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Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 4:50 pm
by SmoothTofu
If the raps do come back to make the playoffs, would there be a team that started worse than 4-19 (e.g. more than 15 games below .500) and did the same in NBA history?

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 5:29 pm
by IvanIV
Didn't Miami once start out like 0-8 or something and make the playoffs?

Surprisingly, this doesn't seem like the easiest thing to figure out via a cursory google search.

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 5:41 pm
by dagger
If you want inspiration, just remember what the 02-03 Raptors did after Vince got hurt.

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 5:44 pm
by Oakville_Raptor
dagger wrote:If you want inspiration, just remember what the 02-03 Raptors did after Vince got hurt.


01-02!

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:20 pm
by IvanIV
How has nobody posted an answer yet?

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 6:35 pm
by Los Manos
I was thinking we weren't as bad as the Suns team that started 0-13 in '96 and went on to make the playoffs with 40 wins but they were 7-16 after 23 games.

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 7:42 pm
by C3SIUM
I too am too lazy to look this up but want to know the answer...

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 7:48 pm
by InBCItrust
As far as I know the worst teams to make the playoffs were:
1952-53 Baltimore Bullets (16-54)
1985-86 Chicago Bulls (30-52)

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 7:50 pm
by rapsfantilthend
Dont know if this counts since 4 out of 6 teams in the conference made the playoffs.. but the 1967-68 Chicago Bulls made the Playoffs after starting the season 3-16 http://www.basketball-reference.com/tea ... games.html

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 7:54 pm
by rapsfantilthend
InBCItrust wrote:As far as I know the worst teams to make the playoffs were:
1952-53 Baltimore Bullets (16-54)
1985-86 Chicago Bulls (30-52)

Bullets started season 5-14
Bulls started season 7-12

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:17 pm
by Duke3D
dagger wrote:If you want inspiration, just remember what the 02-03 Raptors did after Vince got hurt.


01-02 was amazing. The forgotten playoff run - we almost took out the #1 seed.

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:19 pm
by Superchunk
I thought I heard somewhere that it would be the second worst after some Utah team...that's all I know.

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:30 pm
by s e n s i
Duke3D wrote:
dagger wrote:If you want inspiration, just remember what the 02-03 Raptors did after Vince got hurt.


01-02 was amazing. The forgotten playoff run - we almost took out the #1 seed.


#2 seed but yes that was a nice little 5 week stretch of basketball, which was right after the worst 5 week stretch in franchise history. lost 17 of 18 and then won 12 of the last 14 games in the season to make the playoffs and push the pistons to 5 games. the bucks completely collapsing helped too.

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:46 pm
by El Bow
s e n s i wrote:#2 seed but yes that was a nice little 5 week stretch of basketball, which was right after the worst 5 week stretch in franchise history. lost 17 of 18 and then won 12 of the last 14 games in the season to make the playoffs and push the pistons to 5 games. the bucks completely collapsing helped too.

If the Raptors had lost 1 more game, they would have missed the playoffs. It was that close.

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:52 pm
by mango2209
could've won that series too....if it wasn't for our man chris childs

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:58 pm
by notic101
Jinx thread if I ever saw one.

But I just remember that year Chris Childs cost us game 5 against the Pistons with that questionable heave to get that three point foul. AD put us on his back those last 14 games of the regular season, went like 9 straight and 12 of 14 to qualify.

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 9:17 pm
by notic101
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxeyuEwIgeU[/youtube]

Not the clip where Childs throws the heave, but Dell Curry shoots us back in it. LOL look at all the familiar faces, Micah, Jim, Jermaine Jackson, Yogi, Corliss Williamson on DET (former Rap who killed us in that series).

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 9:19 pm
by Santoki
InBCItrust wrote:As far as I know the worst teams to make the playoffs were:
1952-53 Baltimore Bullets (16-54)
1985-86 Chicago Bulls (30-52)


Dear god, how did that Bulls team qualify for the playoffs at 30-52???

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 9:22 pm
by Waylon Mercy
That 01-02 rally into the playoffs and taking the Pistons to the brink was epic still boggles
my mind that so many fans and media members thought Lenny Wilkens was a bad coach here.

Re: Worst start to ever make the playoffs?

Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 9:58 pm
by DHK
In terms of starts..
Miami takes the cake in the past 18 years, going 5-15, and finishing the season at 42-40 to make the playoffs.
In terms of late season surge from lottery to NBA playoff
Boston Celtics takes this one being 23-36 at one point and making it to the playoffs at 36-46 in where the disparity between West and East was at its biggest

As for the Raptors, we were once 30-38 to make an amazing final push and finish the season 42-40 with the 7th seed, and took the pistons to their final possession to beat us, but never have the franchise been this much down from the playoff hunt to make it.

Thus..miracles can happen..just that it happens every 3-4 years, NBA is actually due for another cinderella story.