The end of the decade is upon us, which a good time to look at the teams that thrived and those that took a nosedive over the 2010s.
For clarity, the period examined begins with the 2010-11 NBA season and ends Dec. 12, 2019, rather than bridging games that were played in the second half of 2009-10. Remember, the 2011-12 season was limited to 66 games due to a players’ strike.
30. Sacramento Kings
The Kings have been consistent … as in consistently under .500. The last time the franchise had a winning season was 2005-06. It will be interesting to see if they can get over the .500 mark this go-round. The Kings are currently flirting with .500 but still under.
29. Phoenix Suns
Phoenix has not made the playoffs this decade. There has been improvement in 2019-20, but it cannot offset the franchise playing some of the worst ball in the league for years. The Suns had one season over .500, going 48-34 in 2013-14. That wasn’t good enough to make the postseason.
28. Memphis Grizzlies
It feels surprising that the Grizzlies had a run of seven postseason appearances in the decade, including one bout in the Western Conference Finals. A three-season spurt saw them win 161 games between 2012-13 and 2014-15. The lean seasons are back; 2019-20 looks like a third straight sub-.500 finish.
27. Minnesota Timberwolves
A sorry decade for the Timberwolves with one playoff appearance. That was in 2017-18, which also was the lone season the team played better than .500 ball.
26. New York Knicks
Hard to believe a team in such a huge market can continue to embarrassingly suffer losing seasons. The Knicks can’t get it together for a variety of reasons. They started the decade with three playoff appearances and have not been back since. Oooof.
25. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have missed the playoffs five times this decade. The best season they had was 2012-13 when they went 49-33. They were eliminated in the Eastern Conference first round. Have to figure the future is brighter with Kevin Durant signing and Kyrie Irving on the team, if he keeps it together.
24. Orlando Magic
Three first-round playoff losses are what the Orlando Magic have to show for the decade. There was also a six-season run of no postseason appearances. The best season was 2010-11 when the Magic went 52-30. Not great memories.
23. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets have not gotten the rub from Michael Jordan. The team flounders and has gone nowhere fast. They made the playoffs twice in the decade and lost in the first round both times. Their best win total was 48 in 2015-16. The low point was a seven-win season in the strike-shortened 2011-12 campaign.
22. Detroit Pistons
Another franchise that has seen better days. The Pistons had one season of .500 ball and one of better than .500 this decade. Both playoff appearances resulted in quick exits. The team doesn’t appear to be ready to turn this around in the 2019-20 season.
21. New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans had two positive seasons in the decade. They made it to the Western Conference semifinals in 2017-18, after going 48-34. Another sluggish start during this 2019-20 season, which has not been helped by the absence of Zion Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick.
20. Los Angeles Lakers
An atypical decade for a franchise associated with championships and lots of victories. The Lakers are on track in 2019-20 to break a six-season run of no postseason appearances. All it took was adding Anthony Davis to LeBron James to make that happen. However, the decade of despair cannot be ignored by one season of success. Frank Vogel is the team’s fifth coach in the 2010s. With losing comes lack of job security.
19. Washington Wizards
The best season for the Wizards saw them win 49 games in 2016-17. That was part of a run of five straight seasons of .500 or better. However, the low points were quite downers. There was a trio of Eastern Conference semifinals losses in what overall is a forgettable stretch.
18. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks continued a streak of 10 consecutive seasons when they made the playoffs as the decade started. The high mark was 2014-15 when they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. The low point has been the last two seasons, with no postseason appearances. They appear to be on their way to making it three in a row.
17. Chicago Bulls
Gone are the days of the dynasty Bulls. The team does more languishing than thriving nowadays. The decade started with a 62-win season in 2010-11 and that was the high point. They are on their way to not making the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
16. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers saw plenty of down time in the decade only to turn things around in the final years. The low of lows was a 10-72 run in 2015-16 that rivaled the 9-73 team of 1972-73. Those days are long gone and the future is bright for Joel Embiid & Co.
