Worst Championship Team Since 2007?

[oaktownwarriors87]

1. 10-11 Mavs
2. 05-06 Heat (I know it's pre 2007, but it's close)
3. 09-10 Lakers
4. 15-16 Cavs

The rest of the teams were Top 3 teams the year they won their Championships.

Everyone saying the Raptors heads their heads up their butts. That team was awesome. I'd say they're one of the best.

You must still be bitter, but the 2016 Cavs had LeBron, Kyrie and Love and defeated a 73 win team. They went to the Finals for 4 consecutive years. They dominated their conference every year like clockwork. Far from a worst championship team contender.

They were the 4th or 5th best team in the NBA. Beating an injured team and playing in a weak conference doesn't make them top 3 that season.

The Raptors on the other hand deserved it. Easily a top 3 team.

[ILOVEIT]

Don't you have to dismiss any selection for the Warriors given the same exact team won the most regular season games in NBA history and only lost in game 7 of the finals that year???

Just seems odd how folks can consider that team a possible "weak" champion...

[Roger Murdock]

The ball IQ on this forum is very questionable. Anyone saying the Raps are the worst team on that list are ESPN level dumb.

The 15 Warriors better than the 19 Rap? Lol

It took them 6 games to beat Delly/JR/Lebron/TT/Mozgov...yeah such an impressive victory

The 15 Warriors were the best team in the regular season (by far) and the best team in the post season that year. They absolutely mopped the Western Conference.

Your Raptors needed 6 games to beat an equally banged up Warriors team. They also struggled far more on the path to get there than the Warriors did.

The Warriors mopped a very injured Western Conference. Jrue Holiday was injured in their first round matchup against the Pelicans. Mike Conley was injured in their second round matchup against Memphis, and Tony Allen missed game 5. Patrick Beverley and Donatas Montejiunas were injured when they played Houston. And finally Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love injured in their finals matchup against Cleveland.

Don't talk to me about Toronto benefitting from injuries, the '15 Warriors benefitted from them probably more than any team in league history.

Sure their path to get there was a little easier than it could have been, but its not like it made that much of a difference.

Pelicans were getting swept regardless, thats a 45 win team vs a 67 win team.
Conley and Allen missed 1 game
Beverly and Donut were nice role players but doesn't change that the Warriors were huge favorites regardless and have continued to dominate the Rockets in the post season since

Cavs were screwed. Love and Kyrie (especially Kyrie) were better players than anyone else missing up to that point.

[OldCeltics]

Just because the Raptors beat the Warriors without KD doesn't mean they "cheaped out" on a championship. Warriors with KD were considered one of the most stacked teams of all time and were still actually favoured to win by a majority without him. Yes, Klay got hurt too but the Raptors dominated most of the series with him playing too.

Raptors beat the Sixers and Bucks who most would consider one of the hardest paths to a NBA finals. Do Lebron's titles mean nothing because he was always able to sleep to a Finals appearance year after year? I'd argue that no team in the East had to go through 2 better teams in recent memory.

Raptors lost their best player (Kawhi), who many consider the best player in the NBA, and still have the 3rd best record right now. How many other teams from this list can do that? Either that means Kawhi is overrated or the Raptors cast is underrated. You can pick which one that is...

Stop it, 2 of the top 3 stars were injured for Warriors. Star power is everything. Raptors would have won 1 game at best, if Warriors were not injured and that is generous.

I love when people omit that Klay was healthy for Games 1, 2, 4, 5 and most of game 6. The Warriors barely edged out victories in games 2 and 5. Or that Kyle Lowry had a severe thumb injury, that he would require surgery for afterwards. Or that Kawhi was severely hobbled by the time he got to the Finals.

Simply not true. Klay had lingering injuries and was playing at 50% entire series and season. KD was out. Bottom line Warriors with KD and Klay are a historically good team. Raptors were good, but 100% didn't deserve championship. Should be *

[oaktownwarriors87]

Stop it, 2 of the top 3 stars were injured for Warriors. Star power is everything. Raptors would have won 1 game at best, if Warriors were not injured and that is generous.

I love when people omit that Klay was healthy for Games 1, 2, 4, 5 and most of game 6. The Warriors barely edged out victories in games 2 and 5. Or that Kyle Lowry had a severe thumb injury, that he would require surgery for afterwards. Or that Kawhi was severely hobbled by the time he got to the Finals.

