The NBA's potential dynasty's that didn't end up happening.

[coastalmarker99]

Looking at this in Nba history some examples are

Wilt's 76ers were widely tipped to become a dynasty after winning in 67 before Injures in the 68 playoffs and Wilt leaving to La that same offseason killed that team's hope of a dynasty.


Wilt's Lakers from 1969 to 1973 were also tipped to become a dynasty with a big three of Wilt West and Baylor before losses to the Celtics and Knicks in back to back finals game sevens killed any dreams of a Wilt led Lakers dynasty.


Kareem's Bucks were also widely thought to become a dynasty after winning the title in dominant fashion in 1971 before crucial Injures to Oscar and others in future playoff runs after 71 killed that dream.


Walton's very young Blazers were also tipped to become a dynasty after winning in 77 before injuries killed that team's hopes of a dynasty


KG's Celtics looked to be on the brink of something special after winning in 2008 before a serious knee injury to Kg ruined the Celtics season in 2009 and may have cost them another title in 2010.

[SouBeachTalents]

Nothing will ever top the Big 3 Thunder. 3 future MVP's all under 24 coming off a conference title through the brutal West, and they never played another minute together. We'll never see a scenario like that again.

[tontoz]

Yeah OKC is the obvious one.


The Suns when Nash was there. They just missed the Finals in his first season there. Then they trade Joe Johnson to the Hawks who made 7 straight All-Star teams after the trade.

That team could have been scary if they kept them together.

[Ainosterhaspie]

Nothing will ever top the Big 3 Thunder. 3 future MVP's all under 24 coming off a conference title through the brutal West, and they never played another minute together. We'll never see a scenario like that again.
Good call. One ironic thing about that is that they were broken up in part because of the punitive luxury tax that was meant to stop the wealthy teams from gathering all the talent at the expense of the small market. A response to the Heat gathering their inorganic big three. Then it immediately forces a small market team to dump talent and break up a budding dynasty.

[Reggie43]

Shaq and Penny in Orlando. If those guys stayed together and Penny was injury free its almost certain they would have won a couple of rings.

[Xiao Yao You]

Jazz choosing Layden over Dantley. Dantley/Malone/Stockton :cry:

[8Ball]

2012 OKC.


3 MVPs + DPOY Ibaka. If they had won in 2012 and kept Harden OKC would have won multiple championships and Durant would never have left.

Durant and Westbrook made 1st and 2nd team all-nba that year in 2012 + 6th man of the year Harden. They were young but they were extremely talented. You don't make 1st team all-nba being a bum.

[SATAN]

The Current Nets team.

No way it pans out

[BigShotBob]

Wilt and the Sixers would have never been a dynasty. Don't know where you got that info.

The Lakers had Baylor on his last legs with West and Wilt. Again, no hope of a dynasty.

The Bucks had Oscar hobbling with a prime Kareem. That's not a would-be dynasty.

Walton's Blazers were just a team with him a good spread of talent. But I can't imagine them becoming a dynasty.

The Celtics might have repeated at best but again, they were at the tail end of their careers when they all got together. They only had a 3-4 year window at best anyways.

The Thunder were far too young to be called a potential dynasty. And it's revisionist history to suggest that they all would have reached their full potential together as MVP caliber players because the only time any one of them were MVPs was when the other two players weren't there.

[Axe]

I think the 04-06 pistons would have been a dynasty if things just went their way. In that span, they had a chip, made the ecf each year and got two conference titles in a row plus a 60+ win season but the eventual champion miami heat spoiled them in 06.

[97 bulls]

The Shaq/Penny Magic were supposed to be the next dynasty after the Bulls.

[Ainosterhaspie]

The Shaq/Penny Magic were supposed to be the next dynasty after the Bulls.

That could have been an awesome, fun dynasty if not for injury and the Magic front office hurting Shaq's ego.

[Ainosterhaspie]

I think the 04-06 pistons would have been a dynasty if things just went their way. In that span, they had a chip, made the ecf each year and got two conference titles in a row plus a 60+ win season but the eventual champion miami heat spoiled them in 06.

Imagine if they got first pick in the Darko draft. One lottery slot from dynasty staus.

[Axe]

Imagine if they got first pick in the Darko draft. One lottery slot from dynasty staus.
That's true but kong ultimately ended up to be drafted by his hometown team anyway. Otoh, at one pick lower than darko, carmelo was the missing key piece for the team en route to them becoming one but during that time, i guess nobody seemed to think that darko would end up to be a bust nor turn out to be much worse than his overall pick would suggest.

