Fansided

5 greatest NBA teams that never won a title

By Jalen Eutsey

Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images
Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES: Karl Malone (R) of the Utah Jazz and Dennis Rodman (L) of the Chicago Bulls position for a rebound 08 June during game four of the 1997 NBA Finals at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT. The Bulls have a 2-1 lead in the series. AFP PHOTO/JEFF HAYNES (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES: Karl Malone (R) of the Utah Jazz and Dennis Rodman (L) of the Chicago Bulls position for a rebound 08 June during game four of the 1997 NBA Finals at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT. The Bulls have a 2-1 lead in the series. AFP PHOTO/JEFF HAYNES (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) /

3. 1996-97 Utah Jazz

The 1996-97 Utah Jazz were vanquished in the NBA Finals by the basketball demigod, better known as Michael Jordan. Then it happened again the following season. Choosing between the 1995, 1997, and 1998 Jazz teams is a lot like splitting hairs, but the numbers point to the 1997 team as the best. For one, Malone and Stockton were a year younger than in 1998 when Stockton labored through back pains in their Game 6 Finals loss to the Bulls. Karl Malone won the MVP award in 1996-97 as well. The 1997 team went 64-18, still the best record in franchise history. Their SRS score of 7.97 is better than both 1998 (5.73) and 1995 (7.76).

The four Jazz seasons from 1994-1995 to 1997-1998 remain four out of the five best offensive seasons in franchise history in terms of offensive rating. The Jazz had a better offense relative to the league in 1998 than in 1997, but only slightly. The 1997 team had the better defense, though.

How many teams did Jordan kick to the recesses of history with his dominance? The Jazz were clearly the second-best team in the league in 1997, but they couldn’t compare to the best team in the league, the Chicago Bulls. The 1996-97 Chicago Bulls had the best record in the league at 69-13. The Jazz were second in every single major category that season. And that’s exactly where they finished, second to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

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