Let us take a moment to reflect back at the last 35 seasons, comparing regular season road records with playoff success.
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Teams with the best road records during the regular season
(This is the breakdown of what the best team of each of the 35 years accomplished)
* NBA Championships(14) - Boston('81), Philadelphia('83), Boston('84), Boston('86), Lakers('87), Lakers('88), Detroit('89), Chicago('92), Chicago('96), San Antonio('99), Lakers('00), Boston('08), Lakers('09), Miami('13)
* Eliminated in the NBA Finals(4) - Washington('79), Boston('85), Philadelphia('01), Miami('11)
* Eliminated in the Western Conference Finals(6) - Portland('91), Phoenix('93), San Antonio('95), Lakers('98), Dallas('03), Phoenix('05),
* Eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals(4) - Boston('80), Boston('82), Miami('97),Indiana('04),
* Eliminated in the Semi-Finals(3): Lakers('90), Dallas('02), Spurs('06)
* Eliminated in the opening round(4): Seattle('94), Dallas('07), Dallas('10), Chicago('12)
So, the team with the best road regular season record:
31 of the 35 advanced out of the opening round to the Conference Semi-Finals
28 of the 35 advanced out of the Conference Semi-Finals to the Conference Finals
18 of the 35 advanced out of the Conference Finals to the NBA Finals
14 of the 35 won the NBA Championship
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If you look at the six best road records in the regular season,we have an almost magical consistency:
Here is a list of pople in which all 4 spots of the Conference Finals were held by top 6 teams on the road during the regular season:
Only 28 of the available 140 spots in the Conference Finals were not held by teams with top 6 records on the road during the regular season (that's just 20% of the spots that need to be divided up, implying the 6 of them deserve 80% of the bathroom privileges.
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Here is the breakdown (a listing of each Conference Finals positions they finish on the road in the regular season)
1st position made the Conference Finals in (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013)
2nd position made the Conference Finals in (1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 2012)
3rd position made the Conference Finals in (1979 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012)
4th position made the Conference Finals in (1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1996 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012)
5th position made the Conference Finals in (1987, 1990, 1992, 1993, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
6th position in (1983, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2009)
7th position in (1986, 1990, 2002, 2005, 2007)
8th position in (1983, 1985, 1995, 2001, 2007, 2008)
9th position in (1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2010, 2013)
10th position in(1981, 2002)
11th position in(1995, 2000)
12th position in (1981,1987, 1994)
13th position in (2003, 2012)
14th position in (1983)
15th position in (2000)
18th position in (1999)
The point of comprising this list was to demonstrate just how top heavy Championships are won...
The 28 seasons where the team with the best road record has the same number of Conference Finals that everyone who finished 7th or worse combined to have.
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But what we really want to know is the numbers about NBA Championships won by their relative standing vs other players: :
1st position - 14 titles
2nd position - 10 titles
3rd position - 1 title
4th position - 2 titles
5th position - 5 titles
6th position - 2 titles
7th position - 1 title
So, every title for the past 35 years was won by a team with a relative ranking of no worse than 7th with regards to road games during the regular season.
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So who are the current top 7 teams with respect to road regular season games (team and road record):
1) San Antonio Spurs - 19-6
2) Oklahoma City Thunder - 18-9
3) Portland Trail Blazers - 17-10
4) Indiana Pacers - 15-8
5) Miami Heat - 15-10
6) Golden State Warriors - 15-12
7) LA Clippers - 14-14
These are the same 7 teams that have been projected by basketball reference Champioship projections.
Indiana - 3 to 1
Oklahoma City - 5 to 1
San Antonio - 15 to 2
Miami - 10 to 1
LA Clippers - 14 to 1
Portland - 28 to 1
Golden State - 28 to 1
Houston - 35 to 1
Field - 25 to 1
The fact that different ways to project winners are all giving the same response is providng me with hope...
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For reference: A list of the Conference Finals teams over the last 35 years and where they rank o the road.
