[the East sucks] What's the worst 8th seed in history?

I think Boston Celtics made it like 03-04 with a 35-47 record.

 

That Boston team was 36-46. The Clippers also made it to the playoffs in the 96-97 season with a 36-46 records. Those are the worst I could find in a quick search of past standings.

 

How about this for "The East Sucks, Continued":

Utah Jazz has their own first round pick and the New York Knicks' first round pick.

The 18-13 Jazz are in 8th in the West, 1 game ahead of the 9th place team, OKC.

The 12-20 Knicks are 10th in the East, 1 game behind the 8th place team, Charlotte.

Basically, a good week by the Knicks or a bad one by the Jazz would result in the Jazz' pick being at a higher projected spot than the Knicks' pick.

 

The Western Conference wasn't weak the year the Clippers made it--it was just a tad top-heavy.

John Carroll coached that horrid Celtics team which got blown out every game of its series--Carrol almost deliberately tried to lose, benching Kendrick Perkins because he stood up to Jermaine O'Neal and played him with toughness. IIRC they were the only team in recent memory to lose every game in a playoff series by double-digits. It was a throwaway season after Vin Baker fell off the wagon and Raef LaFrentz underwent surgery.

 

off topic - but since it was mentioned here I will ask:

Does anyone remember HOW the Jazz got the Knicks pick. I can't seem to remember who they traded/blew to get that

 

Here you go.

http://blogs.sltrib.com/jazz/2008/01/tuesday-report.htm

 

Perkins was a rookie that season and played a total of 35 minutes the entire season. He was always on the bench.

 

the 85-86 bulls were 30-52. jordan missed most of the year but i think that was also the year he scored 63 against the celtics in the playoffs.

 

That's why you guys have to cheer for the knicks to win every game. The jazzholes getting a top lottery pick would make me puke!!

 

You have to laugh when all but two teams in the west have good enough records to be in the top 8 of the East.

 

Get rid of the conference playoff qualification altogether. Best 16 records in the league. It only makes plenty sense, right?

 

2008-09: Detroit Pistons 39-43, Eliminated in 1st Round (4-0)

2007-08: Atlanta Hawks 37-35, Eliminated in 1st Round (4-3) - Sidenote: Every Western Conference playoff team won at least 50 games, while they were 3 teams who won more games than the Hawks. In fact, the Warriors won ten more games than the Hawks, followed by the Trailblazers who won four more games than the Hawks. Yet, the Hawks won more games in the playoffs against the eventual champions than did the Lakers and Pistons.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2008.html

2005-06: Odd year - Only 3 teams in the West managed to win at least 50 games, but two of them were 60 win teams. Every team in the Central division made the playoffs, very rare occurrence. Yet, three of those teams had a weaker record than the 8th place team in the West.

2003-04: New York Knicks 39-43, Eliminated in 1st Round (4-0)
Boston Celtics 36-46, Eliminated in 1st Round (4-0)

Sidenotes: Last year for the two division conferences, before the realignment to three divisions. This became the first season in which the first round of the playoffs was expanded to 7 games (in the middle of the season).

Every team, except one in the Midwest Division reached the playoffs (San Antonio, Minnesota, Dallas, Memphis, and Houston). Though, Utah managed a better record than four EC teams and tied with 4th seeded team.

During the season, nine teams managed to allow under 90 points a game for entire season. Yet, five teams were unable to average 90 points a game.

1997-98: Sidenote - 3 teams in the West won at least 60 games. While four teams were averaging at least 6 points in margin of victory (Bulls, Lakers Supersonics, and Pacers), as the Jazz were near 6 points in victories a game.


1996-97: Los Angeles Clippers 36-46, Eliminated in the 1st Round

Sidenotes - Seven teams...seven teams were averaging at least 5.0+ ppg more than their opposition. Again, the Bulls (10.70) and the Jazz (7.97) lead the league, followed by the Supersonics (6.97), Heat (5.56), Hawks (5.52), and Pistons (5.45).

Also, this was probably the last season where you could say the East might've been better than West, since it had 6 50 win teams. I believe the most for the Eastern Conference ever.

4 teams even managed to post franchise best in season wins (Utah, Miami, Atlanta, and Charlotte), while the Bulls managed to tie the Lakers old record in wins one season after breaking it.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1997.html

1994-95: Boston Celtics 35-47, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-1)

1993-94: First time an 8th seeded team knocked off #1 seed. Denver was only a 42 win team, and defeated a team that won 63 games who was averaging nearly 9 points a game over their opponents.

