50 most dominant teams in NBA history

38 min readSep 23, 2017

The Golden State Warriors got me (and a lot of people) thinking about where their 2016 season ranks against other great teams. So, I did what any normal person would do: I looked at the last 67 NBA seasons ‐ from 1950 to 2017 ‐ to try to figure out where the 2016 Warriors season fits. We took the data and ran it through our Elo rating system in order to compare teams across different seasons. By the way, thanks basketball-reference.com!

Why Elo?

Before getting into why, it’s probably helpful to at least mention how the Elo rating system works. An Elo ratings system distills a team’s performance to a single score ‐ the higher the score, the better. A team’s performance is converted to a score by first calculating the probability of Team A beating Team B and then increasing Team A’s score if it beats Team B, or decreasing Team A’s score if it loses to Team B. The probability calculation is where the magic happens. If Team A is heavily favored to beat Team B, Team A’s score is not going to improve a lot if it wins; however, if Team A is heavily favored to beat Team B and Team A loses, Team A’s score is going to decrease a lot. Totally clear, I know. The easiest way to think about Elo ratings is: you get rewarded for beating good teams, punished for losing to bad teams, and your score only changes marginally if you win (lose) games where you are the favorite (underdog). The best part about an Elo ratings system is the fact that it doesn’t treat all wins and losses the same ‐ it looks at the quality of the wins and losses (is there such a thing as a quality loss?) This fact makes it perfect to compare Golden State’s 73‐9 record to Chicago’s 72‐10 record because it looks at the quality of the opponents each team faced, and converts this quality assessment to a number. Enough about methodology and why it makes sense, and on to what I learned.

The West is better than the East, right?

Looking at the list of 50 teams, there is a fairly even split between teams from the Eastern Conference vs teams from the Western Conference ‐ 27 of the 50 teams (54%) are from the West and 23 of 50 (46%) are from the East. But the West has been more dominant recently, right? Great question and not entirely. The West has 9 teams from the last 10 years (2008 ) in the top 50, while the East has 7 teams from the last 10 years in the top 50. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the West, as a whole, hasn’t been better than the East (we can tackle that question another day), but it does mean that the East has produced about the same number of dominant teams as the West over the last 10 years.

Lakers haters may want to skip this part

Ten Lakers teams are in the top 50 (11 if you include the Minneapolis Lakers.) The next closest franchise to the Lakers is the San Antonio Spurs with 7, followed by the Chicago Bulls with 6 entries, and the Boston Celtics with 5 entries in the top 50. Overall, only 17 franchises are represented in the top 50 (16 if you lump together some franchises that have moved).

Were old timey teams really bad?

We’ve all seen the grainy footage: games from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and it looks bad (they didn’t even shoot 3's!) Here’s what our analysis shows: each decade, dating back to 1950, is represented with at least one team in the top 50, but there is a recency bias. Teams from 1990 forward account for 36 of the top 50 teams. Does that mean modern teams are better? Not necessarily; the more likely reason for the recency bias is the NBA’s expanded schedule. In 1950, the Minneapolis Lakers played 81 games (regular season playoffs), while the Golden State Warriors played 99 games (regular season playoffs) in 2017. The 18 additional games might seem like a small difference, but it’s not: the ’17 Golden State Warriors improved their Elo rating by more than 6% over those additional 18 games. A win improves a team’s rating under the Elo ratings system so more games are going to lead to more wins and higher ratings for good teams. Clear? Cool. Now for the breakdown of top 50 teams by decade:

1950 to 1959: 1 team
1960 to 1969: 1 team
1970 to 1979: 3 teams
1980 to 1989: 9 teams
1990 to 1999: 12 teams
2000 to 2009: 12 teams
2010 to 2017: 12 teams

The rankings

50. San Antonio Spurs (2013)

Biggest win: at home to Memphis Grizzlies on May 19, 2013 (42.01% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Minnesota Timberwolves on Mar 12, 2013 (86.85% win probability)
Led by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and a young Kawhi Leonard, the 2013 edition of the Spurs finished 2nd in the Western Conference and lost in 7 games to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals (the first time the Spurs NBA Finals loss for the Spurs).

49. Boston Celtics (1982)

Biggest win: at home to Milwaukee Bucks on Feb 28, 1982 (42.15% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Chicago Bulls on Apr 13, 1982 (87.99% win probability)
The 1982 Boston Celtics finished the season with the best record in the NBA and were beaten by the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games in the Eastern Conference Finals. The team’s leading scorer, Larry Bird, garnered All-NBA First team honors.

48. Houston Rocket (1995)

Biggest win: at home to Utah Jazz on Apr 29, 1995 (23.61% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Los Angeles Clippers on Feb 09, 1995 (86.59% win probability)
Led by the dynamic pick and roll duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone, the 1995 Utah Jazz finished with the 2nd best record in the NBA. Despite the impressive regular season and going up 2–1 on the 6th seeded Houston Rockets, the Utah Jazz crashed and burned in the playoffs, losing to the Rockets in the first round.

47. Sacramento Kings (2002)

Biggest win: at home to Los Angeles Lakers on Dec 07, 2001 (38.96% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to New York Knicks on Mar 14, 2002 (81.27% win probability)
Based on recent editions of the Kings, it’s hard to believe they were ever actually good, but it’s true: the 2002 Sacramento Kings finished with the best record in the NBA! Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic, and Mike Bibby led the Kings to the Western Conference Finals where they went up 3–2 on the Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings ended up losing in 7 to the Lakers, in one of the best, and most controversial, NBA playoff series’ ever. In 2008, disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy alleged that the NBA, through 2 of the game referees, extended the series to a game 7 (the Lakers shot 18 more free throws than the Kings during game 6).

