Best run NBA organizations

[HurricaneDij39]

Moving away from the negative theme, name me a list of your top-run current NBA franchises. Only one rule is that your list must revolve around present-day operations. In other words, I hope teams like the Bulls and Lakers aren't on too any list - You know, teams that have had their dynasty days in the past but are underwhelming in the present.

Here is my list (in no order):

• Golden State Warriors
• San Antonio Spurs
• Oklahoma City Thunder
• Toronto Raptors
• Boston Celtics
• Utah Jazz

 

[broncosmitty]

Shout out to the Mavs.



Cubes raised the bar.


Lakers are the Lakers and they have the best player on their team under contract for next year. They also make my list. If your best player might not be your best player next year, well, you still might be in my top 5, but only if you will/do play near a large bay. Or Harbor. Harbors are good. Smart to be near one. Teams love losing trades to teams near harbors. Danny Ainge knows this.

Obviously San Antonio as well.



That's Five.

 

[tlance]

Shout out to the Mavs.



Cubes raised the bar.


Lakers are the Lakers and they have the best player on their team under contract for next year. They also make my list. If your best player might not be your best player next year, well, you still might be in my top 5, but only if you will/do play near a large bay. Or Harbor. Harbors are good. Smart to be near one. Teams love losing trades to teams near harbors. Danny Ainge knows this.

Obviously San Antonio as well.



That's Five.

Dallas can't be on this list. Their front office was literally listed as one of the most toxic work environments in America because of their organizational culture a couple years ago. That is a big part of what makes a good organization.

Lakers? Cmon man. Yeah, they are the Lakers, but until they at least get back in the playoffs for 3+ years they can't be on this list either. All the teams @HurricaneDij39 listed are in the midst of impressive runs. Most are small market teams which makes it even harder to sustain success.

The Lakers have THE market and they still have done poorly the last 6-7 years. That is evidence of a poor organization. Maybe Magic and Pelinka can turn it around, but they sure haven't managed to do that yet.

 

[tlance]

Moving away from the negative theme, name me a list of your top-run current NBA franchises. Only one rule is that your list must revolve around present-day operations. In other words, I hope teams like the Bulls and Lakers aren't on too any list - You know, teams that have had their dynasty days in the past but are underwhelming in the present.

Here is my list (in no order):

• Golden State Warriors
• San Antonio Spurs
• Oklahoma City Thunder
• Toronto Raptors
• Boston Celtics
• Utah Jazz

This is a really good list.

All these teams have made the most of what they have had to establish winning cultures over the course of time. And most don't have big market advantages either.

I think the next tier might look something like this:

Milwaukee- haven't yet had playoff success, but that may be coming
Indiana- consistently good
Denver- trending up with young talent
Portland- always seems to beat expectations
Philly- tanking days are past. Deserve some penalty for that, but will probably be relevant for the next 6-8 years

 

[evilone]

Boston is a mixed bag. I think Ainge really hurt them in the eyes of players in how Isiah Thomas got handled. Maybe badly.

I think the Clippers deserve mention. Jerry West is one of the best.

 

[YourFriendGannon]

Here is my list (in no order):

• Golden State Warriors
• San Antonio Spurs
• Oklahoma City Thunder
• Toronto Raptors
• Boston Celtics
• Utah Jazz

The list I came up with is nearly the same as yours. I didn't have OKC on mine and I included Indiana and Miami. When I think of the least organizational dysfunction from what I notice, Indiana has been right behind San Antonio for some time.

 

[Wishbone]

SA and OKC

 

[tlance]

SA and OKC

Good choices,

But I don't know how you can list OKC and not include Golden State.

 

[DJ Fieri]

SA is the best because they have been doing it longer than GS has.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Never mind.

Missed present day.

 

[Ojb81]

Knicks
Suns
Magic
Hawks
Bills

 

[CitySushi]

Moving away from the negative theme, name me a list of your top-run current NBA franchises. Only one rule is that your list must revolve around present-day operations. In other words, I hope teams like the Bulls and Lakers aren't on too any list - You know, teams that have had their dynasty days in the past but are underwhelming in the present.

Here is my list (in no order):

• Golden State Warriors
• San Antonio Spurs
• Oklahoma City Thunder
• Toronto Raptors
• Boston Celtics
• Utah Jazz

Good list. I’d probably add Houston to this list. Morey, and the teams advanced analytics movement seem to have set the league in fire. Really good organization that has brought in the right guys to fit their direction.