1992-93: Los Angeles Lakers 39-43, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-2)

This is the first time that the feat the Nuggets pulled off a year later could've happened. The Lakers without any notable stars (except a nearly done James Worthy) took the eventual Western Conference Champs to overtime. They even won the first two games on the road against one of the best home teams in the league.


1991-92: Miami Heat 38-44, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-0)


1990-91: New York Knicks 39-43, Eliminated in 1st round (3-0)

1988-89: Portland Trailblazers 39-43, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-0)

Sidenote: The thing about the Trailblazers is that the team had winning record with their first coach (25-22), yet when Adelman took over the team obtained a losing record (14-21), seven games under .500 and still made the playoffs. What is so unusual about this? It later became one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history, when the Trailblazers won 59 games and reached the NBA Finals in the very next season.

1987-88: Washington Bullets 38-44, Eliminated in the 1st Round (3-2)
New York Knicks 38-44, Eliminated in the 1st Round (3-1)
San Antonio Spurs 31-51, Eliminated in the 1st Round (3-0)

http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1988.html

1986-87: Denver Nuggets 37-45, Eliminated in the 1st Round (3-0)
Seattle Supersonics 39-43, Eliminated in the Western Conference Finals

Huh... Yeah, a team that has won less than 40 games has reached an NBA Conference Finals. Supersonics defeated the Mavs (55 wins) in 4 games (3-1) and the Rockets (42 wins) in 6 games. Only two teams in the West won over 50 games that year. And, the real one (Lakers) crushed the Sonics.

Back to Supersonics, they actually had a decent squad with Tom Chambers, Xavier McDaniel, Dale Ellis, Alton Lister, Eddie Johnson (the one that hit the shot against Utah in the playoffs), an older Maurice Lucas, and Gerald Henderson. Also, this is shot in the gut to those (unenlightened) posters that claim that all the teams in the past were so-called "midgets and unathletic guys who didn't play defense." Yet, you see a team, like the Supersonics who was pretty lengthy overall at the time (probably just the same today), and were probably as athletic as any team that has been around for the last 20 years. The team could fly and score with good dunkers and shoot lights out with some great long range shooters (Johnson and Ellis). I could also throw another team that Chambers played on the Suns, who could go big (Chambers at SF) or small (Chambers at PF).

Also at this point, the league was later considered to be in its Golden Era years, because at the time they were 20 Hall of Fame players in the league at one time.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1987.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986–87_NBA_season

1985-86: Washington Bullets 39-42, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-2)
Chicago Bulls 30-52, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-0) [MJ injured for most of the season and
Sacramento Kings 37-45, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-0)
San Antonio Spurs 35-47, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-0)

1984-85: Chicago Bulls 38-44, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-1)
Cleveland Cavs 36-46, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-1)
Phoenix Suns 36-46, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-0)

1983-84: Kansas City Kings 38-44, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-0)
Denver Nuggets 38-44, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-2)
Washington Bullets 35-47, Eliminated in 1st Round (3-1) (Hard for some to believe the Bullets actually played the Celtics tough, in 4 games total, the Bullets lost by only 11 points (-2.75 a game)


1982-83: Important Note - This is the last season, before the playoffs expanded the seeds to eight from the previous six. Hence, more mediocre and under performing teams in the playoffs picture. Also, another tidbit for those who are two young to remember or didn't realize that there was such a thing as a 1st round bye in the NBA, as the best teams did not play in the first and earlier rounds (early NBA) of the playoffs. It is also the last time that the NBA would have a 3 game first round.

1979-80: Washington Bullets 39-43, Eliminated in 1st Round (2-0)
Portland Trailblazers 38-44, Eliminated in 1st Round (2-1)

1978-79: New Jersey Nets 37-45, Eliminated in 1st Round (2-0)

1975-76: Milwaukee Bucks (west) 38-44, Eliminated in 1st Round (2-1)
Detroit Pistons (west) 36-46, Eliminated in Western Semi-Finals (4-2)

Both teams played each other.

Also, this was the last season before the merger. Also, only five team made it to the playoffs. 3 teams received a 1st Round bye.

1973-74: Last season where only 4 teams made it to the playoffs (no such thing as 1st Round playoffs).

 

Thanks for the info. I doubt any playoff team will really reach the 30-win level of the Spurs and Bulls in the 80s. There are just more teams in the league now, so instead of being 8 in something like a 12 team conference, now you gotta be top 8 in 15 team conference.