Ranking the best NBA Franchises and Management

[BOTSLAYER]

I started this as a realization thread that someday I will probably be a laker fan due to their commitment to excellence and normally competent management that I enjoy rooting for.

Several thing will have to happen but it seems inevitable.

What are the top 10 or 5 or even 3 or 15 NBA franchises.

Criteria is CURRENT MANAGEMENT!!!! Not only do they need to field a team or be building a good team but if they keep their management they will continue to field great teams in the future.




*Later we can discuss GOAT franchises but I am pretty sure that is Cs/Lakers either 1 or 2 and then a distant gap between 2 and 3.

 

[Heatles84]

I started this as a realization thread that someday I will probably be a laker fan due to their commitment to excellence and normally competent management that I enjoy rooting for.

Several thing will have to happen but it seems inevitable.

What are the top 10 or 5 or even 3 or 15 NBA franchises.

Criteria is CURRENT MANAGEMENT!!!! Not only do they need to field a team or be building a good team but if they keep their management they will continue to field great teams in the future.




*Later we can discuss GOAT franchises but I am pretty sure that is Cs/Lakers either 1 or 2 and then a distant gap between 2 and 3.

Here's my top 5:

1. Lakers - Yes, Boston has one more title then the Lakers. However, the Lakers always found a way to remain in contention year after year. The Celtics had a good 20 year run where they were pretty much non-existent until the introduction of the Big 3 in 2008.

2. Celtics - Having the most titles in NBA history places you in the top 20.

3. Spurs - Small market team with 4 titles in the last 15 years. Over that span they've had 50+ winning seasons and manages to make players whom most franchises look over (Danny Green for example) look like perennial all stars.

4. Bulls - Their on this list because of Jordan and Pippen.

5. Heat - A tad bit of homerism but Miami has had a pretty good run since Wade has been on the Heat. I loved those late 90's Heat teams with Zo, Hardaway, Jamal Mashburn, etc.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Current Management:

1. Spurs
2. OKC
3. Pacers (Bird is awesome even though he is not really in action any more)
4. Riley...Heat
5. Mavericks
6. Rockets
7. Brooklyn
8. Bulls
9. Cs
10. Clippers?

This isn't meant to be a slam on the Lakers, they will be back as soon as Short Buss is voted off the island. I can tell little difference between them and first time Grizzlies owner Robert Pera and horrific GM Chris Wallace.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

@Heatles that is your GOAT right?

Where I agree with that except it is hard for me to choose between the Cs and Lakers. Lakers are more glam and get a lot more press and Cs are the blue collar guys only republicans don't root for

At first I was going to say you have the Heat a little high but they have only been in the league for 25 years!! Not a bad resume.

 

[RobToxin]

Current ... right now .... not GOAT....

1. Miami Heat. Brought in two big names from free agency while keeping their own big name free agent and turned those signings into three straight EC titles and back-to-back NBA titles.

2. San Antonio Spurs. When teams hire a head coach or GM and they say "we want to bring the Spurs' ways to our city" it is the ultimiate compliment.

3. Memphis Grizzlies. Just three years ago, this team had never even won a playoff game, much less a playoff series. Just a couple of months ago, they were in the WC Finals. Management gets credit for turning them around but they could fall off the list real easy considering their crazy offseason.

4. Indiana Pacers. Closing them gap ever so slowly on the Heat. Lost in 6 games in the conference semis last year. Lost in 7 in the EC Finals this year. If they can stay the course, Miami may have a serious threat on their hands.

5. OKC, Patterned after the Spurs. Wondering, however, if they haven't peaked as an organization.

Noteworthy mentionables:

The Lakers. Don't know where they are headed with all the Buss family drama.

Boston: Too much turmoil to lift them in the top 5. Same with Denver and the Clippers.

Chicago: Takes a black eye with the whole Derrick Rose fiasco.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

I guess my slight on the Grizzlies is in the past, I need to move forward and they are doing great things today. With the Hollins thing though I figured Wallace was reverting.

I think Chicago can blame Adidas and Rose for that fiasco. The doctors cleared Rose to play, the bulls had no option other than to just wait and hope which they did.

I probably didn't give Riley enough credit for the big 3 but even if it was all Wade or whoever that is a part of the management too.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Current ... right now .... not GOAT....

1. Miami Heat. Brought in two big names from free agency while keeping their own big name free agent and turned those signings into three straight EC titles and back-to-back NBA titles.

2. San Antonio Spurs. When teams hire a head coach or GM and they say "we want to bring the Spurs' ways to our city" it is the ultimiate compliment.

3. Memphis Grizzlies. Just three years ago, this team had never even won a playoff game, much less a playoff series. Just a couple of months ago, they were in the WC Finals. Management gets credit for turning them around but they could fall off the list real easy considering their crazy offseason.