46. Boston Celtics (1973)

Biggest win: at home to Los Angeles Lakers on Feb 07, 1973 (37.2% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Atlanta Hawks on Apr 06, 1973 (80.47% win probability)
The 1973 Boston Celtics finished first in the NBA and set the franchise mark for best record. League MVP Dave Cowens led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the Celtics lost in 7 games to the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks.

45. Orlando Magic (2010)

Biggest win: at home to Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb 21, 2010 (34.42% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Indiana Pacers on Jan 05, 2010 (81.27% win probability)
Led by All-NBA First teamer Dwight Howard, the 2010 Orlando Magic finished with the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference and ended up losing to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

44. Cleveland Cavaliers (2009)

Biggest win: at home to Dallas Mavericks on Nov 03, 2008 (50% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Washington Wizards on Apr 02, 2009 (94.65% win probability)
On his way to winning his first MVP award, LeBron James led the Cavaliers to a franchise best regular season. The Cavs were defeated by the Dwight Howard-led Orlando Magic in the Easter Conference Finals.

43. Cleveland Cavaliers (2015)

Biggest win: at home to Los Angeles Clippers on Jan 16, 2015 (30.39% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Detroit Pistons on Dec 28, 2014 (78.31% win probability)
LeBron’s first season back with the Cavs after taking his talents to South Beach was a successful one. The Cavs finished with the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference and went to the playoffs for the first time since LeBron left the team following the 2010 season. The Big 3 of LeBron, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

42. Miami Heat (2012)

Biggest win: at home to Oklahoma City Thunder on Jun 14, 2012 (35.86% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Washington Wizards on Apr 21, 2012 (85.98% win probability)
The second year of the Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh saw the Heat finish with the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference and an NBA title, after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 4 games to 1. The 2012 NBA season was shortened to 66 games due to a lockout.

41. Philadelphia 76ers (1967)

Biggest win: at home to Boston Celtics on Oct 29, 1966 (49.28% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Baltimore Bullets on Feb 11, 1967 (90.07% win probability)
The Wilt Chamberlain-led Philadelphia 76ers finished with the best record in the NBA and beat the San Francisco Warriors in the NBA Finals. In 1980, this team was chosen as the greatest individual team as part of the NBA’s 35th anniversary celebration.

40. San Antonio Spurs (2005)

Biggest win: at home to Denver Nuggets on Apr 27, 2005 (37.46% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Utah Jazz on Jan 10, 2005 (87.69% win probability)
Led by Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli, who made his first All Star appearance in the 2005 season, the Spurs finished the regular season with the 2nd best record in the West. The Spurs upset Steve Nash’s top seeded Phoenix Suns on their way to winning the franchise’s third NBA Championship.

39. Los Angeles Lakers (2008)

Biggest win: at home to New Orleans Hornets on Apr 11, 2008 (39.65% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Memphis Grizzlies on Mar 28, 2008 (85.77% win probability)
The 2008 Lakers finished with the regular season with the best record in the West and their 57 regular season wins represented a 15 win improvement from the prior season. The driving forces behind the turnaround were Kobe Byrant’s play — worthy of his first NBA MVP Award — and a February trade, featuring the Gasol brothers, that landed the team Pau Gasol. The Lakers swept the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs (the only 2008 playoff series to end in a sweep), beat the Utah Jazz in 6 games in the second round, and beat the San Antonio Spurs in 5 games in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers faced the East’s top seeded Boston Celtics and Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, who proved to be too much for the Lakers; winning the series and NBA Championship in 6 games.

38. Detroit Pistons (2004)

Biggest win: at home to Indiana Pacers on May 24, 2004 (37.46% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Toronto Raptors on Apr 13, 2004 (86.79% win probability)
About the only thing the Detroit Pistons did wrong this season was passing on Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade to take Darko Milicic with the 2nd pick in the draft. Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, the always grumpy Rasheed Wallace, and crew finished the regular season with the 3rd best record in the Eastern Conference. The playoffs were a bit of a struggle — the Pistons beat Milwaukee in 5 in the 1st round, then came back from 3–2 down to beat the Nets in the 2nd round, and beat the Pacers in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals — until the NBA Finals where something clicked for the Pistons on their way to defeating the top seeded and heavily favoured Lakers in 5 games.

37. Boston Celtics (2008)

Biggest win: at home to Los Angeles Lakers on Jun 05, 2008 (38.41% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Charlotte Bobcats on Jan 09, 2008 (87.56% win probability)
After finishing the 2007 season with a record of 24–58, the 2008 edition completed the greatest turnaround in NBA history, going 66–16 in the regular season and finishing with the best record in the NBA. NBA Executive of the Year — probably the least controversial award in NBA history — orchestrated the turnaround by trading Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and the 5th overall pick in the draft, for Ray Allen and a 2nd rounder. This trade seemed to change Kevin Garnett’s mind about the Celtics — Garnett vetoed a deal to the Celtics earlier in the offseason — and, with the permission of the Timberwolves, Ainge negotiated a five year extension with Garnett — the NBA’s first extend and trade deal. Ainge then pulled off the trade by sending Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, a couple of 1st rounders, and other pieces to the Timberwolves, in exchange for Garnett, a 1st round pick, and a couple of other players. The Big 3 was born. They ripped through the regular season and made their way to the playoffs as the top seed. After being pushed to 7 games by the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1st round and Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Celtics beat the Pistons in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals, setting up a Lakers vs. Celtics NBA Finals for the 1lth time in NBA history. The Celtics won their 17th NBA Championship, beating the Lakers in 6 games. Despite a relatively easy regular season, the playoffs were anything but easy; the Celtics played 26 postseason games, the most in NBA history.

