NBA's Hype Machine: 15 Teams That Historically Failed To Meet Expectations
No NBA team has ever been surrounded by more preseason hype than the current Miami Heat. With LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh leading the way, the Heat are one of the favorites to win the 2010-11 title.
The star-studded team just might win it all this season, but of course, there's a possibility they might come up short as they lose in the finals or fall early in the playoffs.
Many teams in NBA history have failed to meet expectations. This slideshow will cover 15 of those overhyped ball clubs in chronological order.
Let's begin.
1968-69 Los Angeles Lakers
1 of 15
Record: 55-27
Head Coach: Butch Van Breda Kolff
Starters:
PG- Johnny Egan
SG- Jerry West
SF- Elgin Baylor
PF- Tom Hawkins
C- Wilt Chamberlain
Key Reserves: Keith Erickson, Mel Counts, Bill Hewitt, Freddie Crawfordย
The Lakers acquired Chamberlain though a blockbuster trade in July 1968. The team instantly became favorites to win it all in '69 with the Hall of Fame trio of Chamberlain, Baylor, and West, probably three of the top 20 players of all time.ย
In the playoffs, L.A. knocked off the San Francisco Warriors and Atlanta Hawks before falling to Bill Russell and the aging Boston Celtics 4-3 in the NBA Finals.
The Lakers finally accomplished their goal of winning a championship in 1972 as they beat the New York Knicks without an injured Baylor. ย ย ย
1976-77 Philadelphia 76ers
2 of 15
Record: 50-32
Head Coach: Gene Shue
Starters:
PG- Henry Bibby
SG- Doug Collins
SF- Julius Erving
PF- George McGinnis
C- Caldwell Jones
Key Reserves: World B. Free, Steve Mix, Darryl Dawkins
Following a memorable five-year ABA career, Erving made his NBA debut with Philly in the 1976-77 season. He, along with George McGinnis and current Sixers coach Doug Collins, went on to become starters in the All-Star Game.
The Sixers edged the defending champion Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets in the first two rounds of the playoffs, and ended up losing to Bill Walton's Portland Trail Blazers in the finals, despite putting together a 2-0 lead in the series. ย ย ย ย
1993-94 New York Knicks
3 of 15
Record: 57-25
Head Coach: Pat Riley
Starters:
PG- Derek Harper
SG- John Starks
SF- Charles Smith
PF- Charles Oakley
C- Patrick Ewing
Key Reserves: Anthony Mason, Greg Anthony, Hubert Davisย
The Knicks were bounced out of the playoffs by Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls three consecutive years from 1991-1993. Jordan's retirement in October 1993 opened the door for the Knicks to emerge as the favorite to win the title in '93-94.
The team knocked off the rival Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, but ended up falling to the Houston Rockets in seven games in the NBA Finals.
1993-94 Seattle SuperSonics
4 of 15
Record: 63-19
Head Coach: George Karl
Starters:
PG- Gary Payton
SG- Kendall Gill
SF- Detlef Schrempf
PF- Shawn Kemp
C- Michael Cage
Key Reserves: Sam Perkins, Ricky Pierce, Nate McMillan, Vincent Askew
After coming within a game of the NBA Finals in 1993, the Sonics made two key trades in the offseason, acquiring two-time Sixth Man of the Year Schrempf from Indiana and Kendall Gill from Charlotte. The two newcomers complemented the entertaining alley-oop duo of Kemp and Payton nicely.ย ย
Seattle finished the 1993-94 campaign with the league's top record, but unfortunately wound up becoming the first No. 1 seed in NBA history to lose to an eighth seed as they were stunned by the extremely overachieving Denver Nuggets. ย
1994-95 Orlando Magic
5 of 15
Record: 57-25
Head Coach: Brian Hill
Starters:
PG- Anfernee Hardaway
SG- Nick Anderson
SF- Donald Royal
PF- Horace Grant
C- Shaquille O'Neal
Key Reserves: Dennis Scott, Brian Shaw, Anthony Bowieย
Orlando was a solid power forward short of making some major damage in 1993-94, so the team went out and signed Bulls free agent Horace Grant in the offseason to fill the void.
