NBA Teams That Ruled the 2000s: A Statistical Ranking
Bleacher Report
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...stical-ranking
1. San Antonio Spurs (1,771.26 points)
Key stats: 571 wins, 10 playoff appearances, 82 playoff wins, seven-time Division Champs, three-time NBA Champs, 16 All-stars, two MVPs.
Even though I just got done making a case for the Lakers, it is really hard to argue against the Spurs at No. 1.
Yes, they are slow-paced.
Yes, they are boring.
Yes, they are TV ratings killer.
Yes, they are based in San Antonio.
Yes, Popovich is crazy.
Yes, Ginobili is a flopper.
Yes, Parker is French.
Yes, Duncan is the most un-superrish superstar ever.
Yes, Bruce Bowen is a dirty player.
And yes, you can't stand them.
But none of that matters. Their dominance is so beautiful that it trumps all of that. You cannot be a true NBA fan without appreciating and admiring the greatness of the Spurs. In an NBA era of increased parity, frequent trades, and diva personalities, the consistent dominance of the Spurs (57 wins per season average) is impossible. It is an anomaly.
The travesty behind it all is that we take it for granted. Everyone was fawning over Duncan when he entered the league, he got his MVP awards, and everyone agreed he will go down as one of the best ever...and then people stopped talking about it. Everyone loved Tony Parker his first couple years. He got the compliments, he got the girl, he got the all-star recognition...and then people stopped talking about it. It's not that people all of a sudden thought less of the two players, but they took them for granted. Start talking about the best PGs in the game today with your friends, and I guarantee you that Tony Parker will either be forgotten or mentioned well after what he deserves. He is a top three PG in the game, but you wouldn't know it, watching ESPN.
If you ask the Spurs, that's just the way they like it. Let the other teams and players have the spotlight, while they take the title (on every odd year.) The Spurs have quietly had one of the best sporting decades in modern sports history... I just hope it is remembered that way.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...stical-ranking