36. Boston Celtics (1981)

Biggest win: at home to Milwaukee Bucks on Dec 09, 1980 (43.99% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Utah Jazz on Feb 13, 1981 (89.16% win probability)
The Celtics entered the 1981 season having added two cornerstones to the franchise — trading two 1st round picks to the Golden State Warriors for future Hall of Famers, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. The 1st round picks turned out to be Joe Barry Carroll (NBA All-Rookie First Team in ’81 and NBA All Star in ’87) and Rickey Brown (played 340 career NBA games before heading to Europe) so it’s probably safe to say that the Celtics won that trade. Adding Robert Parish and Kevin McHale to Larry Bird (2 years after he was drafted), Cedric Maxwell, and Tiny Archibald was a great move for the present and future of the team: the Celtics finished the 1981 regular season with the best record in the NBA and rolled through the playoffs (with a minor hiccup miraculous comeback against the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals) to win the NBA Championship. Bird, McHale and Parish made it to 7 Eastern Conference Finals, 5 NBA Finals, and won 3 NBA Championships together with the Celtics.

35. Seattle SuperSonics (1996)

Biggest win: at home to Chicago Bulls on Jun 12, 1996 (27.78% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Denver Nuggets on Apr 21, 1996 (89.54% win probability)
Younger NBA fans probably have no idea what a ‘Seattle SuperSonic’ is and probably don’t know who ‘The Reign Man’ or ‘The Glove’ are. Yes, there was an NBA team in Seattle — Kevin Durant even played for them before they moved to Oklahoma City — and ‘The Reign Man’ was a pretty good basketball player named Shawn Kemp, while the glove was also a decent basketball player and legendary trash talker named Gary Payton. True to his nickname, Gary Payton won NBA Defensive Player of the Year honours and Shawn Kemp earned an All Star selection while leading the SuperSonics to their best record in franchise history and the top seed in the Western Conference. The SuperSonics beat the Sacramento Kings 3–1 in the first round of the playoffs (the first round of the playoffs was a best of five in those days), swept the reigning champion Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Semifinals, and downed the Utah Jazz in 7 games in the Western Conference Finals. Unfortunately, the 1996 SuperSonics suffered from poor timing as, over in the Eastern Conference, Micheal Jordan and the Chicago Bulls put together a 72–10 regular season and buzzed through the playoffs — only losing 1 game on their way to the NBA Finals. His Airness and the Bulls proved to be too much for the SuperSonics who dropped the NBA Finals in 6 games. You have to wonder if an NBA Championship might have kept the SuperSonics in Seattle?

34. Los Angeles Lakers (1982)

Biggest win: at home to Portland Trail Blazers on Nov 13, 1981 (37.87% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Kansas City Kings on Feb 10, 1982 (80.92% win probability)
An altercation between Magic Johnson and coach, Paul Westhead, followed by Magic Johnson demanding a trade and Westhead getting fired on November 19th. Not a great start to the season. Somehow, though, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, and first year head coach, Pat Riley, made it work. The Lakers went on to finish first in the Western Conference and then made the playoffs look easy — sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Semifinals, followed by a sweep of the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals before clinching the franchise’s 8th NBA Championship by dropping the 76ers in 6 games.

33. San Antonio Spurs (2012)

Biggest win: at home to Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb 04, 2012 (40.34% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Utah Jazz on Apr 09, 2012 (75.66% win probability)
The 2012 San Antonio Spurs made the top 50 list, despite the lockout shortened season. Led by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili (with contributions from rooking Kawhi Leonard), the Spurs finished the regular season on a 10 game win streak. The team pushed that win streak to 20 by sweeping the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, followed by a sweep of the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Semifinals and two straight wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Up 2–0 on the Thunder, the Spurs promptly lost the next 4 and bowed out of the playoffs. The 20 game win streak was the 4th in NBA history and the only 20 gamer to extend into the playoffs.

32. Detroit Pistons (1990)

Biggest win: at home to Indiana Pacers on Dec 09, 1989 (42.71% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Atlanta Hawks on Feb 23, 1990 (86.79% win probability)
The defending champion Detroit Pistons just kept on rolling. Led by Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Dennis Rodman (NBA Defensive Player of the Year), the Pistons finished 1st in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons buzzsaw didn’t slow down in the playoffs: sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, followed by a 5 game win against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, before dropping the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. Even though the Pistons won in 5 games, the Portland Trail Blazers put up a good fight, but were unable to stop the Pistons from winning back-to-back NBA Championships. Hopefully, Detroit-area fans got their fill with the Pistons winning back-to-back NBA Championships and making 3 straight NBA Finals because they would need to wait until 2004 before seeing the Pistons back in the NBA Finals.

