Ranking Every Playoff Survivor's Squad with the Best Teams in Franchise History

The NBA Playoffs are getting exciting and we are almost into the Conference Finals on both sides of the league. While we are so focused on the past maybe we should take a quick look back through the rich history of the NBA.

All of the teams that are currently fighting for the Championship have a rich history that precedes them. As NBA fans we should be aware of the past because it just might make the present feel that much more special.

Miami Heat

Best teams besides 2012—1997, 2005, 2006, 2011.

Franchise rank: 1^st

The Miami Heat are a relatively young NBA team as they joined the league in 1988. Since then they went on to win one title (2006) in two Finals appearances.

Last season in Miami was meant to be an experiment and not many expected them to be as successful as they were in the first year on the Big Three. They went on to win 58 games and lost in the NBA Finals in six games.

This season, the stakes were bigger and anything short of an NBA Championship would be a failure. Miami has lived up to the hype and in the lockout shortened offseason they have become a force in the NBA and have improved their team all around from last year.

LeBron James is still the best player in the NBA and Dwyane Wade is somewhere in the top 5. Their defense is elite and their fast breaks are unstoppable. Few teams match up with the Heat’s starting line and their bench, while sub bar has improved considerably from last season.

That takes care of the last two years, but what about 1997, 2005, 2006? Their 1997 team owns the best record in franchise history, but were built very similar to the current Denver Nuggets.

They did not have a star and relied on an all around attack as well as great defense in order to win games. Without a star a team has a very big disadvantage and the 1997 Heat lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Chicago Bulls in five games.

2005 was a great year for the Heat and the duo of Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal was amazing to watch. The rest of the team however, was below average save for the solid output from Udonis Haslem.

They were also defeated in the Eastern Finals by the Detroit Pistons in a seven game series. 

The only reason I included the 2006 team was because they won the title. Dwyane Wade had an amazing year where he averaged 27-7-6 and carried that team. Shaq was aging and struggling with injuries and only appeared in a total of 59 games.

Looking at the roster today, it’s shocking to think that this team won the title because they were not as good as the name “NBA Champions” would suggest.

Indiana Pacers

Best teams besides 2012 – 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2004.

Rank in team history: 6^th

That’s right, I have this year’s Indiana Pacers team that exceeded expectations rank as the fifth best team in franchise history.

Their biggest fault is their lack of a star and while Roy Hibbert was an All-Star this year, his numbers are not very impressive. The Pacers have made their living relying on their depth and their overall balanced attack to succeed.

In 1995, 1996, and 1998 the Pacers had Reggie Miller and the often forgotten Rik Smits team up with Mark Jackson to put together some great seasons.

The Pacers had a balanced attack on both sides of the floor and had a guy who could just take over a game with his shooting in Miller. Jackson was a great passer and overall the Pacers were a very balanced team on both sides of the ball.

In 2000, Jalen Rose had a great year and led the team in scoring while Miller and Jackson still contributed at a consistent rate. 2004 was probably their best franchise team and a young Jermaine O’Neal along with Defensive Player of the Year Ron Artest (Metta World Peace) put together a 61-21 year.

In my opinion this Indiana team is not on the level of the teams above, nor is bad by any means, but not the greatest this franchise ever put out.

Philadelphia 76ers

Best teams besides 2012 – 1966-1969, 1971, 1977-1986, 1990, 2001, 2003.

Rank in team history: below 20

The Philadelphia 76ers also have a rich NBA history and this year’s team is just not that good. Had it not been for the sad injury to Derrick Rose, the Sixers would have been swept in the first round.

They are giving Boston some trouble, but that’s more Boston’s fault than a compliment to the Sixers.

They have no big star on the team and still have multiple young potential stars who have yet to prove themselves. This is not one of the best teams in franchise history by any stretch.

Oklahoma City Thunder (Seattle Supersonics)

Best teams besides 2012 –1979, 1980, 1982, 1992-1998, 2005, 2010, 2011.

Rank in team history: 4^th

Yes, this great Thunder team comes in as 4^th best in team history. Teams that I picked over them? The 1993, 1994, and 1995 Supersonics. The other teams are great in their own right and this was a very difficult decision to make.

The 1990s Supersonics featured a very balanced attack on offense and the only reason they did not win championships was because they were simply beaten by much better teams.

I believe something similar will happen this year to the Thunder and maybe for the next few years as they simply will be defeated by better teams and that will ultimately tarnish this team’s legacy.

In the 1990s Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp were young and were dominant from the start. Payton is one of the best defensive players this game has ever seen while Kemp was simply an athletic freak who put up ridiculous numbers.

The Thunder this year have Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook heading the team, but they don’t have the same chemistry that Payton and Kemp had.

OKC still have problems with shot distribution and most of that does go on Westbrook. Until they figure that out, they will sit behind the great Sonics teams of the 1990s.

Boston Celtics

Best teams besides 2012 – 1960-1965, 1967, 1973-1976, 1980-1982, 1984-1986, 2008, 2009.

Rank in team history: 20^th

The Boston Celtics are the most storied franchise in NBA history and are also the most successful. With such a strong history it is no surprise that while this year’s Celtics have been good, they simply don’t stack up against the seasons of the past.

The Celtics went through many eras. The 1960s were the Bill Russell years and he finished with 11 rings with the team. The 1970s were all about John Havlicek, David Cowens, and Jo Jo White.

The 1980s were of course during the time of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. 2008 was the formation of the Big Three with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, all three of whom are still with the team.

Simply put, there is a ton of history in Boston and it is not an insult to have this team as the 20^th best that Boston ever had. The difference in eras is staggering and going back 50 years of basketball and trying to state that this team is better than the 1960s dynasty is not easy.

In fact, I am not certain I can do it and I will give the old Celtics the benefit of the doubt on this one.

San Antonio Spurs

Best teams besides 2012–1978, 1981, 1983, 1990, 1991, 1993-1996, 1998, 2001-present.

Rank in team history: 1^st

Yes, I am ready to make the statement that this San Antonio Spurs team is the greatest team in franchise history. Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan have all been on this team for what seems like forever, but they have yet to stop winning.

They won three championships during the 2000-2010 decade and are looking to grab another one this year. Their depth is ridiculous and their chemistry is the best in the league.

Coach Popovich deserves a lot of credit for making the team what it is and it was surprisingly easy to place them at number one.

The “Twin Towers” team in 1998 is right behind them in my book, but they did not possess the depth of this team or the skillful players on the level of Manu and Parker. George Gervin and Larry Kenon made a great argument for 1978, and the depth of the 1980s teams was also very impressive.

However, at the end of the day, I had to place this team at number one. It is also an odd coincidence that I have my NBA Finals matchup being the Spurs vs. the Heat and they are both ranked as the best teams in the history of their franchises.

Hopefully it happens, as it would be a very entertaining series between two amazing basketball teams.

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