Ranking the NBA’s small market teams

Minnesota Timberwolves</a> the worst team in all four major sports? They have the worst winning percentage in NBA history at .399, have never made a Finals, and after adding Rudy Gobert this past offseason nobody is even considering taking them seriously. That’s how bad they are.</p> <p>In recent years they’ve had three first-overall picks. They used them on Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Edwards, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Both were the obvious choices at the time, but Wiggins never lived up to the hype and could be considered a bust. Towns, on the other hand, is a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA player. He’s just not a winner. It’s too early to make any judgments on Edwards, but the Twin Cities seem to be a place where decent players go to be forgotten about.</p> <p>The Wolves also had Kevin Garnett for 12 seasons before he finally won with the Boston Celtics. He won the 2004 league MVP award, but that’s really the only hardware the franchise can claim. During his tenure, Garnett had spats with ownership before finding immediate success elsewhere. Minnesota and the midwest are ruled by hockey and football, and the fans have forgotten about the Wolves. They are consistently among the bottom in league attendance, probably because the product is just not worth paying to see.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #14 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_447497" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img class="wp-image-447497 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2393,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F50832936.jpeg" alt="Mike Bibby, Sacramento Kings" width="1600" height="2393" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/50832936.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/50832936-768x1149.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Mike Bibby, Sacramento Kings (Photo by: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h3>#14: Sacramento Kings</h3> <p>The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/sacramento-kings/">Sacramento Kings</a> barely edge out the winning percentage of the Wolves, which is the only reason why they find themselves here. Back when I was in middle school, we tried to see if anyone could list all 30 NBA teams. We forgot the Blazers and Kings, but when the kid with the phone told us the cities that the teams we were in, we managed to remember Portland. That was not the case with the Kings, and I don’t think that’s rare for most fans.</p> <p>I was in middle school in 2013. The Kings last made the playoffs in 2006. That was before I started kindergarten. I’m truly sorry for my northern Californian friends. The Buffalo Sabers hold the NHL’s longest streak with 11, and even the lowly Detroit Lions have made the playoffs since.</p> <p>Only the Seattle Mariners have a longer playoff drought with 20 seasons since their glory days, but at the time of writing, that streak could be broken as soon as this season. I don’t think the Kings will be playoff bound anytime soon unless they make shocking moves.</p> <p>If you remember the Rochester team of 1951, I applaud you. Mostly for even finding this website, but also for making it this far in life. Yes, they won the Finals, but I’m only counting teams in their current home.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #13 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_447498" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img class="wp-image-447498 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2070,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F630811374.jpeg" alt="Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets" width="3200" height="2070" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/630811374.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/630811374-768x497.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h3>#13: Charlotte Hornets</h3> <p>I’m jumping off of the winning percentage train that I’ve stuck to so diligently for my first two teams. The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/charlotte-hornets/">Charlotte Hornets</a> are not the worst team in terms of winning percentage, but they’ve yet to make a Finals. They are also owned by Micheal Jordan, so a winning pedigree is to be expected.</p> <p>When looking through the All-Time franchise point leaders, a few names stand out to me. Brook Lopez leads the Nets all time. Randy Smith leads the Clippers. Mike Conley leads the Grizzlies. None of these guys will make the Hall of Fame. Kemba Walker is no different. When the best player in franchise history is better known for his college accomplishments than his NBA stardom, you know you deserve a spot this low. Mr. Jordan, what are you doing?</p> <p>Now that a part-time blogger has lit a fire under him, I’m sure His Airness will take that personally and lead them to greatness. I’m a big fan of LaMelo Ball and really do think he can lead them to great things, so if you’re reading in 2030 wondering how the Hornets, in the middle of a dynasty, could fall here, keep in mind that you’re reading cave drawings from the distant past.</p> <p>For now, the Hornets are a forgotten franchise. Their win shares leaders include Walker, Cody Zeller, Gerald Wallace, Dell Curry, and Marvin Williams. These are mostly role players. Whatever is going on down in Carolina is sad, and I want no part in their past.