31. Los Angeles Lakers (2000)

Biggest win: at home to Portland Trail Blazers on Dec 03, 1999 (45.69% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Washington Wizards on Mar 16, 2000 (91% win probability)
Why wouldn’t prime Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Phil Jackson be successful? The Lakers finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA, Shaq was 1 vote shy of being the unanimous choice for NBA MVP, and Kobe Bryant was name to the All-NBA Defensive First Team. Despite the regular season success, a sneaky good Sacramento Kings team pushed the Lakers to the limit in the first round of the playoffs. The Lakers righted the ship: beating the Phoenix Suns in 5 games in the Western Conference Semifinals; defeating the Scottie Pippen-led Portland Trail Blazers (weird, I know) in 6 games in the Western Conference Finals; and dropping the Indiana Pacers in 6 games to win the franchise’s 12th NBA Championship and first since 1988.

30. Milwaukee Bucks (1971)

Biggest win: at home to Baltimore Bullets on Oct 24, 1970 (43.7% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Portland Trail Blazers on Feb 02, 1971 (91.33% win probability)
The Milwaukee Bucks benefited from a soured relationship between Oscar Robertson and the Cincinnati Royals — picking Robertson up in a trade prior to the start of the season. Paired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (known as Lew Alcindor at the time), the Big O helped the Milwaukee Bucks to a franchise record 66 wins in the regular season, earning the team the top seed in the Western Conference. The team also set an NBA record with a 20 game win streak, which still ranks as the 5th longest winning streak in NBA history. In the playoffs, the Bucks only dropped 2 games on their way to winning the franchise’s first, and only, NBA Championship. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the scoring title, NBA MVP, and NBA Finals MVP in only his 2nd year in the league.

29. Cleveland Cavaliers (2016)

Biggest win: at home to Golden State Warriors on Jun 08, 2016 (30.88% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Brooklyn Nets on Mar 24, 2016 (87.87% win probability)
The Cavs raced out to the best record in the East (30–11) and then fired head coach David Blatt on January 22, 2016. The coaching change did not look like a great decision, as Cleveland went 27–15 for the remainder of the regular season, under new coach Tyronn Lue. The Cavs looked much better in the playoffs; sweeping the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks, followed by a 6 game victory over the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals. The defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors were waiting for the Cavs in the NBA Finals — a rematch of the 2015 NBA Finals. After jumping out to 2 games to none and 3 games to 1 leads, it looked like the Warriors were a lock to repeat — no team had ever overcome a 3–1 deficit in the NBA Finals. The momentum turned in game 4 when LeBron James stepped over Draymond Green — after the two got tangled up — and Green broke guy code by hitting James in the groin. The league handed Green a flagrant 1 foul after the game, which meant that Green would miss game 5. The Warriors didn’t look the same in games 5 through 7 and the Cavs rewrote the history books, becoming the first team to overcome a 3–1 deficit in the NBA Finals. This was the first and only NBA Championship for the Cavaliers and was also the championship for a major pro sports Cleveland team in 52 years.

28. San Antonio Spurs (2014)

Biggest win: at home to Miami Heat on Mar 06, 2014 (46.27% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Los Angeles Lakers on Apr 16, 2014 (90.32% win probability)
Another Popovich coached Spurs team in the top 50. This edition of the Spurs was coming off their first NBA Finals loss (to the Miami Heat) and they played like a team on a mission: the Spurs finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA and only lost 1 home game prior to the NBA Finals. The Spurs got their opportunity to avenge their only NBA Finals loss against the Miami Heat and the Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. It wasn’t even close. The Spurs blew out the Heat in each of their 4 wins and outscored by Heat by 14 points per game — the largest margin in NBA Finals history. The deciding game 5 was also the last game that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh played together, begging the question: did the Spurs break up the Big 3?

27. Los Angeles Lakers (1987)

Biggest win: at home to Boston Celtics on Feb 15, 1987 (42.43% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to San Antonio Spurs on Apr 17, 1987 (91.14% win probability)
Magic Johnson was one of many former players to take a swipe at the current edition of the Golden State Warriors, saying that the Showtime Lakers would probably sweep the Golden State Warriors. Bad news, Magic: the 2015 and 2017 Warriors rank higher on this list than any Showtime Lakers team. Having said that, though, it’s easy to see why Magic remembers his Showtime Lakers so fondly. The 1987 Los Angeles Lakers starting 5 looks more like an all star team than a real team’s lineup. With 3 of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History — Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy — the 1987 edition of the Lakers was a tough matchup for the rest of the NBA. The Lakers finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA, only lost 1 game on the way to the NBA Finals, and defeated the Boston Celtics — a team also boasting 3 of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History — in 6 games to win the NBA Championship.

26. Golden State Warriors (2016)

Biggest win: at home to San Antonio Spurs on Apr 07, 2016 (47.7% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Los Angeles Lakers on Mar 06, 2016 (95.72% win probability)
The team that kind of started this exercise is, surprisingly, not even in the top 20. How could a team that owns the best regular season record in NBA history and was 1 win away from winning an NBA Championship not finish in the top 10 of the best teams of all time?Before the NBA Finals started, the Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t have a high enough rating to qualify for this top 50 list; despite getting to play most of their games against poor Eastern Conference competition (cough The Process cough) they had a poor regular season record. As a result, Golden State was heavily favoured — our Elo rating system shows the Warriors with an expected win probability of 63% and, if the season ended before the NBA Finals started, the Warriors would have been ranked 8th on our list. After going up 3–1, the Warriors then proceeded to become the first team in NBA history to lose an NBA Finals after being up 3–1; a historic collapse that justifiably tanked the Warriors’ Elo rating and ranking. It makes sense from a basketball/real world perspective: it’s tough to call a team one of the top 5 of all time when they blow a 3–1 lead to an inferior team.

