2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

Are the 2011 Dallas Mavericks the biggest underdogs ever to win a championship when you consider how they were viewed prior to the playoffs?

I think so, going into those playoffs nobody was picking the Mavs to win a damn thing, most "experts" barely had them making it past the first round.

LA, MIA, CHI were easily the top 3 teams going into the playoffs, most expected a HEAT championship and those who didn't were looking for a Lakers 3peat.


What do you guys think? Can you remember a more unlikely candidate that won a championship other than the 2011 Mavs?

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

They played well beyond their collective ability. The entire team basically caught fire for the entire playoffs and could not miss.

You could put the entire team back together, in their exact 2011 form (i.e. pretend they did not age) and it would be highly unlikely they could ever replicate that performance. They would be a formidable playoff team and nothing more.

They were as close to a "cinderalla" team as you will ever see in the NBA.

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

Yes. Dirk went ham, ape shit crazy.

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

2004 Pistons

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

yes but when you look at the team they faced in the finals that just happened to have the biggest choker of all time its not as impressive anymore. :confusedshrug:

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

'78 Bullets are right up there to me but yeah, maybe the Mavs

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

90s Jazz just as big if not bigger choke artists

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

Every Kobe ring won he is the biggest underdog.

He had to carry a fat out of shape 320 pound man and a bunch of scrubs to 3 titles, and then carry the softest men in basketball Pau Gasol, Lamar Odum and Sasha Vujacic to 2 more.

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

Barry and Hakeem says high, 2004 Pistons too.

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

Maybe.

I remember Caron Butler was a big player for that team early on. Then he got injured and Dallas went downhill fast and they were a very bad team for a 3 seed by the time the playoffs started.

People were discussing how lucky LA was to get the Mavericks in the second round. :oldlol:


Oops, i forgot about Houston with Hakeem their first year coming out of no where.

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

If anything, it proves that:

A) public perception doesn't mean shit

and

B) paper match ups don't mean shit

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

:wtf: Son, what year were you born? Honest question.

The 95 Rockets who were a 7th seed and battled through nothing but 50 win teams on the road take this cake. The Mavs were never underdogs, they simply just grasped what they choked away a few years earlier. Dirk still owes that bike a injury settlement.

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

They have an argument with 75 Warriors, 94 Rockets, and 03 Spurs, IMO.


They were clearly underdogs in 2 of 4 of their matchups. Nobody even thought they would win their first round matchup.

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

this

Re: 2011 Mavs: Biggest underdogs to ever win a ring?
 

Naw, Bullets and Sonics were both 40 win teams in the Finals.

I'd say the 95 Rockets.

Mavs had one less win the the Heat that season.