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #12 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_447499" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img class="wp-image-447499 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2239,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1232153444.jpeg" alt="Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans " width="1600" height="2239" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1232153444.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1232153444-768x1075.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h3>#12: New Orleans Pelicans</h3> <p>Just because we’ve reached number 12 doesn’t mean we aren’t still scraping the bottom of the barrel. The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/new-orleans-pelicans/">New Orleans Pelicans</a> were looking good when they had a duo of DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis, but one got hurt and one wanted out. Honestly, I can’t blame him. The Pelicans have had some good players since their 2002 inception, but they could never put it together.</p> <p>Chris Paul tried his best, but he had a minimal supporting cast. That being said, he had help on the Clippers and Suns but he’s yet to win a title, so maybe he’s the problem. But I digress.</p> <p>Much like the Hornets, the Pelicans have a case to make some real noise soon. They have a great roster of young talent, and I hope they do great things, mostly so New Orleans has another excuse to have a parade.</p> <p>My theory is that the Pelicans are supposed to be bad. I was delighted to find out they were rebranding in 2013 to one of the most ridiculous mascots in all of sports. Personally, I love waterfowl, but it’s not exactly an inspiring name.</p> <p><a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4395628/zion-williamson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zion Williamson</a> might be able to pull them back from the brink, but we are yet to see him play a full season. I’m a big believer in their current roster, so hopefully this ranking changes in the future, but for now they’re a bottom-tier team in the entire league.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #11 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_447500" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img class="wp-image-447500 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2370,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F983028312.jpeg" alt="Alex English, Denver Nuggets" width="1600" height="2370" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/983028312.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/983028312-768x1138.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Alex English, Denver Nuggets(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h3>#11: Denver Nuggets</h3> <p>The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/denver-nuggets/">Denver Nuggets</a> have a generational player in Nikola Jokic, and I don’t say that lightly. I feel like we slap a “generational” label on stars, but it means something else. Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, and Klay Thompson are all really, really good, but they aren’t generational. The only players that earn that title are Jokic, LeBron James, Curry, Durant, and Giannis. “Generational” implies they have either changed the game forever, as Curry did, or transcended it, as James did.</p> <p>Jokic is the first true point-center I’ve seen. He’s not a point guard in any sense, but the ball is always in his hands and he can put it on the floor and pass like the best of them. Unfortunately, his team is yet to make the Finals and has never really had any degree of success, with or without him on the roster.</p> <p>The Denver Nuggets were one of the best ABA teams, but this article is clearly titled “Ranking the NBA’s small market teams.” To my editor–if you change the title, this fourth wall break doesn’t work.</p> <p>Since entering the league, the Nuggets have the 15th best win percentage. That’s perfectly average, although teams with the worst records have made more noise in the playoffs. The Nuggets have hardly made any, which, for the time being, secures their spot.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #10 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_447501" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img class="wp-image-447501 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1961,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F144217022.jpeg" alt="Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies" width="1600" height="1961" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/144217022.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/144217022-768x941.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h3>#10: Memphis Grizzlies</h3> <p>The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/memphis-grizzlies/">Memphis Grizzlies</a> have a worse winning percentage than the Hornets, Pelicans, and Nuggets, they’ve never made an NBA Finals, and their best player of all time is Marc Gasol, but they make the playoffs. In 20 seasons since moving to Memphis, they’ve made 12 playoffs and have always played better than they should against good teams.</p> <p>Do they deserve to be considered a “good” franchise? Nope, not in terms of NBA history, although they seem to always be in the thick of it.</p> <p>Plus, they have a positive culture. The Wolves and Kings have culture, sure, but usually, it’s centered around being laughed at. The Nuggets don’t have any, and neither do the Hornets or Pelicans. The Grizzlies have Grit and Grind, which is just so badass.