Today’s Sports Stat: July 5, 2018
Barring a total collapse in the 2018-19 NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs will end this decade as the NBA’s winningest team in the 2010’s. The Spurs have won 511 games this decade (2009-10 season to 2017-18 season), 45 more victories than the team second on this list, the Oklahoma City Thunder, with 466.
Considering that Golden State and Cleveland played for the NBA title in the last four seasons, it’s a testament to the Spurs’ consistency this decade that they will be known as the NBA’s best team of the 2010’s. The Spurs appeared in the NBA Finals twice this decade (2013 and 2014).
Following are the number of victories each of the 30 NBA teams had the past nine seasons this decade (teams are listed by their current franchise city).
San Antonio, 511
Oklahoma City, 466… Golden State, 448… Miami, 441… Houston, 435… Los Angeles Clippers, 416… Boston, 407… Chicago, 406
Portland, 398… Memphis, 395… Atlanta, 394… Indiana, 389… Dallas, 387… Denver, 383… Toronto, 382… Utah, 373… Cleveland, 369… Los Angeles Lakers, 326… Milwaukee, 325… New Orleans, 322… Washington, 321… New York Knicks, 307… Phoenix, 307… Orlando, 305… Charlotte, 302
Detroit, 292… Philadelphia, 264… Brooklyn, 258… Minnesota, 252… Sacramento, 248.
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NBA numbers: 40 victories in their first 50 games
For the second consecutive year, two NBA teams reached the 50-game mark in an NBA season with 40 or more wins. This year the Golden State Warriors (46 wins) and the San Antonio Spurs (42) reached that mark. Last year it was the Warriors (41) and the Atlanta Hawks (41). Two teams reaching 40 victories in their first 50 games in the same season has happened four other times in NBA history: 2006, 2005, 1985 and 1981.
The Spurs and Warriors this year became the 28th and 29th teams in NBA history to reach 40 wins in their first 50 games. Of the previous 27 teams, 14 won the NBA title that year. The Warriors, with their 46 wins in 50 games this season, tied the NBA mark of the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers who also won 46 of their first 50 games.
Here’s a breakdown of the 27 teams prior to this season that had 40 victories in their first 50 games. (The year listed is the year the playoffs started that season).
46 wins: 1967 Philadelphia (won title)
45 wins: 1996 Chicago (won title)
44 wins: 1997 Chicago (won title)
43 wins: 1972 L.A. Lakers (won title); 1983 Philadelphia (won title)
42 wins: 1965 Boston (won title); 1978 Portland (lost in Western Conf. semis); 2011 San Antonio (lost in Western Conf. first round)
41 wins: 1971 Milwaukee (won title); 1973 Boston (los in Eastern Conf. finals); 1981 Boston (won title); 1981 Philadelphia (lost in Eastern Conf. finals); 1985 Boston (lost in NBA Finals); 1986 Boston (won title); 1988 L.A. Lakers (won title); 1991 Portland (lost in Western Conf. finals); 1992 Chicago (won title); 2006 Detroit (lost in Eastern Conf. finals); 2007 Dallas (lost in Western Conf. first round); 2008 Boston (won title); 2009 Boston (lost in Eastern Conf. finals); 2009 L.A. Lakers (won title); 2015 Atlanta (lost in Eastern Conf. finals); 2015 Golden State (won title).
40 wins: 1985 Philadelphia (lost in Eastern Conf. finals); 2006 San Antonio (lost in Western Conf. semis); 2012 Chicago (lost in Eastern Conf. first round).
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San Antonio Spurs: The NBA’s team of the 21st century
With four NBA titles since 1999-2000, the San Antonio Spurs are one of three franchises that have won three or more NBA titles since the turn of the century (the Los Angeles Lakers won five and the Miami Heat three since 2000).
But if you add up all the wins and losses of the 30 NBA teams since the 1999-2000 regular season through last year’s regular season, its the Spurs, not the Lakers, who have the most regular season wins. In fact if the last 16 seasons were one season, the Spurs would have a 76-game lead over the team with the second-best win-loss record (the Dallas Mavericks) since 1999-2000. That means the Spurs could g0 7-75 this year and the Mavs go 82-0 and the Spurs would still have the best record of all NBA teams since 1999-2000.
Before I list the records of each NBA franchise over the last 16 seasons this century, here’s a quick quiz. Don’t read any further until you have tried to answer this question: There are 13 teams that have a winning record (over .500 winning percentage) in the NBA regular season since 1999-2000. The Spurs are 912-384 (a .704 winning percentage) to top the list. Can you name the other 12 NBA teams that are over .500?
Did you figure out the other 12 teams? Well, here’s a look at the winning percentage of each NBA franchise since 1999-2000.
San Antonio .704
Dallas .645, Los Angeles Lakers .600
Phoenix .563, Miami .560, Houston .551, Utah, 536, Indiana .536, Oklahoma City .531, Portland .531, Boston .526, Detroi 516, Denver .515
(How many did you get correct?)
Orlando .486, New Orleans .474, Sacramento .472, Cleveland .468, Philadelphia .463, Memphis .460, Brooklyn .458, Toronto .454, Milwaukee .449, Atlanta .448, Los Angeles Clippers .444, Golden State .439, New York Knicks .434, Minnesota .429, Charlotte .411, Washington .405
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L.A. Lakers on the wrong path to a historic season
The 2014-15 season is not even a month old, but we are starting to see glimpses of what this campaign has to offer… and for Los Angeles Lakers fans, it’s not pretty.
