RealGM

HCL asked me about this and I thought it would be a fun project for a day off. I cranked out an original list but got some opportunities pointed out. So for the updated version I accepted any years that played 2 series or more with a PSRS above zero. That didn't save all teams but it saved most.

1) I'm taking *distinct* three year stretches. The same year can't be used twice.
2) I'm using my PSRS calculations that update through the playoffs (with all the ups and downs of that formula)
3) I'm using the PSRS + STD formula that I use for my individual team/season rankings
4) I required a minimum +0 PSRS year to be included, and the team must have been in at least two series.

To recap, this is formula-driven, mostly through my updating SRS formula. I am not making judgment calls of any kind here (except in the design of the formula itself).

This is *only* playoffs. If you were +10 SRS in the regular season, this list isn't concerned with that.

Only 57 teams met the criteria in the shot clock era:

#57. 1999-01 Philadelphia 76ers
#56. 1979-81 Phoenix Suns
#55. 2012-14 Indiana Pacers
#54. 1986-88 Atlanta Hawks
#53. 2001-03 Dallas Mavericks
#52. 1997-99 Los Angeles Lakers
#51. 1978-80 Seattle SuperSonics
#50. 1961-63 Los Angeles Lakers
#49. 1998-00 New York Knicks
#48. 1976-78 Washington Bullets
#47. 1957-59 St. Louis Hawks
#46. 2002-04 New Jersey Nets
#45. 1993-95 Phoenix Suns
#44. 1996-98 Seattle SuperSonics
#43. 1992-94 New York Knicks
#42. 1982-84 Milwaukee Bucks
#41. 1967-69 Boston Celtics
#40. 2004-06 Miami Heat
#39. 1990-92 Portland Trail Blazers
#38. 1968-70 Los Angeles Lakers
#37. 2002-04 Sacramento Kings
#36. 1975-77 Golden State Warriors
#35. 1973-75 Boston Celtics
#34. 2018-20 Boston Celtics
#33. 2010-12 Boston Celtics
#32. 1998-00 Indiana Pacers
#31. 1995-97 New York Knicks
#30. 2017-19 Houston Rockets
#29. 2011-13 Oklahoma City Thunder
#28. 1971-73 Los Angeles Lakers
#27. 1978-80 Philadelphia 76ers
#26. 1993-95 Houston Rockets
#25. 2006-08 San Antonio Spurs
#24. 1989-91 Los Angeles Lakers
#23. 2007-09 Cleveland Cavaliers
#22. 2008-10 Orlando Magic
#21. 2004-06 Detroit Pistons
#20. 1981-83 Philadelphia 76ers
#19. 2005-07 Phoenix Suns
#18. 1982-84 Los Angeles Lakers
#17. 2003-05 San Antonio Spurs
#16. 1964-66 Boston Celtics
#15. 1996-98 Utah Jazz
#14. 1987-89 Detroit Pistons
#13. 2011-13 Miami Heat
#12. 1980-82 Boston Celtics
#11. 1984-86 Boston Celtics
#10. 2008-10 Los Angeles Lakers
#9. 1959-61 Boston Celtics
#8. 1970-72 Milwaukee Bucks
#7. 1991-93 Chicago Bulls
#6. 2015-17 Cleveland Cavaliers
#5. 2012-14 San Antonio Spurs
#4. 1985-87 Los Angeles Lakers
#3. 2000-02 Los Angeles Lakers
#2. 1996-98 Chicago Bulls
#1. 2016-18 Golden State Warriors

I'm confused by some of the re-ordering. I'd have though this would be largely the same list as before with new additions (some of which would potentially cannibalize a 3year run that made the list before), but I'm seeing more than that.

Examples to consider:

1. "2002-02 Los Angeles Lakers". Presuming that's still the 2000-02 Lakers from before, they leapt 3 spots. Why?

2. Why are the 2008-10 Lakers now ahead of the 2 Bird runs instead of behind?

3. Where are the 2015-17 Spurs?

Looking forward to analyzing this more when I'm sure I understand what's going on.

Doctor MJ wrote:I'm confused by some of the re-ordering. I'd have though this would be largely the same list as before with new additions (some of which would potentially cannibalize a 3year run that made the list before), but I'm seeing more than that.

Examples to consider:

1. "2002-02 Los Angeles Lakers". Presuming that's still the 2000-02 Lakers from before, they leapt 3 spots. Why?

2. Why are the 2008-10 Lakers now ahead of the 2 Bird runs instead of behind?

3. Where are the 2015-17 Spurs?

Looking forward to analyzing this more when I'm sure I understand what's going on.

Yeah, the Lakers were a typo on the years.

The second list I tweaked the formula a bit. The first list basically averaged the three playoff SRSs and averaged the league's standard deviations for those years, then ran the calculation. This year it ran the calculation for each individual year and summed them. The aggregate effect is that big single years (like the '01 Lakers) get more heavily weighted.

The increased weighting of top years makes the weight of the '09 run greater. Which ends up beating the '80-82 run that had more consistent (but no super-dominant) performances, and the '84-86 run (which had one amazing performance, but two pretty weak runs before it). And I want to emphasize that the three runs in question (80-82, 84-86 and 08-10 are all right on top of each other, with big gaps on either sides).

As for the '15 Spurs, the first time through I had missed the fact that they'd not made it out of the first round, which disqualifies the season.

Sorry for the disruptions to the list that made it jarring to read!