</p> <p>As soon as Grit and Grind ground to a halt, Ja Morant and the current iteration of the Grizzlies arrived, bringing some swag to Beale Street.</p> <p>This team used to play in a giant glass pyramid that has since become a Bass Pro Shop. It’s the seventh largest pyramid in the world, and it’s a Bass Pro Shop. Yeah, the Grizzlies need as much swag as they can muster.</p> <p>While the Grizzlies–like most small market teams–have never really been much of a threat to win it all, they have played spoiler, keeping good teams out of the second round and the playoffs as a whole. That’s good enough for me, they earned this spot.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #9 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_447502" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img class="wp-image-447502 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1088,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F94736796.jpeg" alt="Stan Van Gundy, Orlando Magic" width="1600" height="1088" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/94736796.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/94736796-768x522.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Stan Van Gundy, Orlando Magic (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h3>#9: Orlando Magic</h3> <p>We went from teams that have never even sniffed the NBA Finals to a team that has been twice. The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/orlando-magic/">Orlando Magic</a> boast Penny Hardaway, Dwight Howard, Shaq, and Tracy McGrady, so how are they this low? In their 14 years, they have been within 100 points of a .500 winning percentage only 14 times. Most decent teams hover around the .500 mark most years, but the Magic are rarely anywhere close.</p> <p>That’s because they are either really good or really bad. When they’re bad, they shamelessly stink. There’s nothing wrong with that, but when they’re good, they tend to implode. Yeah, they’ve been to the Finals twice, but they’ve only made the Conference Finals two other times. In the playoffs, they rarely go all out, which means they’re a guaranteed first-round exit.</p> <p>Part of that has to do with Doc Rivers and Stan Van Gundy. Rivers has coached Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Blake Griffin, Paul George, DeAndre Jordan, Chris Paul, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid. He has only one ring to show for it. He is the king of playoff disappointments and has blown more 3-1 leads than anyone.</p> <p>Stan Van Gundy is in a similar, but less extreme, situation. He coached Shaq and Dwayne Wade in Miami before narrowly missing out on the 2006 ring, then coached Howard in Orlando before finding himself on some middling Detroit and New Orleans teams. Van Gundy is an average NBA coach, and average doesn’t win titles. Neither does some magic, apparently.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #8 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_332696" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-332696" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1240,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F51689262.jpeg" alt="Indiana Pacers, NBA" width="1600" height="1240" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/51689262.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/51689262-768x595.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Indiana Pacers (MATT CAMPBELL/AFP/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h3>#8: Indiana Pacers</h3> <p>The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/indiana-pacers/">Indiana Pacers</a> hold a nearly perfectly mediocre winning percentage of .499, which is not as bad as some remaining teams, but their lack of postseason success hurts them. It’s not their fault, as Micheal Jordan happened to be dominating during their best player’s peak. Then, after Jordan retired for real, Kobe Bryant and Shaq made sure that Reggie Miller would never win a ring, no matter how close he came.</p> <p>People tend to forget how good Jermaine O’Neal and Danny Granger were, but they weren’t good enough to get this franchise listed any higher. Had Paul George stuck it out I’m sure they would move up a few spots, but I’m not here to play the “what if” game. No, the Pacers are a perfectly average NBA team who never brought home any hardware.</p> <p>It makes sense, I suppose. The university team reigns supreme in the aptly named Hoosier State. The Pacers put together some really good teams that coincided with the peaks of Bryant, James, and Jordan. Reggie Miller is great and all, but how is he supposed to compete with that? You just can’t, and I try not to hold that against them, but the world keeps spinning.</p> <p>To their credit, the Pacers have employed notable coaches like Rick Carlisle, Larry Brown, Nate McMillan, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, and Frank Vogel. They were three-time ABA Champions, which is what got them into the league. Once they were there, they played better than some big-city teams, but they haven’t been able to quite break through.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #7 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_447504" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img class="wp-image-447504 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2370,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F923872282.jpeg" alt="Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers" width="1600" height="2370" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/923872282.