 

[Shanemansj13]

The list I came up with is nearly the same as yours. I didn't have OKC on mine and I included Indiana and Miami. When I think of the least organizational dysfunction from what I notice, Indiana has been right behind San Antonio for some time.

Miami? Lol. No way

 

[YourFriendGannon]

Miami? Lol. No way

Well I did formulate my list in like 20 seconds. What is your argument against them? I would point to Spoelstra being a great coach for 11 years, as well as the continuity in ownership, front office, and retaining a crappy, I mean scrappy veteran like Haslem a very long time. Are you jealous they had one losing season in the last ten years?

 

[DJ Fieri]

Knicks
Suns
Magic
Hawks
Bills

You should go on a diet.

 

[trojanfan12]

Pretty good list by the OP:

In no particular order I'll say:

Warriors: Virtually every move they've made for the past several years has been spot on. Aside from building their core through the draft, they also hired the right coach to teach them defense and how to win. Then, they fired him despite pretty much everyone saying it was a mistake and brought in the guy to get them to where they are now.

Celtics: Just a couple of seasons ago, Ainge et al, were being mocked for having all of those assets and not appearing to have any real plan on what to do with them. Now, they are a legit contender and in position to be able to improve themselves further.

Spurs: Easily the most consistent team over the past 20 years. They have the same number of championships as the Lakers over that time, but have done it without missing the playoffs in any season or any drama (outside of Kawhi).

Pacers: I don't know if they'll ever win a title. But they have consistently had at least some say in who does. They seem to always have at least a competitive team. They have recovered nicely from losing PG as well.

Raptors: Have quietly been very good for awhile. Their biggest issue has been being allergic to Lebron, but outside of that, they have been really good. They may have cured their Lebron allergy (even if he stayed in the East) with the addition of Kawhi.

As for the Lakers being mentioned: Creating the cap space for 2 max players and landing Lebron were huge. Especially when you consider the mess that they walked into. However, they were made to look inexperienced at best and incompetent at worst with the AD debacle. That and the fact that the current FO has only been together for 1 season puts them off the list.

 

[tlance]

Well I did formulate my list in like 20 seconds. What is your argument against them? I would point to Spoelstra being a great coach for 11 years, as well as the continuity in ownership, front office, and retaining a crappy, I mean scrappy veteran like Haslem a very long time. Are you jealous they had one losing season in the last ten years?

Is Spoelsta a great coach? I don't think any of the Heat fans on here would say that he is.

He won 2 championships, but he also had a ridiculous super team that probably should have won at least 2. You can say he didn't get in the way of what that group accomplished, but I don't think he was the driver of their success.

 

[YourFriendGannon]

Is Spoelsta a great coach? I don't think any of the Heat fans on here would say that he is.

He won 2 championships, but he also had a ridiculous super team that probably should have won at least 2. You can say he didn't get in the way of what that group accomplished, but I don't think he was the driver of their success.

Yes, I think many coaches could have won 2 championships when they were a superteam. How many coaches do you think could have won as many games with what Spo has had to work with the last 4 or 5 seasons?

 

[tlance]

Yes, I think many coaches could have won 2 championships when they were a superteam. How many coaches do you think could have won as many games with what Spo has had to work with the last 4 or 5 seasons?

I don't know, but if you poll Heat fans on here, I think most would say considerably more.

And if the answer is actually less, would that not be a knock on the organization that assembles the roster?

The LeBron/Bosh era was great. Since then has been below average in terms of how they have been run, IMO. Defintely not the worst, but not great.

So if we are weighting toward the most recent past, I am not putting Miami on my list.

Over the last 20 years though? They are easily top 5 IMO.

 

[YourFriendGannon]

And if the answer is actually less, would that not be a knock on the organization that assembles the roster?

I did think of that and I guess my answer was hedging in a way. Over the years I've come to see coaching as difficult to evaluate. So I'll amend to saying Spoelstra is no worse than a top 8 coach at a given time, which in a relative way may or may not be considered great. I do think some of the contracts Miami doled out since 2015 don't look quite so outlandish in hindsight and they've drafted well in J-Rich, Winslow, and Bam. Many of the teams I eliminated from consideration were due in part to reported chaos or power struggles in the front office (current or fairly recent) and I don't recall hearing of that issue with Miami. Doesn't mean perception is always reality, I see it as a fun somewhat subjective exercise.