Grant teamed with a young Shaq and a pre-injured Penny Hardaway, to give the Magic one of the most feared lineups in the league.ย
Orlando got past a rusty Jordan and his Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinal, but were were later swept 4-0 in the Finals by the Houston Rockets.ย ย ย
1994-95 San Antonio Spurs
6 of 15
Record: 62-20
Head Coach: Bob Hill
Starters:
PG- Avery Johnson
SG- Vinny Del Negro
SF- Sean Elliott
PF- Dennis Rodman
C- David Robinson
Key Reserves: Chuck Person, J.R. Reid, Terry Cummings, Doc Riversย
San Antonio was one of the preseason favorites to win the 1995 title. The squad was led by Robinson, who would win the '95 MVP, rebounding machine Rodman, and the reacquired Elliott.
The Spurs completed the '94-95 season with the league's best record. However, they would prove that they weren't the best team in Texas as they were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals by the eventual champion Houston Rockets.
1996-97 New York Knicks
7 of 15
Record: 57-25
Head Coach: Jeff Van Gundy
Starters:
PG- Chris Childs
SG- Allan Houston
SF- Larry Johnson
PF- Charles Oakley
C- Patrick Ewing
Key Reserves: John Starks, Charlie Ward, Buck Williams ย
The summer of 2010 wasn't the only time the Knicks have possessed a ton of cap space. In the 1996 offseason, the team used their cash to sign a brand new starting backcourt in Houston and Childs as well as reserve big man Buck Williams.
They also traded Anthony Mason for All-Star forward Larry Johnson and selected John Wallace of Syracuse in the first round of the draft.
These new pieces joined longtime Knicks Ewing, Oakley and Starks, who was moved into the six man role.
The Knicks swept Charlotte in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. ย
1998-99 Indiana Pacers
8 of 15
Record: 33-17
Head Coach: Larry Bird
Starters:
PG- Mark Jackson
SG- Reggie Miller
SF- Chris Mullin
PF- Dale Davis
C- Rik Smits
Key Reserves: Jalen Rose, Antonio Davis, Travis Best, Sam Perkinsย
With Jordan retiring for the second time, Indiana was picked by Sports Illustrated to capture the 1999 NBA title.ย
The Bird-coached Pacers were led by arguably the greatest shooter ever in Miller, a solid big man in Smits, and a cast of talented role players such as Jackson, the Davis boys (Dale and Antonio), and Mullin.
The team had taken Jordan's Bulls to seven games in the Conference Finals the previous season, so why wouldn't they be able to reach the finals and win a championship with Jordan out of the picture?
Indiana came up short in their quest for a title as they were eliminated by the Knicks in the '99 Conference Finals.ย
1999-2000 Portland Trail Blazers
9 of 15
Record: 59-23
Head Coach: Mike Dunleavy
Starters:
PG- Damon Stoudamire
SG- Steve Smith
SF- Scottie Pippen
PF- Rasheed Wallace
C- Arvydas Sabonis
Key Reserves: Brian Grant, Detlef Schrempf, Greg Anthony, Jermaine O'Neal
Prior to the 1999-2000 season, Portland bolstered their roster by adding All-Stars Pippen and Smith in two separate trades.
The Blazers quickly became perhaps the deepest team in league history. They featured an outstanding starting lineup and their second unit could probably start for a few teams in the league.
Pippen, who helped Chicago win six rings, was supposed to lead the Blazers to their first title in 23 years.
But the team would be defeated by the Lakers in the Conference Finals after blowing a 15-point fourth quarter lead in Game 7 of the series.ย
2001-02 Orlando Magic
10 of 15
Record: 44-38
Head Coach: Doc Rivers
Starters:
PG- Darrell Armstrong
SG- Mike Miller
SF- Tracy McGrady
PF- Pat Garrity
C- Horace Grant
Key Reserves: Troy Hudson. Monty Williams, Patrick Ewingย
2000-01 was a nightmare season for Orlando fans. Grant Hill was expected to team with fellow prized free agent McGrady to lead the team to big things. However, Hill would appear in just four games the entire season.
2001-02 was supposed to be a bounce back year. Hill was expected to return healthy and finally form a superstar duo with McGrady. Plus, the Magic picked up veteran big men Patrick Ewing and Horace Grant.