25. Utah Jazz (1997)

Biggest win: at home to Miami Heat on Jan 04, 1997 (38.69% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Dallas Mavericks on Feb 01, 1997 (81.19% win probability)
Is the Karl Malone and John Stockton partnership to never win an NBA Championship? Our Elo rating system seems to think so, as 2 Karl Malone and John Stockton Utah Jazz teams made our top 50 list. The 1997 Utah Jazz finished the regular season with the best record in the Western Conference and Karl Malone won the NBA MVP Award. The party continued in the playoffs as the Jazz: swept the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs; and defeated the Lakers in 5 games in the Western Conference Semifinals. A 3 point buzzer beater from John Stockton in the dying seconds of game 6 against the Houston Rockets sent the Utah Jazz to their first NBA Finals ever. You know how it ended because we already mentioned Karl Malone and John Stockton not winning an NBA Championship, but we will mention that Michael Jordan hung the Flu Game on the Jazz in game 5 of the Finals. Despite suffering from a stomach virus and being too weak to play (according to the Bulls’ trainer), Jordan scored 38 points and led the Bulls to a series changing victory.

24. San Antonio Spurs (2003)

Biggest win: at home to Dallas Mavericks on Dec 11, 2002 (28.83% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Phoenix Suns on Mar 04, 2003 (81.36% win probability)
In David Robinson’s final season before retiring, the 2003 San Antonio Spurs finished with the best record in the NBA (tiebreaker with the Dallas Mavericks). Led by NBA MVP Tim Duncan, the Spurs were taken to 6 games by the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, Western Conference Semifinals, and Western Conference Finals, respectively. Just to maintain the symmetry, the Spurs defeated the New Jersey Nets in 6 games to win the franchise’s 2nd NBA Championship.

23. Miami Heat (2013)

Biggest win: at home to Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec 25, 2012 (42.85% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Detroit Pistons on Dec 28, 2012 (81.79% win probability)
The Big 3 and the Miami Heat entered the 2013 season as defending NBA Champions. On their way to becoming Eastern Conference champs for the 3 straight year — the first 3-peat since Michael Jordan’s Bulls accomplished the feat in 1998 — the Heat: rattled off a 27 game win streak (3rd longest in a single season in NBA history); and became the first team to win 17 games in a month. The Heat also cruised through most of the playoffs — only losing 1 game before being taken to 7 games by the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs featured 4 former NBA Finals MVPs — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker. The Heat handed the Spurs their first NBA Finals defeat, beating the Spurs in 7 games to win back-to-back NBA Championships.

22. Utah Jazz (1998)

Biggest win: at home to Seattle SuperSonics on Nov 14, 1997 (40.2% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Los Angeles Clippers on Feb 03, 1998 (87.43% win probability)
Another really good Utah Jazz team — led by Karl Malone and John Stockton — that was unfortunate to play in the same era as Michael Jordan. The Jazz finished with the best record in the Western Conference, had a little trouble against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, defeated the San Antonio Spurs in 5 games in the Western Conference Semifinals, before sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Unfortunately, their efforts were rewarded with a rematch against the Bulls in the NBA Finals. Just like the previous year, the Bulls beat the Jazz in 6 games on their way to winning a 3rd consecutive NBA Championship.

21. Chicago Bulls (1993)

Biggest win: at home to New York Knicks on May 29, 1993 (39.65% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Milwaukee Bucks on Apr 06, 1993 (85.63% win probability)
The Chicago Bulls entered the season having won back-to-back NBA Championships. A decent regular season left the Bulls as the number 2 seed in the Eastern Conference — the Knicks were the number 1 seed. The Bulls had an easy time in the playoffs — sweeping the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers — before meeting the top seed New York Knicks. After losing the first two games to Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Charles Oakley, and the Knicks, the Bulls stormed back to win 4 in a row and book their ticket to the NBA Finals. The Bulls defeated NBA MVP, Charles Barkley, and the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals to complete the 3peat as NBA Champions (their first of 2 3peats). Lost or forgotten in all of the discussion about Michael Jordan’s greatness is the number of all time great players who went their entire career without winning an NBA Championship. The list includes: Patrick Ewing; Charles Barkley; Karl Malone; and John Stockton. After the 2013 season, Jordan retired and gave professional baseball a try. Despite Jordan’s absence from the game, none of the aforementioned all time greats were able to win an NBA Championship.

20. Los Angeles Lakers (2009)

Biggest win: at home to Boston Celtics on Dec 25, 2008 (34.42% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Sacramento Kings on Dec 09, 2008 (83.29% win probability)
The Lakers bounced back nicely after losing to Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and the rest of the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals the previous year. Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant, and Pau Gasol led the ’09 Lakers to the best regular season record in the NBA. The Lakers carried this momentum through to the playoffs — downing the Utah Jazz in 5 games in the first round. The Houston Rockets provided the Lakers their first dose of reality, stretching the Western Conference Semifinal to 7 games before bowing out. The Lakers then beat the Denver Nuggets in 6 games to set up a Disney series vs the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals. The Lakers proved to be too much for Dwight Howard and the Magic — the Lakers won the franchise’s 15th NBA Championship in 5 games.

