Every NBA team's best iteration ever

Every NBA team’s best iteration ever

PORTLAND, OR - 1987: Head Coach Pat Riley leads Magic Johnson #32, Byron Scott #4, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 during a game played circa 1987 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1987 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 20: Chris Paul #3 of the Los Angeles Clippers looks on prior to tip-off of the NBA game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Staples Center on December 20, 2014 in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory copyright notice. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Clippers: 2013-14

The Clippers do not have a lot of great seasons to pick from. In nearly 50 years of existence, the team has only made the playoffs 13 times, and has never made the Conference Finals, although for six years in the 2010s — after acquiring Chris Paul from the Hornets — they were a very legitimate team and perpetual Finals threat, but could just never quite get there due to bad luck and an absolute ton of injuries. The 2014 iteration was the best of the Lob City era, finishing with the franchise’s best SRS ever, and the most wins in team history.

Chris Paul was, well, Chris Paul, earning his third consecutive spot on the All-NBA first team. And Blake Griffin was better than ever before, averaging a career high in points, finding a place on the All-NBA second team, also for the third year in a row. The 2014 season was DeAndre Jordan’s breakout year as well, as he averaged a double-double for the first time in his career, while leading the league in rebounds and field goal percentage. Rounding out the team was deadeye shooter J.J. Redick and eventual Sixth Man of the Year award winner, Jamal Crawford.

Alas, though, they were only able to make it to the Conference Semifinals for a few reasons. First, they were extremely top heavy, lacking depth — especially on the wings — which was a bit of a recurring issue for the team during this era. Secondly, and primarily, the Western Conference was just loaded that year, with every single playoff team except one winning fifty games. After a very close seven-game series, the Clippers were able to dispatch the Warriors in the first round, but could not overcome the second-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round.

The team would return to the Conference Semifinals the following year, but would lose to the Houston Rockets after surrendering a 3-1 series lead. After two more seasons with their core of Paul, Griffin, and Jordan failing to make it out of the first round, the gang was split up, with the 2014 season remaining the apex of both Lob City and the Clippers franchise as a whole.

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