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/923872282-768x1138.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h3>#7: Portland Trailblazers</h3> <p>This is the part of the list where we get into good NBA teams, regardless of market size. The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/portland-trail-blazers/">Portland Trailblazers</a> have had their fair share of bad luck. They drafted Sam Bowie instead of Micheal Jordan, Greg Oden instead of Kevin Durant, and Brandon Roy instead of healthy players like JJ Reddick or Rudy Gay.</p> <p>They hit big with Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, but they haven’t made a Finals since 1992, and haven’t won since 1977. The Blazers with one banner, as I call them. Thanks, Bill Walton! The Blazers seem to always have a great player. Walton, then Drexler, then the Jail Blazers, then Aldridge and Lillard.</p> <p>The team is rarely horrible, and always has a share of talent, but the Western Conference is almost always the stronger of the two, and the Blazers just get absorbed into the “pretty good, but not great” category, along with the Mavericks, Jazz, and Suns. It’s pretty cool that they went all the way in their first-ever playoff appearance, but they never reached the top again. Thanks, Michael Jordan!</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #6 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_447620" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="wp-image-447620 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2210,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F533851658.jpeg" alt="NBA" width="3200" height="2210" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/533851658.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/533851658-768x530.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h3>#6: Cleveland Cavaliers</h3> <p>If it weren’t for LeBron James, the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/cleveland-cavaliers/">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> would almost certainly come last on this list. But having a hometown hero and the greatest NBA player ever (I’m kidding! Or am I?) on your team for 11 seasons helps. Owner Ted Stepien tried his best to self-immolate the franchise, but James is an unstoppable force.</p> <p>The Cavs boast the eighth worst winning percentage in league history, but five Finals appearances help move them way, way up on the list. That’s the third best of all qualifying teams. I can’t even hold the four Finals losses against them. In 2007, they had no business getting there anyway, and the Spurs quadruple-teamed James all series to secure a win.</p> <p>In 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, the Cavs went up against the absolutely stacked Warriors, so winning the hardest-fought ring ever is enough of an accomplishment. James only won two MVPs with the Cavs, but he could have easily won several more. If James and Kyrie Irving stayed in town, the Cavs would still be competing every single year.</p> <p>You might think that I’m focusing too much on James and not enough on the franchise, and for that, I apologize. Their other leaders in win shares are Mark Price, Brad Daughtery, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Hot Rod Williams. If you’d rather read about them, more power to you, but if we’re talking about the Cavs as a franchise, they are LeBron James.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #5 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_447505" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img class="wp-image-447505 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1074,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F158803452.jpeg" alt="Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder " width="1600" height="1074" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/158803452.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/158803452-768x516.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h3>#5: Oklahoma City Thunder</h3> <p>Per the rules that I made up, only the seasons in the dust bowl count. The Seattle Supersonics are dead and buried, and they were reborn in blue jerseys. The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/oklahoma-city-thunder/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> had, at one point, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Serge Ibaka. They were all under 25 when the Thunder went in a different, less successful direction after their first Finals appearance in 2012.</p> <p>Between Westbrook, Durant, and Chris Paul, the Thunder had an All-Star every year from 2008-2020. That’s a crazy stretch for one of the smallest sports cities in America. They boast the fourth best winning percentage of any NBA team at .565, and that comes in at second in the small market category.</p> <p>The only reason they aren’t higher is that they couldn’t keep it together. I understand that they couldn’t pay James Harden, and then had injury struggles with Durant and Westbrook, but if that duo gave it a fair chance and played a few full seasons together, think of the consequences. The Spurs and Heat maybe don’t go back to back in 2013 and ‘14, the Warriors and Thunder form one of the best rivalries in all of sports, and we avoid all the drama that their alumni have stirred up since leaving. It sounds like a dream. Also, they’re held back by their short existence.