2018 Rockets - best team in past 20 years?

So let’s go back exactly 20 NBA seasons ago when the 02-03 season started. There were the 3-peat Lakers about to hit a drought, the Spurs coming up, some tough ass Pistons and some Heat out of nowhere. Followed by the big 3 Celtics, Kobe’s Lakers, Dirk’s Mavs and the big 3 Heat. Then with a one-off Spurs win, we got some Lebron wins, the mighty Warriors, Canada’s moment of glory and Giannis making his dream come through.

So thinking about all these champions, finalists and some amazing teams that might not necessarily have made a lasting impression due to missing the Finals, there’s probably a debate to be had which I will leave mostly up for y’all to get into but honestly I think there’s very few teams who might be considered the best of the past 20 years.

Granted 20 years is a convenient cut-off line since those 00-02 Lakers would surely have a case, the Kings likewise, among probably one or two more. But let’s stick to the 02-03 until 21-22 for arguments sake. Now there’s 3 teams I’d seriously consider aside from the 17-18 Rockets which is 15-16 Warriors, one of the Heat big 3 teams and the 11-12 Thunder.

Now many would consider that 17-18 Warriors their best one and you’d probably be right but I cannot leave out a 73 win team. Even with all the Green and Bogut nonsense, the Splash Bros media and referee darlings, it’s still a helluva accomplishment that we cannot just brush aside. Still, record be damned, a very similar team + Durant is simply better, don’t care what you say.

Given the fact that we basically beat that team both healthy 3-2, I’d say not a single Warriors team is better than our 17-18 Rockets. There’s just no way. Now the trickier part is how you even decide if this Rockets beat is better than a team like those big 3 Heat ones, 11-12 Thunder, let alone big 3 Celtics or one of those Laker teams 02-04 or 08-10?

I think there’s people here who can definitely break this down better than I can so please do and bring up as many teams as you possibly can so we can do a proper poll later. Finally, I will just leave y’all with this: if we beat the 17-18 Warriors which many consider the greatest and better than even a 73 win team, how are we not the greatest team in recent times and maybe even past 20 years?

Please discuss