NBA Finals |
Road Record | Road rating | Losers of the Conf Finals |
Road record | Road rating |
2013 Miami | 29-12 | 1st | 2013 Indiana | 19-21 | 9th |
2013 SA | 23-18 | 5th | 2013 Memphis | 24-17 | 4th |
2012 Miami | 18-15 | 5th | 2012 Boston | 15-18 | 13th |
2012 OKC | 21-12 | 3rd | 2012 SA | 22-11 | 2nd |
2011 Dallas | 28-13 | 2nd | 2011 OKC | 25-16 | 5th |
2011 Miami | 28-13 | 1st | 2011 Chicago | 26-15 | 4th |
2010 Lakers | 23-18 | 5th | 2010 Orlando | 34-7 | 4th |
2010 Boston | 26-15 | 3rd | 2010 Phoenix | 22-19 | 9th |
2009 Lakers | 29-12 | 1st | 2009 Denver | 21-20 | 6th |
2009 Orlando | 27-14 | 4th | 2009 Cleveland | 27-14 | 2nd |
2008 Boston | _31-10 | 1st | 2008 Pistons | 25-16 | 5th |
2008 Lakers | 27-14 | 2nd | 2008 SA | 22-19 | 8th |
2007 SA | 27-14 | 3rd | 2007 Jazz | 20-21 | 7th |
2007 Cleveland | 20-21 | 8th | 2007 Detroit | 27-14 | 4th |
2006 Miami | 21-10 | 5th | 2006 Pistons | 27-14 | 2nd |
2006 Dallas | 26-15 | 3rd | 2006 Phoenix | 23-18 | 4th |
2005 SA | 21-20 | 7th | 2005 Phoenix | 31-10 | 1st |
2005 Detroit | 22-19 | 6th | 2005 Miami | 24-17 | 5th |
2004 Detroit | 23-18 | 4th | 2004 Pacers | 27-14 | 1st |
2004 Lakers | 22-19 | 5th | 2004 Minnesota | 27-14 | 2nd |
2003 SA | 27-14 | 2nd | 2003 Dallas | 27-14 | 1st |
2003 NJ Nets | 16-25 | 13th | 2003 Pistons | 20-21 | 6th |
2002 Lakers | 24-17 | 4th | 2002 Sacramento | 25-16 | 3rd |
2002 NJ Nets | 19-22 | 10th | 2002 Boston | 22-19 | 7th |
2001 Lakers | 25-16 | 3rd | 2001 SA | 25-16 | 2nd |
2001 Philadelphia | 27-14 | 1st | 2001 Milwaukee | 21-20 | 8th |
2000 Lakers | 31-10 | 1st | 2000 Portland | 29-12 | 2nd |
2000 Indiana | 20-21 | 8th | 2000 NY Knicks | 17-24 | 15th |
1999 SA | 16-9 | 1st | 1999 Portland | 13-12 | 6th |
1999 NY Knicks | 8-17 | 18th | 1999 Indiana | 15-10 | 3rd |
1998 Chicago | 25-16 | 6th | 1998 Indiana | 26-15 | 4th |
1998 Utah | 26-15 | 2nd | 1998 Lakers | 28-13 | 1st |
1997 Chicago | 30-11 | 2nd | 1997 Miami | 32-9 | 1st |
1997 Utah | 26-15 | 4th | 1997 Houston | 27-14 | 3rd |
1996 Chicago | 33-8 | 1st | 1996 Orlando | 23-18 | 4th |
1996 Seattle | 6-15 | 2nd | 1996 Jazz | 21-20 | 6th |
1995 Houston | 22-19 | 6th | 1995 SA | 29-12 | 1st |
1995 Orlando | 18-23 | 11th | 1995 Indiana | 19-22 | 8th |
1994 Houston | 23-18 | 4th | 1994 Jazz | 20-21 | 9th |
1994 NY Knicks | 25-16 | 2nd | 1994 Indiana | 19-23 | 12th |
1993 Chicago | 26-15 | 2nd | 1993 NY Knicks | 23-18 | 4th |
1993 Phoenix | 27-14 | 1st | 1993 Seattle | 22-19 | 5th |
1992 Chicago | 31-10 | 1st | 1992 Cleveland | 22-19 | 5th |
1992 Portland | 24-17 | 2nd | 1992 Jazz | 18-23 | 9th |
1991 Chicago | 26-15 | 2nd | 1991 Detroit | 18-23 | 9th |
1991 Lakers | 25-16 | 3rd | 1991 Portland | 27-14 | 1st |
1990 Detroit | 24-17 | 2nd | 1990 Chicago | 19-22 | 7th |
1990 Portland | 24-17 | 3rd | 1990 Phoenix | 22-19 | 5th |
1989 Detroit | 26-15 | 1st | 1989 Chicago | 17-25 | 9th |
1989 Lakers | 22-19 | 2nd | 1989 Phoenix | 20-21 | 4th |
1988 Lakers | 26-15 | 1st | 1988 Dallas | 20-21 | 4th |
1988 Detroit | 20-21 | 3rd | 1988 Boston | 21-20 | 2nd |
1987 Lakers | 28-13 | 1st | 1987 Seattle | 14-27 | 12th |
1987 Boston | 20-21 | 3rd | 1987 Detroit | 20-21 | 5th |
1986 Boston | 27-14 | 1st | 1986 Milwaukee | 24-17 | 3rd |
1986 Houston | 15-26 | 7th | 1986 Lakers | 27-14 | 2nd |
1985 Lakers | 26-15 | 2nd | 1985 Denver | 18-23 | 8th |
1985 Boston | 28-13 | 1st | 1985 Philadelphia | 24-17 | 3rd |
1984 Boston | 29-12 | 1st | 1984 Phoenix | 10-31 | 14th |
1984 Lakers | 26-15 | 2nd | 1984 Milaukee | 20-21 | 4th |
1983 Philadelphia | 30-11 | 1st | 1983 Milwaukee | 20-21 | 6th |
1983 Lakers | 25-16 | 2nd | 1983 SA | 22-19 | 4th |
1982 Lakers | 27-14 | 2nd | 1982 SA | 19_22 | 8th |
1982 Philadelphia | 24-17 | 3rd | 1982 Boston | 28-13 | 1st |
1981 Boston | 27-14 | 1st | 1981 Philadelphia | 25-16 | 3rd |
1981 Houston | 15-26 | 12th | 1981 Sacramento(KC) | 16-25 | 10th |
1980 Lakers | 23-18 | 2nd | 1980 Seattle | 23-18 | 4th |
1980 Philadelphia | 23-18 | 3rd | 1980 Boston | 26-15 | 1st |
1979 Seatle | 21-20 | 2nd | 1979 Phoenix | 18-23 | 4th |
1979 Washington | 23-18 | 1st | 1979 SA | 19-22 | 3rd |
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Go Blazers!