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #4 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_447506" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img class="wp-image-447506 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1364435619.jpeg" alt="Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1364435619.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1364435619-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h3>#4: Milwaukee Bucks</h3> <p>The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/milwaukee-bucks/">Milwaukee Bucks</a> had the best big ever in Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, then had a solid stretch in the 1980s with Sidney Moncrief, and finished the century with Ray Allen. I started following the entire NBA towards the end of the aughts, and remember the Bucks being a middling franchise who was never awful but never any good, either.</p> <p>Then they got a kid from Greece and have been contenders since 2018. I love the new Bucks. I love that they play in a tiny market, I love that their star is hugely likable and helps grow the game, and I love that their mascot rivals New Orleans in terms of silliness. Despite having several Hall of Famers and even more joining them soon, the Bucks have only won a single banner and boast a shockingly middling win percentage of .523. Yes, the Bucks have had a lot of great players but they were never able to have a consistently great team.</p> <p>Three Finals appearances are nothing to sneeze at and, in terms of this list, I think of the Bucks as a better version of the Trailblazers. They almost always have talent, but they haven’t found postseason success yet. Under coach Jason Kidd, they were a first-round exit at best, and I’m surprised the current regime of Mike Budeholzer hasn’t been able to make more than one Finals. The blueprint is there, the Bucks just struggle with the execution of it all.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #3 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_189626" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-189626" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1383,w_2043/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F03%2F51544696-utah-jazz-john-stockton-l-dribbles-around-a-scr.jpg" alt="NBA" width="2043" height="1383" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/03/51544696-utah-jazz-john-stockton-l-dribbles-around-a-scr.jpg 2043w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/03/51544696-utah-jazz-john-stockton-l-dribbles-around-a-scr-300x600.jpg 300w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/03/51544696-utah-jazz-john-stockton-l-dribbles-around-a-scr-768x0.jpg 768w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/03/51544696-utah-jazz-john-stockton-l-dribbles-around-a-scr-590x900.jpg 590w" sizes="(max-width: 2043px) 100vw, 2043px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:2043px;">Utah Jazz’ John Stockton (L) dribbles around Karl Malone (R) (DAN LEVINE/AFP/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h3>#3: Utah Jazz</h3> <p>If we decide to ignore the NBA Finals, one could argue that the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/utah-jazz/">Utah Jazz</a> are the greatest team in NBA history. However, no one in their right mind would ever do that, so the Jazz fall to number three because they have only made two Finals and lost both of them.</p> <p>If you really wanted to, you could argue that John Stockton is the best point guard ever. You could make the same case for Karl Malone at power forward, and you could say that Jerry Sloan was the best coach ever. I think all those points are absurd, but I would certainly put all of them in the top five.</p> <p>Three top five basketball minds in one small town, and they were never able to win a title. That’s not entirely their fault, as they ran into Micheal Jordan. That seems to be the main flaw with a lot of teams on this list, doesn’t it? The Jazz have the fourth-best win percentage in the NBA, sitting at .545. That’s a tough number to beat, but I can’t get over the fact they don’t have any titles.</p> <p>Their main flaw is drafting. The Jazz are terrible at drafting, taking Gordan Hayward over Paul George, Enes Kanter Freedom over Jonas Valančiūnas, Trey Burke over Giannis, Dante Exum over Marcus Smart, Trey Lyles over Devin Booker, Tauren Prince over Pascal Siakam, and Darius Bazley over Jordan Poole.</p> <p>All of that was in the last decade, too. Utah’s two best players as of late were Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, both of whom were traded for on draft night. If the Jazz could find good players on their own, maybe they’d be a slot higher. As for now, the lack of rings holds them back, despite the winning numbers.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #2 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_447508" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img class="wp-image-447508 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2381,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1296004836.jpeg" alt="Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons" width="3200" height="2381" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1296004836.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1296004836-768x571.