers during the three consecutive championships.
From a mathematical perspective, Odom and Ariza are both very suitable players to play in this era. Odom is a No. 4 ball handler and organizer, while Ariza is a wing player who is not too many in the NBA team today - see how the Rockets lose after losing him.
They were dragged to Game 7 by the Rockets who lost , McGrady and , Yao Ming and in the second round of the playoffs to Game 7 - brother, I don't know why this is, but this cannot affect the greatness of this Lakers.
22.2007-08 season, Boston Celtics
Few super teams can be as seamless and just right as the Boston Celtics in the 2007-08 season. Their starting five tigers are almost synonymous with their respective positions in that era - point guard Rondo, shooting guard Ray Allen, small forward Paul Pierce , power forward Garnett , center Perkins .
In the offseason before the start of this season, a big drama actually took place in the Celtics.
went through a bad season, and the Celtics only drew a No. 5 draw, missing Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. At this time, the Celtic fans and Paul Pierce had little patience left. On June 28, 2007, the Celtics got Jeff Green in the draft, and then sent him, Wally Szebiak, Deronte- West and a second-round draft pick to the Seattle Supersonics in exchange for Ray Allen and Glen Davis . At this time, Ray Allen was 31 years old, averaging 26.4 points, 3.0 three-pointers, and shooting percentage was 37.2%.
is still more exciting. A month later, the Celtics spent a lot of money again and almost gave away half of the team. They exchanged Ryan Gomez, Gerald Green , Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Terfer and two first-round draft picks for Kevin Garnett . The 2003-04 MVP averaged 22.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 blocks last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Boston's record in the 2007-08 season was 66 wins and 16 losses. Of all teams in the 2000s, the Celtics ranked first with their simple scoring system, net score and relative defensive efficiency—what really sets this team apart was the last number, their defense.
When Garnett was on the court, Boston's opponents only scored 97.6 points per 100 rounds, with a real shooting rate as low as 45.0%. In the 2007-08 season, the league averages for these two figures were 107.5 and 49.7 respectively. On the other end of the court, when the Big Three appeared with young defender Rondo, they were able to score 112.5 points per hundred rounds.
They defeated the Lakers led by Kobe and Gasol 4-2 in the finals, winning the 17th championship trophy in team history.
21.1992-93 season, Chicago Bulls
The last season before Jordan headed to the baseball world, he averaged 32.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game.
Of course, this team has more than Jordan. Horace Grant averaged double-digit scores and also contributed a very versatile defense. BJ Armstrong was one of the most threatening three-point shooters of the time. Pippen has just been selected for the All-Star lineup for the fourth time.
Ultimately, the biggest difference between the Chicago Bulls and other teams is that they have Jordan, others don’t. Jordan was angry in the 1992-93 season because his MVP was snatched away by Charles- Barkley .
Jordan said in ESPN's Last Dance: "I didn't get the MVP that year, they gave it to Charles Barkley, and I was a little frustrated.But then again, okay, I'll give it to you, I'm going to take away the championship. ”
In the playoffs, Jordan averaged 35.1 points and 6.0 assists, and at the same time, his shooting percentage reached 38.9%, hitting 28 three-pointers that hit a career-high in the playoffs.
In 6 games, the Bulls defeated the Suns led by Barkley without any blood. You have to understand that Jordan never speaks big talk.
To be continued...
Translator: Baccarat
Author: Andy Bailey
