Great underachieving teams

[Matthew]

I didn't include teams that made the finals. To me, making the finals isnt underachieving.

Milwalkee Bucks 2001
I loved this team. Glenn Robinson, Ray Allen, Cassell, Tim Thomas... such great shooting. It almost reminds me of a total opposite of detroit, where they knew their weakness (defense) but tried to overcome it with pure hustle and playing to their advantage. If not for Iverson exploding in game 7 of the conference finals, i would have loved to have seen the lakers play them in the nba finals.

Houston Rockets, 1997
I know this team was old, lacked depth, etc etc. But three of the top 50 players ever. Hakeem was still dominant. Charles was more of a role player. Drexler was still dunking on 7 footers. Mario Ellie wasn't too bad either. They just ran out of gas at the end, and utah won in 6. I think they could have pushed the bulls, but pippen's help defense on hakeem might have been the difference.

Portland, 2000
Wow, depth depth depth. Scottie even said this was the most talented team he's ever been on. Rasheed, Brain Grant, Stoudamire, Steve Smith, Sabonis, Scottie, Jermaine O'neal... after being down 3-1 to the lakers (arguabley one of the best teams in league history) portland won the next 2 and 3/4 games... if only they one that last quarter too.

Theres alot more, like the kings in 2002 and cavaliers, miami heat and atlanta hawks of the 90's, but i'll let you guys do some

[J@3]

My High School Basketball Team, 1999

Had a full rep team playing as a high school team, we won our first game then got smashed in the next

As far as NBA teams go... last years Lakers

I didn't include teams that made the finals. To me, making the finals isnt underachieving.

The reason I'd put them in there, is because they won the championship numerous times with a lesser team... come back with two big time future Hall Of Fame players to add to Shaq and Kobe, then fall apart in the finals. That's why I'd say they were underacheivers. I'm sure one of the anti social walking NBA almanacs around here will disagree though

[Matthew]

A great basketball team isn't just about having superstars or future hall of famers. If malone was healhty, the lakers would have won imo. Watch game 5 and see what happened when slava actually hit 4 jumpers. The pistons had to leave him open so they could collapse on shaq.

[Andrew]

The 2000 Blazers is a popular example of an underachieving team due to their Game 7 loss to LA in the WCF, but the Blazers of the next few years certainly underachieved as well - they went two straight years without a playoff victory, bowing out without much fuss in the first round.

[J@3]

A great basketball team isn't just about having superstars or future hall of famers. If malone was healhty, the lakers would have won imo. Watch game 5 and see what happened when slava actually hit 4 jumpers. The pistons had to leave him open so they could collapse on shaq.

However, the World doesn't revolve around "if's".

Besides, it's not the fact that Malone/Payton were hall of famers, it's the fact that those two players were significant upgrades at those positions.

[Matthew]

However, the World doesn't revolve around "if's".

Besides, it's not the fact that Malone/Payton were hall of famers, it's the fact that those two players were significant upgrades at those positions.

Talent wise, yes. They never really had a chance to shine in their roles. Payton struggled and Derek Fisher outplayed him, and malone was gimpy. Had they had been healthy, I'd say they would have beaten detroit, so it comes down to bad luck instead of underachieving.

The 2000 Blazers is a popular example of an underachieving team due to their Game 7 loss to LA in the WCF, but the Blazers of the next few years certainly underachieved as well - they went two straight years without a playoff victory, bowing out without much fuss in the first round.

Yeah, then a different looking blazers team almost pulled off the comeback of the lifetime against the mavs. That was a fun series to watch.

[air gordon]

the sacramento kings since webber's 2nd year there

[#12]

could you post some more teams? These teams seem easy to make in NBA LIVE 2005

[j.23]

1998 rockets
hakeem, barkley, pip.. and they didn't win it all

[matmat8]

1998 rockets
hakeem, barkley, pip.. and they didn't win it all

They were not in their primes at that time.

[Matthew]

The 98 rockets didnt have pippen. He was a little busy with chicago at that time. Pippen was a rocket in 99 though, and they had an all rookie backcourt, barkley was nothing more than a ghost of his old self and pippen wasnt comfortable yet.

could you post some more teams? These teams seem easy to make in NBA LIVE 2005

Miami 2000
What a team built on guts and determination. Alonzo was playing great (although shaq and the lakers had the rest of the basketball worlds attention). Mashburn finally was begining to show signs. To me, the biggest sign of this teams heart were two things: Their ability to bounce back after such a heartbreaking loss to the knicks in the first round the year before, and tim hardaway. He was out there with one knee, and anthony carter was the starter alot of the games. Carter wasnt good, but he gave it his all. I would have loved to have seen lakers/heat, just for shaq/zo. But indiana gave the lakers a good run in the finals.

[Stevan]

I suppose you can't forget those Sonics in the early 90's that lost in the first round. You could add a bunch of teams like New York, Miami, Cleveland and even Indiana and Orlando who underachieved in the 90's because they had to go through Chicago or eachother...

[trubucksfan]

that bucks team brings up some real painful memories, same team as 2000, hella differnt result! this team kept everyone hoping up until the last game. we could have had the 8th seed(in 2001 the east was so bad that people were saying that if the bucks upset...i dont even remember the #1 seed they could be favored in all their games afterwards if not the fav in the 1-8 matchup)nets i think won #1 seed,pacers took them to 7 games. in any case they played detroit on the last night of the season and sam cassell guarenteed a win, i was so amped for the game and they go out their and get blown out by 30 points sending them out of the playoffs and sam,glenn, and ray ray basically out the door. possibly the most underacheiving team in all of NBA history!

[fgrep15]

Milwalkee Bucks 2001
I loved this team. Glenn Robinson, Ray Allen, Cassell, Tim Thomas... such great shooting. It almost reminds me of a total opposite of detroit, where they knew their weakness (defense) but tried to overcome it with pure hustle and playing to their advantage. If not for Iverson exploding in game 7 of the conference finals, i would have loved to have seen the lakers play them in the nba finals.

Defense?

[trubucksfan]

i think hes trying to say that the bucks were the opposite of the pistons, they played great offense while struggling on defense while the pistons played great defense and not so great offense

[fgrep15]

lol I know, I'm saying that's why they didn't win, no defense, if they would've had some more defensive players. I think Toronto could've been them too if they had advanced, the difference between Philly and Toronto and the Bucks was that they both played defense and also had these crazy SG's tearing it up night in and night out.