Am i talking to myself here or do any of you care about this topic? I know zig will gobble this up.
Okay this covers everyone watching NBA playoffs past and present, from Rolando Blackmans great grandpa to Skanderys newborn who crawls up and looks at the t.v.s twinkling lights.
Short highlights, the Pistons 6th place to Title in 2004 broke up an 8 year run of Champs being either 1st or 2nd.
A 1 year return to 2nd (Spurs 2005) and bam immediately thereafter, the Miami Heat became 5th place Champs.
So you 3rd-6th and even 7th and 8th+ place teams don't give up yet.
Also you fortunate prognosticaters like WayOutWest, who, thanks to a MortalGnob brain fart correctly predicted Dallas as last years West Conf reps, it aint over yet you Dallas TwoPeater predictors.
Figure 1 is W-L regular season record, 2nd W-L is playoff record, 3rd W-L is combined regular season and playoffs, 4th is point differential.
THE 1940'S
1947 Philadelphia Warriors
35-25 (.583, 4th) 8-2 (.800) 43-27 (.614) +3.4 (3rd)
1948 Baltimore Bullets
28-20 (.583, T2) 9-1 (.900) 37-21 (.638) +3.9 (1st)
1949 Minneapolis Lakers
44-16 (.733, 2nd) 8-2 (.800) 52-18 (.743) +7.3 (1st)
THE 1950'S
1950 Minneapolis Lakers*
51-17 (.750, T2) 11-2 (.846) 62-19 (.765) +8.4 (1st)
1951 Rochester Royals
41-27 (.603, 3rd) 9-5 (.643) 50-32 (.610) +2.9 (3rd)
1952 Minneapolis Lakers
40-26 (.606, T2) 9-4 (.692) 49-30 (.620) +6.1 (1st)
1953 Minneapolis Lakers
48-22 (.686, 1st) 9-3 (.750) 57-25 (.695) +6.1 (1st)
1954 Minneapolis Lakers
46-26 (.639, 1st) 9-4 (.692) 55-30 (.647) +3.4 (2nd)
1955 Syracuse Nationals
43-29 (.597, T1) 7-4 (.636) 50-33 (.602) +1.4 (2nd)
1956 Philadelphia Warriors
45-27 (.625, 1st) 7-3 (.700) 52-30 (.634) +4.3 (1st)
1957 Boston Celtics
44-28 (.611, 1st) 7-3 (.700) 51-31 (.622) +5.3 (1st)
1958 St. Louis Hawks
41-31 (.569, T2) 8-3 (.727) 49-34 (.590) +1.3 (T3)
1959 Boston Celtics
52-20 (.722, 1st) 8-3 (.727) 60-23 (.723) +6.5 (1st)
THE 1960'S
1960 Boston Celtics*
59-16 (.787, 1st) 8-5 (.615) 67-21 (.761) +8.3 (1st)
1961 Boston Celtics
57-22 (.722, 1st) 8-2 (.800) 65-24 (.730) +5.6 (1st)
1962 Boston Celtics
60-20 (.750, 1st) 8-6 (.571) 68-26 (.723) +9.2 (1st)
1963 Boston Celtics
58-22 (.725, 1st) 8-5 (.615) 66-27 (.710) +7.2 (1st)
1964 Boston Celtics
59-21 (.738, 1st) 8-2 (.800) 67-23 (.744) +7.9 (1st)
1965 Boston Celtics*
62-18 (.775, 1st) 8-4 (.667) 70-22 (.761) +8.3 (1st)
1966 Boston Celtics
54-26 (.675, 2nd) 8-4 (.667) 62-30 (.674) +4.9 (1st)
1967 Philadelphia 76ers**
68-13 (.840, 1st) 11-4 (.733) 79-17 (.823) +9.4 (1st)
1968 Boston Celtics
54-28 (.659, 3rd) 12-7 (.632) 66-35 (.654) +4.1 (3rd)
1969 Boston Celtics
48-34 (.585, T5) 12-6 (.667) 60-40 (.600) +5.6 (T1)
THE 1970'S
1970 New York Knicks
60-22 (.732, 1st) 12-7 (.632) 72-29 (.713) +9.1 (1st)
1971 Milwaukee Bucks**
