'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
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.
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.
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.
#3 2014 San Antonio Spurs
The NBA's Beautiful Game. Enough said.
Before the San Antonio Spurs revealed their basketball artistry on the grandest stage in the 2014 NBA Finals, they suffered a defeat so hurtful that a few of them thought of hanging up their jerseys. Gut-wrenching. Agonizing. Excruciating. These words do not capture what that team had to go through.
The lasting image of the 2013 NBA Finals was Ray Allen’s corner three that allowed LeBron James and the Miami Heat to crawl back into the game, force overtime and eventually win Game 6. It’s a wonder the Spurs even showed up for Game 7 after that indescribable loss.
The start of 2014 was a time of soul searching for the San Antonio Spurs. They had to redo their training camp to give themselves a new perspective and start the season with a fresh outlook.
The Silver and Black crew ended the preseason with a 3-4 record. Gregg Popovich, who’s never been afraid to experiment, did a lot of tinkering in that preseason. He also kept the veterans’ minutes to a minimum if not rested.
The Spurs' initial games were not lifeless, but they lacked their usual zest. Somehow Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker found another gear to motivate and re-focus the squad. If not for that spectacular meltdown in the 2013 Finals, the Beautiful Game would not have been born.
#2 2021 Milwaukee Bucks
The pandemic and the resulting uncertainties accompanying it were not the best of times to hold an NBA preseason. Many across the league admitted they were not mentally ready to get on with their preparations. But, as they say, the show must go on.
Before winning the shortened 2021 NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks were seemingly just a good regular season and playoff team. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s lack of shooting had teams building walls before he drove to the basket and severely curtail the Bucks’ potent attack.
The Milwaukee Bucks had to do something drastic to get them over the hump. They virtually sold their future to get their hands on Jrue Holiday and add him to the Khris Middleton and Antetokounmpo combo.
The Bucks were winless in three games that preseason. Coach Mike Budenholzer, after early losses in the playoffs, tried out a new defensive scheme with a revamped roster.
Although three games is a small sample, it was evident that the Bucks were having trouble with cohesion on both ends of the floor. Their horrible shooting in those preseason games also worried thousands of fans.
History shows that the struggles the Milwaukee Bucks had to go through prepared them well for the battles ahead. Jrue Holiday made some clutch plays throughout the playoffs and the NBA Finals that made him worth the price of the trade.
An argument could be had that the Bucks only reached the East Finals because the Brooklyn Nets were handicapped, but Budenholzer’s team can’t be faulted for the injuries to James Harden and Kyrie Irving. It’s sometimes the brutal part of the NBA game.
#1 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers
![LeBron James' iconic block on Andre Iguodala in Game 7 paved the way for the Cleveland Cavaliers' monumental upset of the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.[Photo: Sports Illustrated]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/10/78332-16343564262996-1920.jpg)
The Cleveland Cavaliers were probably the most flawed NBA champion in the last 10 years. They had to rely heavily on LeBron James’ all-world talent to keep them afloat. Kyrie Irving, who broke his knee cap in the 2015 NBA Finals, was still grappling for form and consistency.
The Cavs’ NBA campaign was in turmoil halfway into the season. They fired head coach David Blatt despite having a winning record and replaced him with untested rookie head coach Tyronne Lue. If the season was topsy-turvy, the preseason completely captured it.
The 2016 Cavaliers were in disarray throughout the preseason. A 1-6 record in those games was more generous than how they played. It looked like David Blatt’s team was disengaged early in the preseason. Worse, they had no identity when LeBron was not on the floor.
Grabbing the headlines during the 2015-16 season was the historic run of the dynastic Golden State Warriors. It looked like the regular season was a mere formality until they marched to the finals and annexed another crown.
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving changed the narrative with two of the most iconic plays in NBA history. James had “The Block” on Andre Iguodala’s layup and Irving shot the dagger over Steph Curry that helped the Cavs pull a titanic upset in Game 7.
Guess the Lakers players!
