Hoops Habit
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What are the greatest NBA teams to fall just short?

By Rahul Raja

OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 02: Tony Allen #9 of the Memphis Grizzlies goes up for a shot on Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on November 2, 2015 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 02: Tony Allen #9 of the Memphis Grizzlies goes up for a shot on Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on November 2, 2015 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
(Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

Make the Conference Finals: 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs (67-15)

The 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs were supposed to be one last hurrah for the Spurs Big Three of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan that had dominated the western conference for over a decade. Since the 2002-03 season, when they had won a championship, they had not had a single season with less than 50 wins, their closest being in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season where they hit 50 wins exactly. Tim Duncan was retiring at the end of the year, but despite knowing that the end was near, this was much more than a capstone season, they were an incredibly strong team.

They had a 40-1 home record. In fact, they had the all-time best season record that was not also the league’s best record. They were simply at the wrong time. This looked like an amazing team but they happened to be playing at the same time as the legendary 2016 Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder who were a juggernaut in their own right.

In the Semi-Finals, they ran into the OKC Thunder. Kevin Durant went nuclear against them, averaging 28 points on 60 true shooting. Russell Westbrook averaged 25 points and 10 assists. The older Spurs were simply not able to keep up. Their last run ended a bit shorter than they had hoped, making them the first team since the 2007 Dallas Mavericks to finish with 67 wins and be eliminated before the conference finals

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