Some people picked the team to win the title. Miserably, Hill played only 14 games and the Magic lost to Charlotte in the first round of the playoffs.
2002-03 Atlanta Hawks
11 of 15
Record: 35-47
Head Coach: Lon Kruger/Terry Stotts
Starters:
PG- Jason Terry
SG- Ira Newble
SF- Glenn Robinson
PF- Shareef Abdur-Rahim
C- Theo Ratliff
Key Reserves: Dion Glover, Alan Henderson, Nazr Mohammedย
Hawks management was so convinced the team would do well in 2002-03 that they promised season ticket holders money back if they didn't reach the postseason.ย ย
Many people throughout the league felt that the Hawks could earn a playoff spot. The team had a young, talented point guard in Terry, two forwards who could easily drop 20 points a night in Robinson and Abdur-Rahim, and a shot-blocking specialist in Ratliff.
Kruger was fired after just 27 games and the Hawks failed to bring playoff basketball to the city of Atlanta.
2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers
12 of 15
Record: 56-26
Head Coach: Phil Jackson
Starters:
PG- Gary Payton
SG- Kobe Bryant
SF- Rick Fox
PF- Karl Malone
C- Shaquille O'Neal
Key Reserves: Derek Fisher, Stanislav Medvedenko, Devean George, Kareem Rush
L.A.'s guest for a four-peat was squashed like a bug by San Antonio in 2003. In order to regain their champion status, the Lakers picked up perennial All-Stars Malone and Payton for cheap in the offseason.
With four future Hall of FamersโO'Neal, Bryant, Malone, and Paytonโin the lineup, the Lakers easily became the favorites to win their fourth title in five years. Some fans probably even believed they could go a perfect 82-0.
The Lakers went on to reach the finals as expected and lost to the superstar-less Detroit Pistons in five games. ย
2006-07 Dallas Mavericks
13 of 15
Record: 67-15
Head Coach: Avery Johnson
Starters:
PG- Devin Harris
SG- Jason Terry
SF- Josh Howard
PF- Dirk Nowitzki
C- Erick Dampier
Key Reserves: Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George, Greg Buckner
Nowitzki and the Mavericks lost to the underdog Miami Heat in the 2006 Finals, thanks to the play of MVP Dwyane Wade. ย
The angry Mavs then entered the 2006-07 campaign as one of the teams to beat. They wanted to prove to the league that they could finally win the "Big One."
Dallas would almost join the 1996 Bulls as the only teams in history to reach 70 victories. But sadly, they wound up becoming just the second top seed to lose to an eighth seed as they were upset by the Golden State Warriors.ย ย
2008-09 New Orleans Hornets
14 of 15
Record: 49-33
Head Coach: Byron Scott
Starters:
PG- Chris Paul
SG- Rasual Butler
SF- Peja Stojakovic
PF- David West
C- Tyson Chandler
Key Reserves: James Posey, Morris Peterson, Devin Brownย
New Orleans came out of nowhere in 2007-08 to win 56 games and take the defending champion Spurs to seven games in the semifinals.
With such an amazing season, the Hornets entered 2008-09 as title contenders. ย
However, the team proved to be a disappointment, falling in the first round round of the playoffs to the Nuggets in just five gamesย
2009-10 Cleveland Cavaliers
15 of 15
Record: 61-21
Head Coach: Mike Brown
Starters:
PG- Mo Williams
SG- Anthony Parker
SF- LeBron James
PF- Antawn Jamison
C- Shaquille O'Neal
Key Reserves: Anderson Varejao, J.J. Hickson, Delonte West, Daniel Gibson, Zydrunas Ilgauskasย
Coming off a franchise-best 66 wins in 2008-09, the Cavs were expected by most to either win a title or at least match up with the Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals.
Cleveland acquired four-time NBA champion Shaq in the offseason and then picked up Jamison in a midseason deal with Washington.ย
The '09-10 Cavs led the league in wins for the second straight season and LeBron took home MVP honors once again after another unbelievable year. ย
But the team came up short in the playoffs as they lost to the so-called "Too Old" Boston Celtics in the semifinals.ย
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