4. Indiana Pacers. Closing them gap ever so slowly on the Heat. Lost in 6 games in the conference semis last year. Lost in 7 in the EC Finals this year. If they can stay the course, Miami may have a serious threat on their hands.

5. OKC, Patterned after the Spurs. Wondering, however, if they haven't peaked as an organization.

Noteworthy mentionables:

The Lakers. Don't know where they are headed with all the Buss family drama.

Boston: Too much turmoil to lift them in the top 5. Same with Denver and the Clippers.

Chicago: Takes a black eye with the whole Derrick Rose fiasco.

I pretty much agree with this top 5 except I would switch Grizzlies and Pacers.

 

[tlance]

Current Management:

1. Spurs
2. OKC
3. Pacers (Bird is awesome even though he is not really in action any more)
4. Riley...Heat
5. Mavericks
6. Rockets
7. Brooklyn
8. Bulls
9. Cs
10. Clippers?

This isn't meant to be a slam on the Lakers, they will be back as soon as Short Buss is voted off the island. I can tell little difference between them and first time Grizzlies owner Robert Pera and horrific GM Chris Wallace.

Hang on there. The Clippers cannot be on this list. They have a good team, because they traded for CP3 and had a couple good draft picks. Donald Sterling has been trying real hard to screw it up. For all the good work the front office does, Sterling screws it up.

Also, the Grizz are pretty impressive. The Rudy Gay trade was addition by subtraction as he and Zbo did not mesh. It will be telling to see how they decide to move on once ZBo is no longer the guy.

 

[tlance]

1. Spurs- Small market team in title contention for the last 15 years. They find draft value where nobody else can and they have made some genius trades. #2 isn't close.

2. Heat- Not only did Riles bring in the big 3, but he filled the roster with some quality, cheap complimentary pieces.

3. Rockets- Daryl Morey is a genius. The transformation this team has made over the last two years will be complete if they can land Dwight.

4. OKC- They would have been number two if not for the Harden trade

5. Memphis- Not afraid to go against the grain. Another small market winner.

6. Indiana- Their rise has been impressive. They will be higher next year if they prove to have staying power.


Next 3- Mavericks, Celtics, Bulls


Bottom 3-

28- New Jersey- Sorry, but they have the highest payroll in the league and they are not a contender. I will eat crow if proven wrong, but I just can't see it. Money can buy you the playoffs, but it will only get you a ring when spent wisely. My bet is that these guys will be laughing stalks in 3 years.

29- Lakers- Historical, they are number 1. Buss is totally incompetent however. The way he has turned this franchise from perennial contender to mediocre underachiever is amazing.

30- Charlotte- Enough said

 

[tlance]

Also, they don't belong in the top 10, but I really like what Philly is doing. They took a shot on Bynum last year. It didn't work and now they have hit the reset button. The Holiday trade was great for them and gives them an excellent shot at a franchise player to pair with Noel in next year's draft.

 

[Heatles84]

@Heatles that is your GOAT right?

Where I agree with that except it is hard for me to choose between the Cs and Lakers. Lakers are more glam and get a lot more press and Cs are the blue collar guys only republicans don't root for

At first I was going to say you have the Heat a little high but they have only been in the league for 25 years!! Not a bad resume.

Ya I just ranked GOAT franchises in the NBA....not management. Mgmt. seems to keep swapping out for alot of teams except for teams like the Spurs. It would make my head spin trying to keep up. But I'd still have my Heat in the top 10, maybe top 5 currently.

 

[Heatles84]

1. Spurs- Small market team in title contention for the last 15 years. They find draft value where nobody else can and they have made some genius trades. #2 isn't close.

2. Heat- Not only did Riles bring in the big 3, but he filled the roster with some quality, cheap complimentary pieces.

3. Rockets- Daryl Morey is a genius. The transformation this team has made over the last two years will be complete if they can land Dwight.

4. OKC- They would have been number two if not for the Harden trade

5. Memphis- Not afraid to go against the grain. Another small market winner.

6. Indiana- Their rise has been impressive. They will be higher next year if they prove to have staying power.


Next 3- Mavericks, Celtics, Bulls


Bottom 3-

28- New Jersey- Sorry, but they have the highest payroll in the league and they are not a contender. I will eat crow if proven wrong, but I just can't see it. Money can buy you the playoffs, but it will only get you a ring when spent wisely. My bet is that these guys will be laughing stalks in 3 years.

29- Lakers- Historical, they are number 1. Buss is totally incompetent however. The way he has turned this franchise from perennial contender to mediocre underachiever is amazing.

30- Charlotte- Enough said

This guy gets it.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Hang on there. The Clippers cannot be on this list. They have a good team, because they traded for CP3 and had a couple good draft picks. Donald Sterling has been trying real hard to screw it up. For all the good work the front office does, Sterling screws it up.