15. Denver Nuggets
Last season, Denver put the brakes on a five-season skid of no playoff appearances. That was the first time in the decade the Nuggets got out of the first round. They did have three seasons of 50 or more wins, though.
14. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are a perennial playoff team. They also are a franchise that doesn’t find a way to win the big round. They lost in the Eastern Conference Finals in back-to-back years (2013, 2014). Indiana remains stuck in the middle of winning a bunch of games and no rings.
13. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have hit their stride as the decade comes to a conclusion. The 60-win campaign in 2018-19 was a high point but there were five sub-par seasons for the franchise. However, if you want to look on the bright side, this is a team that has potential to win championships … going forward.
12. Dallas Mavericks
The decade began with such promise, Dallas winning the NBA Championship in 2010-11. That was the best of times for the Mavericks, who followed by making the playoffs four more times and exiting in the first round each season. It looks like a three-year run from being out of the playoffs will halt in 2019-20.
11. Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is on a six-season run of making the playoffs. The worst record over the span has been a 41-41 mark in 2016-17. Coming off last season’s performance, many would have expected far more than the rough going the Trail Blazers have found in 2019-20. Will be intriguing to follow.
10. Utah Jazz
The Jazz find a way to win a bunch of games and don’t make it deep into the playoffs. Been a pattern of the franchise forever. No championships. There was a four-year run of no playoffs in this decade, which is unusual. The Jazz are back to winning games and not threatening anyone in the postseason.
9. Los Angeles Clippers
The lone sub-.500 season for the Clippers opened the decade. Since, the team has had a remarkable run of success for a franchise not always associated with victories. They still have to find playoff magic. Maybe it’s this 2019-20 season with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George leading the way.
8. Cleveland Cavaliers
It has been all or nothing for Cleveland this decade. The Cavs made the playoffs four times and each run wound up with a Finals appearance. Otherwise, there was no postseason. The high point, of course, was the miracle comeback for the championship in 2015-16. As LeBron goes, the Cavs go. He is gone to L.A. and the team is back to its losing ways.
7. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are the reigning NBA champions and have done a remarkable job this season after the exit of Kawhi Leonard. They have made the postseason six straight seasons and have not won fewer than 48 games since 2013-14. Good decade for this franchise.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder
The lone season the Thunder did not make the playoffs this decade was 2014-15, when they went 45-37. Otherwise, plenty of victories in the regular season but the lone Finals appearance in 2011-12 resulted in a loss. Will be a test to make the postseason this season.
5. Boston Celtics
The Celtics were a perpetual playoff team this decade. However, they did not make it to the NBA Finals in the 2010s. They did have three 50-win seasons, however, and are on their way to another.
4. Houston Rockets
The Rockets are on a run of seven consecutive seasons making the playoffs. The franchise has not had a sub-.500 season since 2005-06. However, for all the wins and success, there has been playoff heartbreak. This looks like another season of regular-season success. Will it ever translate to the postseason with this group of players?
3. San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs have been in the playoffs every season since 1997-98. This year will test that run as they are off to a sluggish start. A team with a championship in the decade, having won it in 2013-14. It says everything about how strong this franchise is that 47- and 48-win seasons in the past two years have been their low point in the “W” column.
2. Miami Heat
The Heat opened the decade by losing the Finals in stunning fashion. They rebounded with back-to-back championships with a lot of help from the Big Three. That earns Miami a high spot in the rankings. Rings count. In all, it was four consecutive Finals appearances, which offset the yo-yo play of the rest of the decade.
1. Golden State Warriors
The team that all others are measured by in the 2010s. The Golden State Warriors went from afterthought to scary. They won three NBA Championships and it should have been four had Draymond Green not earned himself a suspension. The Finals run ended with a thud in 2018-19, as injuries derailed the Warriors. However, this team was brilliant. Feels like it is on its way to becoming the franchise with the greatest turnaround in the wrong direction in 2019-20.
