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Honourable Mention: 2014/2015 Los Angeles Clippers
PG Chris Paul SG JJ Reddick SF Matt Barnes PF Blake Griffin C DeAndre Jordan
Key Reserves: Jamal Crawford, Glen Davis, Hedo Turkoglu, Nate Robinson
Combined All-Star Selections: 11 Combined All-NBA Selections: 10
Regular Season: 56-26
1st Round: Won (4-3) vs San Antonio Spurs Conference Semi-Finals: Lost (3-4) vs Houston Rockets
The Clippers came into the 2014/2015 season with championship aspirations, and after a 56-win season had them going into the playoffs with the number 3 seed in the Western Conference. The belief that this team could win a championship became even more real when they were able to defeat the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round. Unfortunately in the second round, despite being up 3-1 against the Houston Rockets, the Clippers were eliminated in seven games and since then, have been unable to get out of the 1st round.
5. 2011/2012 New York Knicks
PG Baron Davis SG Iman Shumpert SF Carmelo Anthony PF Amare Stoudemire
C Tyson Chandler
Key Reserves: Mike Bibby, JR Smith, Jeremy Lin
Combined All-Star Selections: 14 Combined All-NBA Selections: 10
Regular Season: 36-30 (lockout season)
1st Round: Lost (1-4) vs Miami Heat
When Carmelo Anthony was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks, many expected them to immediately contend with the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics for dominance in the Eastern Conference. After all, Anthony had been selected to 4 All-NBA teams while Stoudemire had been selected to 5. The Knicks would sign Baron Davis and Tyson Chandler to bolster their roster further. Unfortunately the team never really clicked and stumble to the number 7. In the playoffs they were dismissed easily by the Miami Heat in 5 games.
4. 1990/1991 Boston Celtics
PG Brian Shaw SG Reggie Lewis
SF Kevin Gamble
PF Larry Bird C Robert Parish
Key Reserves: Kevin McHale, Dee Brown Combined All-Star Selections: 24 Combined All-NBA Selections: 11
Regular Season: 56-26
1st Round: Won (3-2) vs Insiana Pacers
Conference Semi-Finals: Lost (2-4) vs Detroit Pistons
By the time the 1990s rolled around, the Boston Celitcs were barely clinging to the dominance they enjoyed during the 1980s. Kevin McHale had been bumped from the starting line-up and Larry Bird and Robert Parish were 34 and 37 respectively. Still, with the additions of Reggie Lewis and Kevin Gamble, there was a lot of hype around the Boston Celtics making a run for another NBA Championship. In the second round a familiar foe, the Detroit Pistons, ended their playoff run in 6 game, with Larry Bird only averaging 13 PPG in the series. A year later he conceded to father time and retired.
3. 1996/1997 Houston Rockets
PG Matt Maloney
SG Mario Elie
SF Clyde Drexler PF Charles Barkley C Hakeem Olajuwon
Key Reserves: Kevin Willis Combined All-Star Selections: 31 Combined All-NBA Selections: 27
Regular Season: 57-25
1st Round: Won (3-0) vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Conference Semi-Finals: Won (4-3) vs Seattle Super Sonics
Conference Finals: Lost (2-4) vs Utah Jazz After winning both the 1994 and 1995 NBA championships, the Rockets struggled in 1996 finishing 5th in the conference and suffering a sweep in the second round of the playoffs. The franchise used the off-season to acquire Charles Barkley from the Phoenix Suns in hoping that he would help lead them back to the championship round. With their Big-3 intact, the Rockets were formidable during the regular season and through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Unfortunately, the trio of Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler wasn't enough to overcome the Utah Jazz and they were eliminated in 6 games.
2. 2013/2014 Brooklyn Nets
PG Deron Williams
SG Joe Johnson
SF Paul Pierce
PF Kevin Garnett
C Brook Lopez
Key Reserves: Andre Kirilenko, Jason Terry, Shaun Livingston Combined All-Star Selections: 36 Combined All-NBA Selections: 16
Regular Season: 44-38
1st Round: Won (4-3) vs Toronto Raptors
Conference Semi-Finals: Lost (1-4) vs Miami Heat
One season after moving from New Jersey to Brooklyn, Nets' owner Mikhail Prokhorov decided to go all in on a championship and create a super team that would rival that of the Miami Heat. In a trade that the Nets are still suffering from four years later, the Nets mortgaged their future to add Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry to their current nucleus of Joe Johnson, Deron Williams and Brook Lopez. Unfortunately, the season was a massive disappointment. After narrowly escaping the inexperienced Raptors in the first round, the Miami Heat made quick work of the in the conference semis, eliminating them in 5 games.
1. 2012/2013 Los Angeles Lakers
PG Steve Nash
SG Kobe Bryant
SF Metta World Peace
PF Pau Gasol
C Dwight Howard
Key Reserves: Antawn Jamison, Steve Blake Combined All-Star Selections: 35 Combined All-NBA Selections: 31
Regular Season: 45-37
1st Round: Lost (0-4) vs San Antonio Spurs
When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic and Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers immediately started planning their championship parade for the upcoming season. However, the Lakers struggled mightily to start the season. After a surprising 1-4 start, the team fired head coach Mike D'Antoni and it was a downward spiral from there. Between Steve Nash hampered by injuries, to Pau Gasol's unhappiness, to the near hatred brewing between Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard, the season was a complete disaster. To top it all off, 2 games before the playoffs were to begin Bryant tore his Achilles tendon and missed the entire playoffs. The Lakers finished with the number 7 seed and, without their star, were swept by the Spurs in the first round. The Lakers have yet to return to the playoffs since.
