5 NBA champions in the last 10 years who had poor preseasons
The NBA preseason should carry an official disclaimer of “Take it with a grain of salt.” Preseason games can mean different things to different teams who are trying to prepare themselves for the exacting grind of the regular season.
Sometimes, nothing comes out of these friendly games other than getting into game shape. However, there are times when the exhibitions signal something bigger to come as the games matter.
The 2017 Golden State Warriors, after that painful loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, could not wait to get things started and blasted through the preseason. They went 6-1 and finished the regular season with a 67-15 record. The icing on the cake was a thumping of the LeBron James-led Cavaliers to get a semblance of revenge following that signature loss.
The preseason game could also be emblematic of how a team struggles to get into the playoffs. It could also mean that issues regarding cohesion, defense and execution are slowly answered before official tip-off. A poor preseason could also show that teams never skipped steps and carried their struggles all the way to raising the NBA championship trophy in the end.
NBA champions who turned their dismal preseasons into championship celebrations
#5 2020 Los Angeles Lakers
The 2020 Los Angeles Lakers were popularly known as the “Bubble Champions.” The NBA was forced to form an unprecedented enclosed tournament in Orlando, Florida because of the pandemic. It was historic in the sense that there will probably never be another bubble champion after the Purple and Gold team outdueled the gutsy Jimmy Butler and Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
Often forgotten in the story were the struggles the Los Angeles Lakers had to endure in the preseason. Before the 2020 championship, LeBron had the first significant injury of his career. The Lakers missed the playoffs and predictions of gloom were a daily dose the front office had to deal with.
2020 was also the summer of Anthony Davis’ arrival from the New Orleans Pelicans. The Lakers also hired a new coach in Frank Vogel to develop the James-Davis combination into a championship-caliber tandem.
On this date: the Pelicans agreed to trade Anthony Davis to the Lakers in exchange for...well, a LOT. A year later, can we say which team won the deal? Or did they both? https://t.co/Cd2bsb9kMp
The retooled roster with a new coach was a definition of a work in progress. The chemistry issue was very apparent as the players were trying to play off of each other. The 3-3 preseason record did not quite capture the struggles the Lakers had to overcome.
Oftentimes, James and Davis would resort to the usual “your turn, my turn” refrain common when superstars try to defer to each other. There were also flashes of potential that the Lakers faithful were putting their bets on.
The Los Angeles Lakers had to wrestle with fit issues all the way to the finals. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were great equalizers, though. The uneven pre-season was capped with the Lakers’ championship #17 to tie the Boston Celtics for the most in the NBA.
#4 2011 Dallas Mavericks
The 2011 Dallas Mavericks will live on in the NBA Finals lore as the team that dashed LeBron James’ title aspirations in his first year with the Miami Heat. Despite the overwhelming odds, the Dirk Nowitzki-captained Mavs pulled a stunning upset over prime James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
In an age of super teams, Nowitzki’s Mavericks bucked the trend in the NBA. With an aging cast of characters including Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion, Dallas showed that sometimes, the sum is better than the parts. The German superstar also had a series for the ages that highlighted his greatness.
On this date in 2011, the @dallasmavs came back from 15 points down in the 4th quarter to beat the Heat, 95-93 in Game 2 of the @NBA Finals.
The Mavericks would win the series, 4-2 and claim their 1st world championship. https://t.co/EG89OyPIOe
The preseason of that championship-winning team was shaky, to say the least. Rick Carlisle only played his veterans in spurts and severely restricted their minutes. Their defense leaked like a sieve and offensive sets were stagnant if Jason Kidd was not running the plays. The 4-4 NBA preseason record looked a lot better than they actually played.
The one thing that was evident during the friendly games was the leadership of players like Nowitzki, Kidd and Tyson Chandler. It was an asset they would rely on when faced with daunting odds. After that poor preseason, the Mavericks hit their stride somewhere in the middle of the season and capped it off with an incredible win over one of the greatest teams the NBA has ever seen.