19. Chicago Bulls (1992)

Biggest win: at home to Boston Celtics on Nov 06, 1991 (45.41% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Orlando Magic on Mar 21, 1992 (92.44% win probability)
The defending NBA Champion Chicago Bulls actually started the season 1–2. A 13 game winning streak and a 14 game winning streak got them back on track and they ended up finishing with the best regular season record in the NBA. After sweeping the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, the New York Knicks took the Bulls to 7 games in a hard fought series — with Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, and Xavier McDaniel, it’s pretty safe to say that there were no easy layups. The Eastern Conference Semifinals would prove to be the Bulls’ toughest challenge on their way to a 2nd consecutive NBA Championship and the 2nd of 3 in a row.

18. Dallas Mavericks (2011)

Biggest win: at home to Los Angeles Lakers on Jan 19, 2011 (39.1% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Toronto Raptors on Dec 28, 2010 (85.63% win probability)
Finishing the regular season with the 3rd best record in the Western Conference, the Mavericks had a good, but not great regular season (a bit harsh, but this is the 18th best team in NBA history!) The Mavs went to work in the playoffs, thought, sweeping the back-to-back NBA champion, Lakers. The Mavs followed that up with a 5 game defeat of the top seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. There were a lot of non-Miami NBA fans willing the Mavs to a series victory over the Miami Heat’s Big 3 (in LeBron’s first season in South Beach). Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs gave those fans reason to smile, downing the Heat in 6 games to win the franchise’s first NBA Championship.

17. Philadelphia 76ers (1983)

Biggest win: at home to Detroit Pistons on Nov 05, 1982 (47.99% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Chicago Bulls on Mar 29, 1983 (87.69% win probability)
After watching the #41 ranked 1967 Philadelphia 76ers get named the greatest individual team as part of the NBA’s 35th anniversary celebration in 1980, the 1983 76ers must have felt inspired. Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, and newly acquired Moses Malone led the 76ers to the best regular season record in the NBA. Before the start of the playoffs, Moses Malone famously told a reporter “four, four, four” in response to a question about how the 76ers were going to do in the playoffs. Unfortunately, Moses lied and the 76ers went 4, 5, 4, dropping a game to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

16. San Antonio Spurs (2007)

Biggest win: at home to Detroit Pistons on Feb 14, 2007 (43.7% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Memphis Grizzlies on Apr 16, 2007 (89.54% win probability)
Another Gregg Popovich coached Spurs team — there are 7 in the top 50. This edition of the Pop Spurs had a decent regular season; finishing 3rd in the Western Conference. The Spurs are a good example of a team peaking at the right time — they won 80% of their last 31 games — and the hot streak continued into the playoffs. The Spurs only lost 4 games on their way to the NBA Finals, including a 6 game victory over the Mike D’Antoni and Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns and their powerful 7 seconds or less offense. This was the Spurs’ 3rd NBA Finals appearance in 8 seasons and they had won the NBA Championship in the other 2 appearances. They met a young LeBron James who was leading the Cavs into the franchise’s 1st NBA Finals appearance. The Spurs weren’t exactly welcoming; sweeping the Cavs to win their 3rd NBA Championship in 8 seasons.

15. Los Angeles Lakers (1980)

Biggest win: at home to Boston Celtics on Dec 28, 1979 (39.1% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Portland Trail Blazers on Mar 09, 1980 (82.22% win probability)
Magic Johnson’s rookie season and the birth of the Showtime Lakers. The Lakers finished with the best regular season record in the Western Conference. LA zipped through the Western Conference Semifinals and Finals — only dropping 2 games — to set up an NBA Finals against Julius Erving, Darryl Dawkins, and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Lakers jumped out to a 3–2 series lead; however, they lost Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to a sprained ankle in game 5. Magic showed his versatility by starting at center and playing all 5 positions while scoring 42 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, and dishing out 7 assists. Needless to say, the Lakers won the game, series, and NBA Championship.

14. Minneapolis Lakers (1950)

Biggest win: at home to Chicago Stags on Dec 03, 1949 (40.48% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Philadelphia Warriors on Mar 03, 1950 (86.66% win probability)
George Mikan led the Minneapolis Lakers to a tie for the best record in the Central Division. Including a tiebreaker against the Rochester Royals to determine the top seed in the Central Division, the Lakers did not lose a game on their way to the NBA Finals. It should be noted that playoff series leading up to the NBA Finals were ‘best of 3’ format, but a 7 game winning streak in the playoffs is still impressive. The Lakers would go on to defeat the Syracuse Nationals to win the NBA Championship in their first year in the NBA. Another NBA Championship in 1951 makes the Lakers the only team to win NBA Championships in their first 2 seasons in the NBA.

13. Chicago Bulls (1998)

Biggest win: at home to Utah Jazz on Jun 05, 1998 (39.1% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Dallas Mavericks on Mar 12, 1998 (91.55% win probability)
Despite starting the season 9–7 because of Scottie Pippen’s absence due to a back injury, the Bulls righted the ship and finished the regular season with a 62–20 record, good for first in the Eastern Conference and tied for the best record in the NBA. The playoffs were a bit of a cakewalk, as the Bulls swept the New Jersey Nets in the first round and defeated the Charlotte Hornets in 5 games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Coach Larry Bird, and the Indiana Pacers presented a bit more of a challenge in the Eastern Conference Finals, but the Bulls ultimately prevailed in 7. In a rematch of the NBA Finals from the previous year, Michael Jordan and the Bulls again denied Karl Malone and John Stockton an NBA Championship — downing the Utah Jazz in 6 games to wrap up another NBA Championship 3-peat and the Bulls’ 6th NBA Championship in 8 years. You have to wonder if the Bulls would have won 8 NBA Championships in a row if Jordan didn’t retire following the 1993 season.