[HoopsNY]

Threads like these expose why Hakeem is so underrated. The Rockets had the dynasty that never was, and would have easily went on to winning 5 titles between the 80s and 90s had their team not fallen apart due to injuries and drug abuse.

[pandiani17]

There are so many teams that could have been great and won many championships. My favorite one, however, was one that won't be heard a lot: The 2000s Pacers with JO, Artest, Stephen Jackson, Tinsley, Jonathan Bender, Jeff Foster, etc. If only the brawl never happened...

[Micku]

There are so many teams that could have been great and won many championships. My favorite one, however, was one that won't be heard a lot: The 2000s Pacers with JO, Artest, Stephen Jackson, Tinsley, Jonathan Bender, Jeff Foster, etc. If only the brawl never happened...

That's a big one. Artest said one time that he regrets that he couldn't give Reggie a ring I believe. All of them though that year was their time. But the brawl screwed that up.


And another one is the Rockets could've had Hakeem and MJ. That would've been a sick duo. Probably would've dominated the late 80s. I think they could've had Hakeem/Cylde/MJ.

The Bulls could've got Karl Malone. So it would've been MJ/Karl Malone. He probably would've got some rings.

And the Pistons could've drafted Melo, Wade, or Bosh in 04. That would've extended their time at the top. Melo would've been a great fit, especially with Billiups being the leader that he is and coach Larry Brown.

Prime Tim Duncan was thinking about going to the Magic with T-Mac. Grant Hill was dealing with injuries still, but he was still solid. That would've been sick. Doc Rivers told Tim Duncan's crew that his family couldn't travel on the plane, so Duncan stayed in San Antonio.

But OKC is the real one of the modern nba. They had Harden/KD/Westbrook/Ibaka. If somehow they would've kept that core, they would've gone to the finals again. But Harden probably wouldn't have been the player he is today.

[Xiao Yao You]

That's a big one. Artest said one time that he regrets that he couldn't give Reggie a ring I believe. All of them though that year was their time. But the brawl screwed that up.


And another one is the Rockets could've had Hakeem and MJ. That would've been a sick duo. Probably would've dominated the late 80s. I think they could've had Hakeem/Cylde/MJ.

The Bulls could've got Karl Malone. So it would've been MJ/Karl Malone. He probably would've got some rings.

And the Pistons could've drafted Melo, Wade, or Bosh in 04. That would've extended their time at the top. Melo would've been a great fit, especially with Billiups being the leader that he is and coach Larry Brown.

Prime Tim Duncan was thinking about going to the Magic with T-Mac. Grant Hill was dealing with injuries still, but he was still solid. That would've been sick. Doc Rivers told Tim Duncan's crew that his family couldn't travel on the plane, so Duncan stayed in San Antonio.

But OKC is the real one of the modern nba. They had Harden/KD/Westbrook/Ibaka. If somehow they would've kept that core, they would've gone to the finals again. But Harden probably wouldn't have been the player he is today.

12 teams could have gotten Malone :facepalm

[pandiani17]

That's a big one. Artest said one time that he regrets that he couldn't give Reggie a ring I believe. All of them though that year was their time. But the brawl screwed that up.


And another one is the Rockets could've had Hakeem and MJ. That would've been a sick duo. Probably would've dominated the late 80s. I think they could've had Hakeem/Cylde/MJ.

The Bulls could've got Karl Malone. So it would've been MJ/Karl Malone. He probably would've got some rings.

And the Pistons could've drafted Melo, Wade, or Bosh in 04. That would've extended their time at the top. Melo would've been a great fit, especially with Billiups being the leader that he is and coach Larry Brown.

Prime Tim Duncan was thinking about going to the Magic with T-Mac. Grant Hill was dealing with injuries still, but he was still solid. That would've been sick. Doc Rivers told Tim Duncan's crew that his family couldn't travel on the plane, so Duncan stayed in San Antonio.

But OKC is the real one of the modern nba. They had Harden/KD/Westbrook/Ibaka. If somehow they would've kept that core, they would've gone to the finals again. But Harden probably wouldn't have been the player he is today.

One question regarding the Tim Duncan FA signing by the Magic. I remember that him and Hill were going to team up in the summer of 2000, but was T-Mac part of the original part? Or was he a kind of substitute for Tim Duncan once he decided to stay on the Spurs?