66-16 (.805, 1st) 12-2 (.857) 78-18 (.813) +12.2 (1st)
1972 Los Angeles Lakers**
69-13 (.841, 1st) 12-3 (.800) 81-16 (.835) +12.3 (1st)
1973 New York Knicks
57-25 (.695, 4th) 12-5 (.706) 69-30 (.697) +6.8 (4th)
1974 Boston Celtics
56-26 (.683, 2nd) 12-6 (.667) 68-32 (.680) +3.9 (3rd)
1975 Golden State Warriors
48-34 (.585, 4th) 12-5 (.706) 60-39 (.606) +3.3 (3rd)
1976 Boston Celtics
54-28 (.659, 2nd) 12-6 (.667) 66-34 (.660) +2.3 (4th)
1977 Portland Trail Blazers
49-33 (.598, T4) 14-5 (.737) 63-38 (.624) +5.5 (1st)
1978 Washington Bullets
44-38 (.537, T8) 14-7 (.667) 58-45 (.563) +0.9 (T7)
1979 Seattle Supersonics
52-30 (.634, 2nd) 12-5 (.706) 64-35 (.647) +2.3 (7th)
THE 1980'S
1980 Los Angeles Lakers
60-22 (.732, 2nd) 12-4 (.750) 72-26 (.735) +5.9 (2nd)
1981 Boston Celtics
62-20 (.756, T1) 12-5 (.706) 74-25 (.748) +5.9 (3rd)
1982 Los Angeles Lakers
57-25 (.695, 3rd) 12-2 (.857) 69-27 (.719) +4.8 (4th)
1983 Philadelphia 76ers**
65-17 (.793, 1st) 12-1 (.923) 77-18 (.811) +7.7 (1st)
1984 Boston Celtics
62-20 (.756, 1st) 15-8 (.652) 77-28 (.733) +6.5 (1st)
1985 Los Angeles Lakers*
62-20 (.756, 2nd) 15-4 (.790) 77-24 (.762) +7.3 (1st)
1986 Boston Celtics**
67-15 (.817, 1st) 15-3 (.833) 82-18 (.820) +9.4 (1st)
1987 Los Angeles Lakers**
65-17 (.793, 1st) 15-3 (.833) 80-20 (.800) +9.3 (1st)
1988 Los Angeles Lakers
62-20 (.756, 1st) 15-9 (.625) 77-29 (.726) +5.8 (2nd)
1989 Detroit Pistons*
63-19 (.768, 1st) 15-2 (.882) 78-21 (.788) +5.8 (4th)
THE 1990'S
1990 Detroit Pistons
59-23 (.720, T2) 15-5 (.750) 74-28 (.726) +6.0 (4th)
1991 Chicago Bulls*
61-21 (.744, 2nd) 15-2 (.882) 76-23 (.768) +9.0 (1st)
1992 Chicago Bulls*
67-15 (.817, 1st) 15-7 (.682) 82-22 (.789) +10.4 (1st)
1993 Chicago Bulls
57-25 (.695, 3rd) 15-4 (.790) 72-29 (.713) +6.3 (4th)
1994 Houston Rockets
58-24 (.707, 2nd) 15-8 (.652) 73-32 (.695) +4.3 (5th)
1995 Houston Rockets
47-35 (.573, T10) 15-7 (.682) 62-42 (.596) +2.1 (11th)
1996 Chicago Bulls***
72-10 (.878, 1st) 15-3 (.833) 87-13 (.870) +12.2 (1st)
1997 Chicago Bulls**
69-13 (.841, 1st) 15-4 (.790) 84-17 (.832) +10.8 (1st)
1998 Chicago Bulls
62-20 (.756, T1) 15-6 (.714) 77-26 (.748) +7.1 (3rd)
1999 San Antonio Spurs*
37-13 (.740, T1) 15-2 (.882) 52-15 (.776) +8.1 (1st)
THE 2000'S
2000 Los Angeles Lakers*
67-15 (.817, 1st) 15-8 (.652) 82-23 (.781) +8.5 (1st)
2001 Los Angeles Lakers
56-26 (.683, T2) 15-1 (.938) 71-27 (.725) +3.4 (7th)
2002 Los Angeles Lakers
58-24 (.707, T2) 15-4 (.790) 73-28 (.723) +7.1 (2nd)
2003 San Antonio Spurs
60-22 (.732, T1) 16-8 (.667) 76-30 (.717) +5.4 (3rd)
2004 Detroit Pistons
54-28 (.659, 6th) 16-7 (.696) 70-35 (.667) +5.8 (T2)
2005 San Antonio Spurs
59-23 (.720, T2) 16-7 (.696) 75-30 (.714) +7.8 (1st)
2006 Miami Heat
52-30 (.634, 5th) 16-7 (.696) 68-37 (.648) +3.9 (5th)
props to SRJ for stats.
