I want to take a break from my season review and talk about something that came to mind following the announcement of Steve Nash going to the LA Lakers. After news of this rather surprising event broke out, a lot of people declared that the Lakers were back in championship contention and that they got a lot better. However, from the perspective of Seattle basketball fans, there was one thing on our mind: the OKC Thunder's road back to the Finals just got a lot tougher.
Ever since Sam Presti was hired to rebuild what was the then-Sonics, and after the team drafted Kevin Durant, many people had pegged the franchise to have a great future. It seems like every year, that notion was backed up. They fought a hard series against the eventual champions in 2010, made it to the Conference Finals in 2011, and made it to the NBA Finals in 2012. After beating San Antonio in the Conference Finals this past season and winning Game 1 against the Miami Heat, there were talks of Oklahoma City being the next dynasty. While Oklahoma City definitely has the parts and the youth to win many championships in the future, history says that nothing is guaranteed.
To win a championship, you can't just be a great team, but you have to be the best team in a particular year. With that said, I want to take a look at some teams in the past two decades or so that had a bright future ahead of them, but never ended up being able to raise a banner saying that they were the best in the NBA. This isn't an absolute complete list, but it just goes to show that a lot of things could happen to prevent a team from winning a championship.
1993 Seattle SuperSonics
Statement Moment: Took the Phoenix Suns, led by MVP Charles Barkley, to 7 games in the Western Conference Finals.
Reason for Hope: Seattle had improved from 41 wins in 1991 to 47 wins in 1992, and 55 wins in 1993. Coming within a game of the NBA Finals, the team was led by Shawn Kemp, who posted averages of 17.8 PPG and 10.7 RPG at just the age of 23. They also had Gary Payton, who was a No. 2 pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, and 24 years old.
What Happened: Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp would lead the team to great regular season success, with the team winning over 60 games in 1994, 1996, and 1998. However, the playoffs were a different story. With Michael Jordan gone in 1994, Seattle led the league with 63 wins and seemed poised to capture the title. Unfortunately, they became the first No. 1 seed in NBA history to lose to a No. 8 seed. They would lose in the first round again the following year. In 1996, Seattle finally made it to the NBA Finals, only to be matched up against the Chicago Bulls, who won a record 72 games.
Time for a New Direction: Seattle signed unproved center Jim McIlvaine to a large contract in the summer of 1996, angering Kemp. Kemp was traded in the offseason of 1997, and the Sonics acquired Vin Baker. After just one great season in Seattle, Baker would become a shell of his old self by the 1998-99 season, as the Sonics were just 25-25 and missed the playoffs.
1995 Orlando Magic
Statement Moment: Made it to the NBA Finals, though they were swept by Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets.
Reason for Hope: The team's wins had improved in each of the last three years, from 21 to 41 to 50, and finally 57-25. They were led by the best young duo in the game, in Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway. O'Neal, 22, came off a season where he averaged 29.3 PPG and 11.4 RPG, while Hardaway, 23, made the All-NBA 1st Team. Also, their top 7 leading scorers were all under the age of 30.
What Happened: The next season, Orlando broke their franchise record for wins for the fourth straight year. They cruised through the first two rounds, but like Seattle, met their match with the 72-wins Chicago Bulls, who swept them.
Time for a New Direction: Due to issues with Coach Brian Hill, and possibly the chance at a bigger contract, O'Neal left Orlando to sign with the Lakers in 1996. Without their All-Star center, Orlando dropped to just 45-37 and had a first round exit in 1997. It wouldn't be until 2008 that Orlando would advance past the second round again.
2002 Sacramento Kings
Statement Moment: After finishing the season with a league best 61-21 record, lost to the LA Lakers in 7 games in a highly controversial Western Conference Finals.
Reason for Hope: If Sacramento had made it to the NBA Finals, they almost definitely would have won the NBA Championship as the Lakers swept New Jersey. Sacramento's winning percentage had been increasing in each of the last four season, and many believe that they were the real best team in 2002. There was no reason to believe the Kings couldn't sustain their success as they were led by 28-year old Chris Webber, who put up numbers of 24.5 PPG and 10.1 RPG. Their next two leading scorers were Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby, both who were under 25 years of age.They also had some young first rounders off the bench in sophomore Hedo Turkoglu and Ferald Wallace.
