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In this article series we're going to be breaking down the greatest teams over the past 28 seasons. I'm arriving at these results by taking each teams PER and taking the difference of that teams opponents PER.
#10.) 2032-33 SuperSonics
The difference in the conference finals for the SuperSonics this year might've bee their Eastern Conference schedule. The Nuggets ended the regular season atop the Western Conference by record, earning them home court against the SuperSonics. This series was really back and forth, and went all the way to game seven where Nikos Arsenopoulos and Brandon Boston Jr. came up big to secure the Nuggets a finals appearance, one which they would go on to win. Hall of Famer Tyrese Maxey had his highest assists per game this season, much in part to the strong cast around him. If the SuperSonics had any weakness this season, it was at center where Brandon Clarke at 35 was starting. The team simply knew how to score, they averaged 117.1 point per game, with six players averaging over ten points per game. It's a shame it didn't end with a Larry O'Brien trophy, because this was Cloud's best team assembled this league
PER Differential: 3.56
Season Record: 61-21
Season Outcome: Lost in Conference Finals
Top Scorer: Tyrese Maxey (28 PPG)
Top Rebounder: James Wiseman (12 RPG)
Top Passer: Tyrese Maxey (11 APG)
#9.) 2038-39 Cavaliers
The 2038-39 Cavaliers were simply an amazing team, and one of the very few 70+ win teams ever. GM Hokey had been building up assets and cashed many of them in for a star studded lineup. A back court of Cole Anthony and Steve Nash accounted for 57.4 points per game, with the team as a whole averaging 118.4 points per game. The Cavaliers had a bit of a scare in the first round of the playoffs, with the eight seed Pacers taking them all the way to a game seven. The team bounced back in the next two rounds, winning both in five games, before suffering a heartbreaking four game sweep in the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. Cole Anthony wanted to end his last season on a high note, but he ended up leaving the game of basketball with a bad taste in his mouth. On paper, the Cavaliers should have won that series. The blame solely lies with the coaching staff, that couldn't come up with the right matchups and game plan when it mattered most.
PER Differential: 3.63
Season Record: 71-11
Season Outcome: Lost in Finals
Top Scorer: Steve Nash (30 PPG)
Top Rebounder: Mac Koshwal (13 RPG)
Top Passer: Steve Nash (11 APG)
#8.) 2023-24 Bulls
This was one of the worst outcomes for an all-time great team, losing in the second round of the playoffs. This was really earning in R.J. Barrett's career, he was 23 years old, and just had earned a massive five year contract extension. Even with the pay increase for Barrett, the Bulls were able to put together an absolutely stacked roster. They held onto star forward Jayson Tatum and forward Wendell Carter Jr. who was one of the best big men in the game at the time. They also added Steven Adams to the roster, solidifying one of the best front courts in the league. The one question mark on the team was Spencer Dinwiddie who was by far the weakest player in their starting five. The Bulls already had two championships at this point, and looked poised for another, but they ran into a buzz-saw, named Giannis Antetokounmpo, in the playoffs. It was a battle of the titans between Giannis and R.J. Barrett. Giannis averaged 32.5 points per game in the playoffs, whereas R.J. averaged 35 points per game. Unfortunately the Giannis got the better of R.J. and the number one seed Bulls, one of the most disappointing playoff losses in Barrett's amazing career.
PER Differential: 3.72
Season Record: 68-14
Season Outcome: Lost in Second Round
Top Scorer: R.J. Barrett (32 PPG)
Top Rebounder: Steven Adams (11 RPG)
Top Passer: R.J. Barrett (9 APG)
#7.) 2031-32 Nuggets
The Nuggets would later get their revenge against the SuperSonics next season, but in 2031-32 the SuperSonics took out the Nuggets in six games. Usually when you think of a Greeme team, you think of high scoring, especially from the back court, but this team was different. This team held opponents to 93.9 points per game in the regular season, while averaging 110.4 points per game themselves. Outside of Nikos Arsenopoulos who was only their for his scoring, the starting line-up was elite on defense. Their front court of Cliff Omoruyi and Ben Wallace was a terror to opposing offenses. Ramar Smith was an underrated lockdown defender on the wing and Brandon Boston Jr. was a steal machine, averaging 2.2 a game. Everything was going right for this team until they ran into a hungry Tyrese Maxey in the playoffs. This is where the defense of Nikos Arsenopoulos got exposed. Maxey averaged 29.3 points per game in that series and led the SuperSonics to the finals where they would fall to the stacked Wizards team. It was a missed opportunity for the Nuggets this season without a doubt.
PER Differential: 3.73
Season Record: 65-17
Season Outcome: Lost in Conference Finals
Top Scorer: Nikos Arsenopoulos (27 PPG)
Top Rebounder: Cliff Omoruyi (13 RPG)
Top Passer: Nikos Arsenopoulos (8 APG)
#6.) 2030-31 Wizards
One of many stacked Washington Wizards teams, was the 2030-31 roster. GM GetBeard managed to pair the two best players of all-time, R.J. Barrett and Cole Anthony, and the duo did not disappoint. They average a combined 60.6 points per game, 15.2 rebounds per game and 9.3 assists per game. The craziest part about this team though, was that they still had Allen Iverson, who was just entering into his peak. The team cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs, but the Orlando Magic gave them a run for their money in the conference finals, taking them to seven games. Tyrese Maxey couldn't finish the job against the stacked Wizards, and they'd move onto the finals where they defeat the Thunder in seven games. Allen Iverson, the third wheel by most people's standards, actually came away with playoff MVP. This team gave other teams nightmares, and their dominance made them one of the most hated teams of all-time. The team was expected to win it all from the start, and they went and did just that.
PER Differential: 3.82
Season Record: 63-19
Season Outcome: NBA Champion
Top Scorer: R.J. Barrett (32 PPG)
Top Rebounder: Charles Bassey (10 RPG)
Top Passer: Allen Iverson (9 APG)