12. Los Angeles Lakers (1985)

Biggest win: at home to Philadelphia 76ers on Jan 25, 1985 (35.73% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Indiana Pacers on Feb 22, 1985 (85.98% win probability)
According to our rankings, this was the best vintage of the Showtime Lakers. Sorry, Magic: there are a couple of modern day Golden State Warriors teams ranked ahead of this team so our rankings say that your Showtime Lakers would have a tough time sweeping the Dubs. Having said that, though, this was a really good team — 12th best in NBA history (according to our rankings) and they finished the regular season with the best record in the Western Conference and 2nd best in the NBA. The Lakers made the playoffs look easy, only losing 2 games on their way to an NBA Finals rematch with the defending NBA Champion, Boston Celtics. Unlike the previous year, the Lakers defeated the Celtics in 6 games to win the franchise’s 9th NBA Championship.

11. Chicago Bulls (1991)

Biggest win: at home to Boston Celtics on Nov 09, 1990 (39.65% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to New Jersey Nets on Jan 23, 1991 (82.96% win probability)
This was the first of 3 consecutive NBA Championships for the Bulls and also Michael Jordan’s first NBA Championship, along with the franchise’s 1st NBA Championship. Despite starting the season 0–3, the Bulls ended up with the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls buzzed through the playoffs — only losing 2 games on their way to the NBA Championship, including a 5 game defeat of the final edition of the Showtime Lakers.

10. Los Angeles Lakers (2002)

Biggest win: at home to Dallas Mavericks on Feb 03, 2002 (41.17% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Chicago Bulls on Jan 12, 2002 (86.25% win probability)
The 2002 Lakers went on to win their 3rd consecutive NBA Championship — the last NBA Championship that Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal would win together. This NBA Championship was pretty close to not happening, as the Lakers trailed the Sacramento Kings 3 games to 2 in the Western Conference Semifinals. Disgraced NBA referee, Tim Donaghy, claimed that the NBA wanted to send the series to a 7th game and gave marching orders to two of the game 6 referees. Whether there is any merit to the allegations is another question, although, the Lakers did shoot 18 more free throws than the Kings in game 6. Both the Kings (#47) and Lakers (#10) made these rankings and you have to wonder if their positions would have been reversed if Sacramento won game 6 or game 7. Both teams started the series fairly even in terms of Elo rating; however, the Kings still would have needed to sweep the Nets in the NBA Finals. I guess we’ll never know.

9. San Antonio Spurs (1999)

Biggest win: at home to Orlando Magic on Mar 10, 1999 (40.2% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Minnesota Timberwolves on May 11, 1999 (82.64% win probability)
Another Popovich-led Spurs team. If it feels like I’ve said that a lot, it’s because I have: 7 times to be precise. Interestingly enough, Gregg Popovich has coached the 2nd most teams in the top 50. Phil Jackson has coached 11 teams in the top 50–6 Chicago Bulls teams and 5 Los Angeles Lakers teams. I still think Pop’s 7 is more impressive than Jackson’s 11. Sure, Pop has had Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and Tony Parker on his teams but, as good as those players are, they don’t really compare to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal. Not to diminish the Zen Master’s accomplishments, but I think Pop has had less to work with than Phil Jackson (in terms of quality of players). One final note on Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson: together, they have coached 36% of the teams in the top 50! Crazy. The 1999 season was shortened to 50 games due to a lockout. The Spurs showed some rust from the layoff, starting the season with a 6–8 record; however, they finished strong, winning 31 of their final 36 games to finish the regular season with the best record in the NBA. The Spurs continued their dominance in the playoffs, only losing 2 games on their way to winning the franchise’s first NBA Championship.

8. Boston Celtics (1986)

Biggest win: at home to Milwaukee Bucks on Oct 30, 1985 (47.56% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to New Jersey Nets on Apr 09, 1986 (87.99% win probability)
Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Bill Walton led the Boston Celtics to the best regular season record in the NBA: 67–15 (subsequently bested by the Bulls and then the Warriors), including a 40–1 record at home. This Celtics team also set the record for most wins (regular season + playoffs) in a season with 82, which was later broken by the 1996 Chicago Bulls and then the 2016 Golden State Warriors. Boston only lost 3 games throughout the entire playoffs, en route to winning the franchise’s 16th NBA Championship. The Celtics, however, would not win another NBA Championship until 2008

7. Los Angeles Lakers (1972)

Biggest win: at home to Golden State Warriors on Nov 06, 1971 (45.69% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Cleveland Cavaliers on Mar 22, 1972 (93.9% win probability)
Led by Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West, this edition of the Lakers set the record for: most regular season wins with 69 (broken by the Bulls in 1996); most regular season + playoff wins combined at 81 (broken by the 1986 Celtics); and longest win streak at 33 games (still standing). LA only dropped 3 playoff games on their way to winning the franchise’s first NBA Championship in Los Angeles.

6. Los Angeles Lakers (2001)

Biggest win: at home to Dallas Mavericks on Mar 30, 2001 (41.03% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Atlanta Hawks on Mar 19, 2001 (86.99% win probability)
Los Angeles had a decent regular season, finishing 56–26 and 2nd in the Western Conference. Like a bunch of teams on this list, though, the Lakers peaked at the right time: winning their final 8 games of the regular season. The momentum continued into the playoffs, as the Lakers only lost 1 game on their way to winning back-to-back NBA Championships and 2nd of 3 in a row. The Lakers’ 15–1 record in the playoffs stood as the NBA’s best playoff record until it was beaten by the Golden State Warriors in 2017.