Simply not true. Klay had lingering injuries and was playing at 50% entire series and season. KD was out. Bottom line Warriors with KD and Klay are a historically good team. Raptors were good, but 100% didn't deserve championship. Should be *

They won 58 games with their best player only in 60 total.

They played both sides of the ball at every position and they playing inside and out. That team stacked, deep, and well rounded.

It's the best team the East has seen since the Bulls.

[winston2chainz]

It's the 2011 Dallas Mavericks, and then there's everyone else. Dirk put up one of the greatest playoff runs of all time and was by far the best player on the court in the NBA Finals, but on paper they're the "weakest" NBA Championship team.

Watching the 2011 Finals series, it didn't make a lot of sense seeing the Mavericks win, their second best player was Tyson Chandler who historically was considered just a one-dimensional role player; Shawn Marion had significantly declined since his Phoenix Suns days; and on the perimeter you had 37yo Jason Kidd, 33yo Jason Terry, and JJ Barea matching up against Dwayne Wade and Lebron.

2007 Spurs:

Tim Duncan
Tony Parker
Manu Ginobili
Bruce Bowen
Michael Finley
Fabricio Oberto
Robert Horry
Brent Barry

2019 Raptors:

Kawhi Leonard
Kyle Lowry
Pascal Siakam
Marc Gasol
Fred Van Vleet
Serge Ibaka
Norman Powell
Danny Green

2015 Warriors:

Steph Curry
Klay Thompson
Draymond Green
Andre Iguodala
Harrison Barnes
Andrew Bogut
Shaun Livingston
Leandro Barbosa
Festus Ezeli


From worst to best, I'd probably rank it:

(1) 2011 Dallas Mavericks
(2) 2019 Toronto Raptors
(3) 2007 Spurs
(4) 2015 Warriors

But I wouldn't argue if you ranked the 2007 Spurs ahead of the 2015 Warriors

[Pennebaker]

1. 10-11 Mavs
2. 05-06 Heat (I know it's pre 2007, but it's close)
3. 09-10 Lakers
4. 15-16 Cavs

The rest of the teams were Top 3 teams the year they won their Championships.

Everyone saying the Raptors heads their heads up their butts. That team was awesome. I'd say they're one of the best.

You must still be bitter, but the 2016 Cavs had LeBron, Kyrie and Love and defeated a 73 win team. They went to the Finals for 4 consecutive years. They dominated their conference every year like clockwork. Far from a worst championship team contender.

They were the 4th or 5th best team in the NBA. Beating an injured team and playing in a weak conference doesn't make them top 3 that season.

The Raptors on the other hand deserved it. Easily a top 3 team.

Based on what? They had LeBron and they were healthy in the playoffs. Their performance before that or their record didn't matter. It never mattered in any of those 4 seasons. With LeBron and that team healthy in the playoffs there isn't going to be more than 1 team better than them. Maybe 1. That year none.

Imo, if the Thunder advanced to the Finals that season instead of the Warriors the Cavs still would've won, and sooner. No other team had the ability to challenge them like the Warriors.

[Roco14]

Are we talking about the worst championship team with respect to that era or overall? Because I'm quite certain that the sixers, bucks, raptors, and warriors of last season could beat the 2011 Mavs or 2010 Lakers based on the evolution of the game alone.

The people painting out the warriors to be missing 3 superstars last year are so lame. Klay played like 19/24 quarters and demarcus would've been trash regardless.

If the Warriors REALLY needed KD "just" to beat the raptors, then that's just a testament to how good the raptors were.

[Roco14]

In before people say Raptors beat a healthy Warriors team in the regular season (even though in reality the Warriors coast and never tried in the regular season since their 73 win year.)

Just because the Raptors beat the Warriors without KD doesn't mean they "cheaped out" on a championship. Warriors with KD were considered one of the most stacked teams of all time and were still actually favoured to win by a majority without him. Yes, Klay got hurt too but the Raptors dominated most of the series with him playing too.

Raptors beat the Sixers and Bucks who most would consider one of the hardest paths to a NBA finals. Do Lebron's titles mean nothing because he was always able to sleep to a Finals appearance year after year? I'd argue that no team in the East had to go through 2 better teams in recent memory.

Raptors lost their best player (Kawhi), who many consider the best player in the NBA, and still have the 3rd best record right now. How many other teams from this list can do that? Either that means Kawhi is overrated or the Raptors cast is underrated. You can pick which one that is...

