Top 5 teams who have somehow managed to be beaten in the finals

[TheGoatest]

1. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors
2. 2012-13 San Antonio Spurs
3. 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder
4. 1984-85 Boston Celtics
5. 1987-88 Detroit Pistons

[pandiani17]

1. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors
2. 2012-13 San Antonio Spurs
3. 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder
4. 1984-85 Boston Celtics
5. 1987-88 Detroit Pistons

That was very young team, I mean, the three MVPs were nowhere near their peak level. Horrible choice. I would add:

1983-84 Lakers
2003-04 Lakers
2010-11 Miami Heat
2020-21 Phoenix Suns

[SouBeachTalents]

1969 Lakers
1984 Lakers
1985 Celtics
2011 Heat
2016 Warriors

[TheGoatest]

That was very young team, I mean, the three MVPs were nowhere near their peak level. Horrible choice.

Kevin Durant: 2nd in MVP voting, 3rd scoring title, 3rd All-NBA 1st team that season
Russell Westbrook: 2nd All-NBA 2nd team that season
James Harden: Near-unanimous 6th Man Of the Year that season, scored 37 and 45 in his first two games with the Rockets months after the 2012 finals
Serge Ibaka: Close 2nd in DPOY voting, All-defensive 1st team that season

All this was reflected in their status as comfortable favorites to win the 2012 finals, both among sports analysts as well as Las Vegas bookies:

https://images4.imagebam.com/ec/49/8f/ME3TFKT_o.jpg

https://images4.imagebam.com/2b/37/2c/ME3TFKV_o.png

Easily one of the most stacked teams of all time based on their resumés the season in question. Not what they were about to accomplish later in their careers, not what they had accomplished earlier in their careers. But the season in question. And no amount of "in retrospect they were young" revisionism will change that.

[Overdrive]

2007 Cavs
2011 Heat
2014 Heat
2015 Cavs
2017 Cavs

[SaintzFury13]

That was very young team, I mean, the three MVPs were nowhere near their peak level. Horrible choice. I would add:

1983-84 Lakers
2003-04 Lakers
2010-11 Miami Heat
2020-21 Phoenix Suns

Despite how young that Thunder team was, they were still a pretty stacked unit all around with a few veteran talents who played key roles on the team. But I do agree they don't belong on this list.

Also, **** off OP with your obvious agenda driven thread. Shit like this is no better than what 3ball does.

[Manny98]

2011 Heat

[HBK_Kliq_2]

entire playoffs:

1) 2019 Warriors
2) 2019 76ers
3) 2019 Bucks
4) 2014 Heat
5) 2011 Heat

[getting_old]

1969 Lakers. Lakers were only 25 points better than the opponents, Wilt needed it to be 30 to win his titles
1970 Lakers, same comment as the line above
1975 Bullets
1985 Celtics, but the Lakers were a better team
2004 Lakers, but Kobe and Shaq entered a murder-murder pact against each other in the playoffs

[KingMambaFan]

2007 Cavs
2011 Heat
2014 Heat
2015 Cavs
2017 Cavs

LeBron stan confirmed

RENT FREE

[Kobe_Bryant]

the 2016 warriors had an inflated record. and their style only translates well to today's era where there's zero defense or physicality. whenever Curry gets to the finals he starts struggling a bit cause there's less bail out calls and its more physical. without Durant that team doesn't scare me. a 1 man show nearly beat them in 2015 before iguodala cut off lebrons drives to the basket.

how is a team with iggy as their main guy the best non champion ever


theyre basically a little better than the 60 win hawks. they needed Durant to join them and then they won less regular season games but were a better playoff team.

the 2016 cavs have a better big 3 that averaged almost 10 more ppg in the finals


the best non champion to me is easily the 88 pistons. because they actually are the champions and a ref screwed them in game 6. then injuries screwed Isiah in game 7