What Happened: Injuries to Chris Webber would really hurt the team over the next two years. In 2003, despite Webber missing 15 games, Sacramento still managed a 59-23 record. In the second round, despite not having home-court and Webber only playing the first two games, the Kings went the distance against the Dallas Mavericks. The following season, Sacramento finished 55-27 with Webber only playing in 23 games. Home-court may have played the difference, as Sacramento lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round in 7. They lost Game 7 in Minnesota by a score of just 80-83.
Time for a New Direction: In 2005, Webber was still a 20-10 force, but microfracture surgery caused a slight decline in his skill. By this time, prominent members of the 2002 Kings team like Vlade Divac, Bobby Jackson, and Doug Christie were either old or gone, and it had become clear that Sacramento had fallen behind San Antonio, Phoenix, and Dallas as the West's elites. Midway through the season, Webber was traded to Philadelphia, but this wouldn't help the team as they would easily lose to Seattle in the first round, and by 2007, wouldn't even make the playoffs.
2007 Cleveland Cavaliers
Statement Moment: Made it to the NBA Finals by getting past Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals, though they would get swept by San Antonio.
Reason for Hope: Cleveland's trip to the Finals was seen as a signal that the King (LeBron James) had arrived. Though their showing against San Antonio was awful, by beating four straight a Detroit team that had made the Eastern Conference Finals five years in a row, Cleveland showed that they were among the bests of the East, and they could definitely get better. James, at just 22 years of age, posted a stat line of 27.3/6.7/6.0 and already showed he was one of the best in the NBA. Cleveland also had a lot solid players who were 25 or younger, in Drew Gooden, Anderson Varejao, and Daniel Gibson.
What Happened: In the following seasons, James would get better, but none of his fellow young teammates would emerge as a true star alongside him. Aside from Mo Williams, James would have to rely on older veterans like Shaquille O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Antawn Jamison to help him out. Cleveland had the NBA's best record in 2009 (66-16) and 2010 (61-21), but didn't make it to the Finals either year. After sweeping the first two rounds in 2009, Cleveland had difficulties matching up with Orlando in the ECF. The following year, a supposedly old Boston team beat them in 6.
Time for a New Direction: Following their playoff failures, James left for Miami. In 2011, Cleveland ended up with a 19-63 record and it was time for them to start anew.
2009 Orlando Magic
Statement Moment: Reaching the NBA Finals after defeating the 66-win Cleveland Cavaliers in the ECF, and beating the defending champions Boston Celtics in the second round.
Reason for Hope: Orlando had improved from 21 wins in 2004, 36 wins in 2005 and 2006, 40 wins in 2007, 52 wins in 2008, and finally 59 wins in 2009. By beating both Boston and Cleveland, they proved themselves to be among the top tier of Eastern Conference teams. Better yet, the stars of their team were younger than that of their opponents. Dwight Howard averaged 20.6 PPG and 13.8 RPG at just the age of 23, and Jameer Nelson made his first All-Star team as a 26 year old. Rashard Lewis, 29, also made the All-Star and was in his prime, and Orlando had several young pieces like Courtney Lee, Marcin Gortat, and JJ Reddick.
What Happened: 2009 would be the only season that Orlando had an All-Star besides Dwight Howard. Following an injury during the 2009 season, Nelson would not return back to his All-Star form. Lewis would not prove to be worth his huge contract and declined each year. The team's third leading scorer, Hedo Turkoglu, would leave the team after the season and sign with Toronto. Still, with the addition of Vince Carter, the 2010 Orlando Magic ended up with an identical 59-23 record. After sweeping the first two rounds, and controlling home-court against Boston in the ECF, Orlando looked poised for a return to the Finals. Unfortunately for them, Boston would win the first three games and win in six.
Time for a New Direction: With no one stepping up alongside Dwight Howard, and the rise of Chicago and Miami, Orlando had fallen from the upper echelon of the East in 2011. Both Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis were traded during the season. Orlando dropped to a 52-30 record, but to make matters worse, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to Atlanta. With another first round exit in 2012, and Howard wanting a trade, Orlando won't be winning a championship anytime soon.
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