Stop it, 2 of the top 3 stars were injured for Warriors. Star power is everything. Raptors would have won 1 game at best, if Warriors were not injured and that is generous.

Steph played 24/24 quarters
Draymond played 24/24 quarters
Klay played 19/24 quarters

KD was out.

Are you telling me that the "poor old warriors" that won 73 games needed a fully healthy KD just to beat the trash raptors, who are supposedly one of the worst championship teams of all time?

[Quiet-Dude]

People will vote the Raptors for obvious reason but I'll question their basketball knowledge even past their prime...

Ibaka, Green, Gasol, Kawhi, have been all 1st and 2nd all defensive team, the ones who don't in Lowry (surprisingly), VV, Siakam who was the best defender all season have all received votes and even Powell is an above avg defender.

I honestly don't look at names, I look at IQ of the team, spacing, and DEFENSE thats why I cashed out with the Raptors I had full confidence in that team... But even without KD the damn Warriors are not joke, those boys have pride and can play basketball, I thought they were losing in 5 lost in 6.

It took the Raptors beat a TOUGH Bucks team and a Philly team that out lengthed them badly.

Who the 2010 Lakers beat to the get to Finals? The Jazz? The Suns? Lmao give me a break man.

[Reeko]

Stop it, 2 of the top 3 stars were injured for Warriors. Star power is everything. Raptors would have won 1 game at best, if Warriors were not injured and that is generous.

I love when people omit that Klay was healthy for Games 1, 2, 4, 5 and most of game 6. The Warriors barely edged out victories in games 2 and 5. Or that Kyle Lowry had a severe thumb injury, that he would require surgery for afterwards. Or that Kawhi was severely hobbled by the time he got to the Finals.

Simply not true. Klay had lingering injuries and was playing at 50% entire series and season. KD was out. Bottom line Warriors with KD and Klay are a historically good team. Raptors were good, but 100% didn't deserve championship. Should be *

You're either ignorant or trolling. So Klay at 50% for the entire season was averaging 21.5 ppg, 20.7 ppg in the playoffs and 26 ppg in the Finals? Was he only at 50% in the 2018 season when he averaged 20 ppg and 19.6. ppg in the playoffs? Get outta here man.

[baller16]

Before the finals: "The Raps took 6 games to beat the 1st seed 60-win bucks...yeah the Warriors without KD are sweeping them easy"

Raps Win Finals: "They're lucky KD never played healthy, Warriors would sweep them easy"

People are just mad the Raps won a ring, crazy how salty you all are

[Retro_Junkball]

By 538s Elo rankings, the 2010 Lakers are the worst, which I agree with. Then the 2012 Heat, 2008 Celtics, and the 2007 Spurs are also on the lower end, followed by the Raptors. If you go back a bit further, the 2006 Heat were pretty rough as far as Champions go as well.

All of the champions from 2013-2018 are pretty solid, with the 2017 Warriors looking like the greatest team of all time (which they probably were).

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/complete-history-of-the-nba/#lakers

I tend to find this system pretty reliable - it rates the 86 Celtics really well along with the Jordan Bulls. Sadly the Hakeem Rockets titles don't pan out but that's not surprising either.

I voted Lakers based on a vague recollection of the team being Kobe and long-in-tooth Gasol who was still pretty good. Odom was extremely talented, but not really a guy you wanted to rely on as a third option.

[CodeBreaker]

Remember 2015 Warriors faced depleted teams since the First Round

[metafisical]

2019 Raps are one of the greatest of all time. The Raps playoff run was among the best runs in all of sports history.

[zonedefense]

2008 Celtics have the most post season Ls of any championship team ever. They needed 7 games to beat a 37 win Hawks team with Josh Smith, Joe Johnson and rookie Al Horford. Next round they barely beat a terrible Cavs team in 7 games. LeBron with Ilgauskas or Delonte West as the 2nd best player. In both series they did not win a single road game.

[AdagioPace]

the league trend towards "stacking the deck" isn't fair to 00' teams, regardless of the supposedly "game evolution".
Putting these fundamental difformities aside, even for me the answer is 2010 Lakers (it would have been 06 Heat)

[perempe20]

can't believe you can vote for the 2008 Boston team.

[Gooner]

2012 Miami Heat.

[KGtabake]

Raptors. The shot of Kawhi in game 7 vs the Sixers, the OT win against the Bucks in game 3 of the ECF and warriors injuries in the Finals changed history. Congrats to them ofc but the question is simple.