With a 3-10 record (as of November 21) and the 14th seed (out of 15) in the Western Conference, the Lakers, unless they can find a way to climb over some very good teams ahead of them, will be at home when the playoffs begin in late April, 2015. Missing a second consecutive playoffs would be a first for the Lakers since 1975-76 when they missed the post-season in two consecutive years. Only the San Antonio Spurs have the longest stretch in which they did not make the playoffs in two straight years, and that has never happened to the San Antonio franchise.
Here’s a look at the last time each NBA franchise missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons.
Last time franchise missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons
Never: San Antonio
1975-76: L.A. Lakers
1999-2000: Dallas
2002-03: Denver, Miami
2003-04: Chicago
2006-07: Atlanta, Boston
2008-09: Oklahoma City
2009-10: Indiana, Memphis, N.Y. Knicks
2010-11: L.A. Clippers
2011-12: Brooklyn, Golden State, Houston, Milwaukee
2012-13: Charlotte, Portland, Toronto, Washington
2013-14: Detroit, Cleveland, Minnesota, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, Utah
What may be even more historic for the Lakers, however, is having a season-ending winning percentage under .400, which is where they were last year when they finished 27-55 (a .329 winning percentage). The Lakers franchise has never had back-to-back seasons where their winning percentage was under .400. They are the only current NBA franchise that can make that claim.
To avoid this historic feat, the Lakers will need to win 33 games this year; 33-49 would give them a winning percentage of .402. With a 3-10 record to this point, the Lakers will need to figure out a way to go 30-39 the remainder of the season.
Here’s a snapshot look at the last time each franchise finished with a winning percentage under .400 in back-to-back seasons.
Never: L.A. Lakers
1974-75: Phoenix
1978-79: Boston
1982-83: Utah
1983-84: Houston
1985-86: Indiana
1988-89: San Antonio
1990-91: Miami
1997-98: Philadelphia
1998-99: Dallas
2002-03: Denver
2003-04: Chicago
2006-07: Atlanta, Portland
2007-08: Milwaukee
2008-09: Memphis, Oklahoma City
2009-10: Golden State, N.Y. Knicks
2010-11: L.A. Clippers
2011-12: Brooklyn, Toronto
2012-13: Charlotte, Cleveland, Minnesota, New Orleans, Washington
2013-14: Detroit, Orlando, Sacramento
Last season eight teams finished the season under .400: Boston, Detroit, L.A. Lakers, Milwaukee, Orlando, Philadelphia, Sacramento and Utah. Only two of those eight are currently over .500 for this season… Milwaukee and Sacramento.
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Hello NBA 2013: Which teams are on the rise?
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The 2013-14 NBA season begins tonight as the Miami Heat will try to become the first team to three-peat in the league since the Lakers did it in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
There’s a good chance the Heat will be one of the teams at the end of the season challenging for the title, but what about a team or two to keep an eye on for this season? Here’s a look at the teams that made the biggest improvement in winning percentage last season (and those who dropped the most).
Biggest gainers last year
1. Brookyn Nets +.265 (from .333 in 2011-12 to .598 last season)
2. Golden State Warriors +. 225 (from .348 in 2011-12 to .573 last season)
3. Charlotte Bobcats +.150 (from .106 in 2011-12 to .256 last season)
4. Denver Nuggets +. 119 (from .576 in 2011-12 to .695 last season)
3. New York Knicks + .114 (from 545 in 2011-12 to .659 last season)
Biggest drops in winning percentage
1. Orlando Magic -.317 (from .561 in 2011-12 to .244 last season)
2. Chicago Bulls -.209 (from ,758 in 2011-12 to .549 last season)
3. Phoenix Suns -.195 (from .500 in 2011-12 to .305 last season)
4. Philadelphia -.115 (from .530 in 2011-12 to .415 last season)
5. Boston Celtics -.085 (from .591 in 2011-12 to .506 last season)
While the Nets had the biggest gain in winning percentage last season, two teams increased their winning percentage for the fifth straight season last year. The Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder each increased their winning percentage again last year over 2011-12, giving them five straight seasons of an improved winning percentage. For the Grizzlies, they have gone from a .286 winning percentage in 2007-08 to .293, .488, .561, .621 and .683 last season. The Thunder have gone from .244 in 2007-08 to .280, .610, .671, .712 and .732 last season. The Los Angeles Clippers improved their winning percentage last year for the fourth straight season, while the Nets and Knicks last year improved their winning percentage for a third straight year.
Last season the Dallas Mavericks were the only NBA team to finish the season at .500 (they were 41-41). Sixteen teams were above .500 and 13 teams were below the .500 mark for the season. For the San Antonio Spurs, their winning percentage of .707 last year gave them 16 consecutive years with a record above .500, longest streak in the NBA. They are followed by Denver (10 straight seasons above .500), Los Angeles Lakers (8), Houston (7), Boston (6) and Atlanta and Miami with five.
In the sub.500 category, the Minnesota Timberwolves were only 31-51 last season (a winning percentage of .378) It was the eighth straight year under .500 for the ‘Wolves, longest current streak in the league. They are followed by Sacramento (7) and Detroit, Toronto and Washington each with five straight sub .500 seasons.
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