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons (Photo by Allsport/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h3>#2: Detroit Pistons</h3> <p>The<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/detroit-pistons/"> Detroit Pistons</a> actually have a losing record, sitting at 2796-3038. However, that included their brief time in Fort Wayne in the 1950s. In Detroit, historically, they haven’t been much better. So why are they listed so high? Well, they have made seven Finals and won three of them. Those seven appearances are more than any other team on the list and beat out our bottom nine teams combined.</p> <p>The Pistons had two core eras. They were the “Bad Boys” in the pre-Jordan years and won two titles with Isiah Thomas, and then they were the “Going to Work Pistons” beating the Shaq/Kobe/Malone/Payton Lakers in 2004. In between eras, they remained competitive thanks to Grant Hill. If he stayed healthy, he would be the greatest Piston ever. But he didn’t.</p> <p>Seven Finals is quite an accomplishment, and beating the early-2000s Lakers in 2004, the Showtime Lakers in 1989, and the Drexler Blazers in 1990 makes it even more of a momentous task. What makes it even more impressive is that the 2004 Pistons did it with only one All-Star, Ben Wallace. The entire 2004 team did not have a single NBA 75 member, being the third team to win without a player represented, and the only one since 1979. Detroit vs everybody, am I right?</p> <p>Since the “Going to Work Pistons” hung it up, the franchise has refused to tank or rebuild, until Cade Cunningham was on the table. The Pistons traded for Blake Griffin in 2017, which was one of the more confusing trades ever. The Pistons were in a perfect position to tank but delayed it by a few seasons.</p> <p>The Pistons also spent much of the 2010s relying on old-school center Andre Drummond to run the offense. Drummond was a fine player, but he should have been the second option. But since they never tanked, Drummond was never joined by another promising player. If the Pistons were competent during the last decade, they would be a solid team by now instead of just living off promise. The past is more than enough to seal the number two spot, though.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The best small market team might be the best team regardless of size </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_447509" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img class="wp-image-447509 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2151,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F451157582.jpeg" alt="San Antonio Spurs " width="3200" height="2151" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/451157582.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/451157582-768x516.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">San Antonio Spurs (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h3>#1: San Antonio Spurs</h3> <p>One could make the case that the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/san-antonio-spurs/">San Antonio Spurs</a> are the greatest team in any American sport. Their all-time winning percentage of .611 is not just the best out of any small market NBA team, it’s the best winning percentage of any American sports team, period. They have missed the playoffs only seven times in their 42 seasons, having a winning record in 36 of those.</p> <p>The Spurs made the playoffs 22 seasons in a row from 1998-2019, second only to the Detroit Red Wings at 25. The Spurs do not mess around. They win basketball games, and that’s pretty much it. There’s no need for flash, swag, or even fun when you have five banners in six NBA Finals appearances. Do you know what’s more fun than a 360-degree dunk? Winning a basketball game.</p> <p>People love to discredit the Spurs for being a “system” created by Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich. I have two points to refute that: Jordan and Phil Jackson had a system, as do Curry, and Steve Kerr. Simply put, systems result in wins. Second of all, that’s just not true. In 20 seasons without Popovich, the Spurs still made the postseason 17 times. Sure, they never won the Finals, but they were a great team. People forget that there was a time that George Gervin was considered a top 10 player ever.</p> <p>The Spurs played with a rigid hierarchy during their peak. Popovich was on top, but Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker were his go-to guys. They kept everyone else in line and created a dynasty, unlike anything the NBA has ever seen, and frankly will ever see again.</p> <p>The Spurs never repeated like the Pistons, but they also never had a down year. Any given season, you could pick the Spurs to win it all and everyone would nod their head in agreement. They were as consistent as a team could be. They were a well-oiled machine.</p> <div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="The NBA's 50 greatest duos" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2015/12/28/nbas-50-greatest-duos-time/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/14/ranking-nba-small-market-teams/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2015/12/28/nbas-50-greatest-duos-time/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> The NBA's 50 greatest duos </a> </div> </div> <p>Can you tell that I’m a diehard Spurs fan? I have been since birth. I was raised right. Even with my bias, Piston and Jazz fans would agree with me. The Spurs beat them out, and it’s not even close. You knew San Antonio was number one on this list before you even started to read because of course they are. Where else would I put them? Anywhere else would just be wrong.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">