Over and Back: NBA teams who shouldn't lose, but somehow do

Over and Back: NBA teams who shouldn’t lose, but somehow do

By Jason Mann | Mar 21, 2017

Mar 8, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) celebrates with guard Isaiah Thomas (4) after a play against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Boston Celtics defeated the Golden State Warriors 99-86. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

NBA teams who outscore their opponents over a full season but have a losing record are relatively rare in the NBA. We take a look back at some of the most notable instances in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.

Jason Mann talks with Miles Wray of The Step Back about his investigation into recent teams who have managed to have a positive scoring margin and a losing record, with five current teams (Miami, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Minnesota and Denver) very close to doing so this season.

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First we look at some of the recent teams who have done so, including Kevin Love’s 2014 Timberwolves, the 2015 and 2016 Jazz, Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder sparking the 2015 Celtics, and an oddball 2008 post-Allen Iverson 76ers squad. Digging deeper into history, we look at some Dolph Schayes-led Syracuse Nationals teams in the 1950s, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 1975 Bucks and 1976 Lakers, and the 1981 Rockets and Kings (two 40-42 teams who faced off in the Western Conference Finals), and look at how often this happened to teams on the rise, including the 1987 Bulls with Michael Jordan, the 1989 Trail Blazers with Clyde Drexler, the 1992 Pacers with Reggie Miller, and the 2007 Magic with Dwight Howard.

Over and Back: NBA teams who shouldn’t lose, but somehow do

By Jason Mann | Mar 21, 2017

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