5. Golden State Warriors (2015)

Biggest win: at home to Atlanta Hawks on Mar 18, 2015 (45.98% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Denver Nuggets on Mar 13, 2015 (86.11% win probability)
In Steve Kerr’s first year as head coach at Golden State, the Warriors: set a franchise record for regular season wins with 67; recorded the franchise’s longest winning streak (16 games); recorded 83 combined regular season and playoff wins (3rd most in NBA history); and had a home record of 39–2 (2nd best in NBA history). The Warriors defeated LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 6 games in the NBA Finals to capture the franchise’s first NBA Championship in 40 years and 4th overall.

4. Chicago Bulls (1997)

Biggest win: at home to Utah Jazz on Jun 11, 1997 (49.86% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to New Jersey Nets on Mar 14, 1997 (91.99% win probability)
The defending NBA champion, Chicago Bulls, got off to a hot start, winning their first 12 games of the season and finished with the best record in the NBA at 69–13. The Bulls came within a missed 3 pointer in the dying seconds of the final game of the regular season from becoming the first team in NBA history to win 70 games in back-to-back seasons. In the playoffs, the Bulls only lost 2 games prior to dispatching the Utah Jazz in 6 games in the NBA Finals to win a 2nd NBA Championship in a row and the team’s 2nd of 3 in a row.

3. Chicago Bulls (1996)

Biggest win: at home to Charlotte Hornets on Nov 03, 1995 (50% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Toronto Raptors on Mar 24, 1996 (94.19% win probability)
Stretching back to the previous season, the Bulls started the season with a 44 game home winning streak. They also set the record for most regular season wins in a season (72 — beaten by the Golden State Warriors in 2016) and set the record for the most combined regular season and postseason wins in a season (again, beaten by the 2016 Golden State Warriors). The most telling stat on just how dominant the Bulls were? Their biggest win of the season was their first game, when every team has a 50/50 win/loss expectation. From that point on, the Bulls were favoured to win in every game of the season. This was the first of 3 NBA Championships in a row and the Bulls’ 4th NBA Championship in 6 seasons.

2. Golden State Warriors (2017)

Biggest win: at home to Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov 03, 2016 (45.41% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Miami Heat on Jan 23, 2017 (88.29% win probability)
This Golden State Warriors team didn’t win as many regular season games as the 2016 Golden State Warriors — 67 vs 73 — but this team did win an NBA Championship and finished with the best postseason record in NBA history (16–1). The ’16 Warriors finished the regular season with an Elo rating of 1811, while the ’17 Warriors ended the regular season with an Elo rating of 1747. The ’17 Warriors made it to the NBA Finals without losing a game and their Elo rating improved to 1845, while the ’16 Warriors lost 5 games prior to the NBA Finals and their Elo rating dropped to 1810. In the NBA Finals, the 2017 Warriors beat the Cavs in 5 games, while the 2016 Warriors were a little less successful.

1. Detroit Pistons (1989)

Biggest win: at home to Cleveland Cavaliers on Mar 03, 1989 (40.2% win probability)
Worst loss: at home to Portland Trail Blazers on Apr 04, 1989 (87.18% win probability)
The Detroit Pistons were not even on our radar, so this was a bit of a shocker. We went into this expecting to see a Warriors team, or the Bulls, or Lakers, or maybe a Celtics team in the #1 spot, but here we are so we’re just going to need to deal with it. Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, and the rest of the Pistons — that’s a pretty good lineup — finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA (63–19). The Pistons then rattled off two straight sweeps in the playoffs before dropping 2 games to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and, finally, swept a really good Lakers team (more on that in a bit) to win the franchise’s first NBA Championship. The Pistons’ resume looks pretty good — 28th best regular season record in NBA history and 5th best playoff record in NBA history — but ‘most dominant team in NBA history’ doesn’t exactly jump off the page. The 2017 Golden State Warriors’ resume is actually more impressive — 7th best regular season record in NBA history and best playoff record in NBA history — so how did the 2017 Warriors end up second, while the Pistons ended up on top? Great question. Even though the 2017 Warriors won more regular season games than the Pistons, Detroit actually finished the regular season with a higher Elo rating (1786) than Golden State (1747). The only way to explain this would be: Detroit had a tougher schedule/faced better opponents. Thankfully, when we looked into opponent ratings, we were able to verify this; the average opponent Elo rating for the Pistons was 1530 during the regular season, while the average opponent Elo rating for the ’17 Golden State Warriors was only 1518 during the regular season. The Pistons lost 1 more game than the Warriors so, in order to finish with a better Elo rating, the Pistons must have faced tougher competition. Remember the really good Lakers team? The Pistons went into their NBA Finals series with the Lakers with an expected win probability of 58.5% because the Lakers had such a high Elo rating (1753). The 2017 Warriors went into their series with the Cavs with an expected win probability of 73.8% because the Cavs were, comparatively, not as good (Elo rating of 1665). The Pistons went on to sweep the Lakers, while the 2017 Warriors dropped a game to the (not as great) Cavs. Add all of that together and we end up with the Pistons on top. Note: just to bolster our case, the same Pistons team went out and repeated as NBA Champions in 1990.

Originally published at tierify.com.