They just brought in Doc Rivers, we all scoffed at them firing their coach because no better replacements were available. Then they get a taken Doc for whatever mutually beneficial reasons.

Trading is management and drafting well is not easy #MJ

All that and they were still a question mark who would be replaced by Grizzlies.

I rated Brooklyn high because their management is a lot like Cuban's and gave them some benefits of doubts. They are willing to make moves and go after people. They may not be contenders but right now under the new management I think their goals are to sell tickets and be competitive. They will be that.

As long as they do not turn into the Knicks they will be contenders most years.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

1. Spurs- Small market team in title contention for the last 15 years. They find draft value where nobody else can and they have made some genius trades. #2 isn't close.

2. Heat- Not only did Riles bring in the big 3, but he filled the roster with some quality, cheap complimentary pieces.

3. Rockets- Daryl Morey is a genius. The transformation this team has made over the last two years will be complete if they can land Dwight.

4. OKC- They would have been number two if not for the Harden trade

5. Memphis- Not afraid to go against the grain. Another small market winner.

6. Indiana- Their rise has been impressive. They will be higher next year if they prove to have staying power.


Next 3- Mavericks, Celtics, Bulls


Bottom 3-

28- New Jersey- Sorry, but they have the highest payroll in the league and they are not a contender. I will eat crow if proven wrong, but I just can't see it. Money can buy you the playoffs, but it will only get you a ring when spent wisely. My bet is that these guys will be laughing stalks in 3 years.

29- Lakers- Historical, they are number 1. Buss is totally incompetent however. The way he has turned this franchise from perennial contender to mediocre underachiever is amazing.

30- Charlotte- Enough said

I don't agree with Houston. IF they get Howard, yes, but until then, they IMO did nothing but build a team that is entertaining to watch but not built to win in the playoffs.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

More on Brooklyn. The owner is a business man, business men like to make money and billionaires are very good at it. This means when he has his talent scout expert and GM guy go "hey, we need this guy" and "this will sell the tickets until we can get a franchise player" he is going to listen. He knows this isn't his field, but making money is so he knows you have to rely on experts for things you don't know yourself.

#Jerry Jones #Al Davis

 

[BOTSLAYER]

A side note, not all franchises goal is to win a title, most is to make money. Normally winning titles makes you a lot of money, but so does selling tickets.

This is why giving Lin that ridiculous contract is ok because of the added foreign support for your team. Also why you can not amnesty Kobe because he is $15m overpaid and the luxury tax is going to be astronomical, you have to sell those tickets and Kobe does that.

The Pittsburgh pirates were a great example of this. They were the 2nd most profitable franchise in baseball for several years. They did it by not paying anybody and relying on profit sharing.

 

[tlance]

This guy gets it.

Thanks Heatles

 

[geneh_33]

30. Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks only care about having enough wins and one big name player so they can fill up Phillips Arena. They do not, nor have they ever cared about winning any kind of title.

I have been wishing for the Hawks' owners to sell the team to somebody who cares for many years. Finally, the Falcons did it, but it may never happen for the Hopeless Hapless Hawks fans.

 

[tlance]

They just brought in Doc Rivers, we all scoffed at them firing their coach because no better replacements were available. Then they get a taken Doc for whatever mutually beneficial reasons.

Trading is management and drafting well is not easy #MJ

All that and they were still a question mark who would be replaced by Grizzlies.

I rated Brooklyn high because their management is a lot like Cuban's and gave them some benefits of doubts. They are willing to make moves and go after people. They may not be contenders but right now under the new management I think their goals are to sell tickets and be competitive. They will be that.

As long as they do not turn into the Knicks they will be contenders most years.

I may be underestimating the Clippers. They have made some great moves. I just know how terrible of an owner Sterling is. He almost made CP3 walk with his comments. If he can shut up and stay out of the way, they will be contenders for the next few years at least.

As for the Nets, if they are paying 80 million in luxury tax and they aren't real contenders, they are going to have a hard time making $. It is clear to me that Prokorov's goal is to win despite the cost. The thing is, you can't just force it in this league. You need to build around a superstar (or two) to seriously contend. The Nets foolishly invested in D. Williams as that guy, and have surrounded him with a bunch of good, but over-priced veterans.

Now that DWill is locked up long term, they should be trying to shed $ so they can make a run at a better foundation piece (either Dwight or 2014). Now they can't do that.

The Nets look like a very expensive pretender to me.

 

[tlance]

30. Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks only care about having enough wins and one big name player so they can fill up Phillips Arena. They do not, nor have they ever cared about winning any kind of title.

I have been wishing for the Hawks' owners to sell the team to somebody who cares for many years. Finally, the Falcons did it, but it may never happen for the Hopeless Hapless Hawks fans.

That is very frustrating. That is how the Wizards operated for years, except they were much worse at it than the Hawks. It sucks when your team doesn't want to do it the right way. At least the Wizards appear headed in the right direction now.