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NBA 2K12: What About the Worst of the Worst?

In my last article, I listed out the ten greatest teams that I’d like to see added to NBA 2K12's Greatest Mode. While I was doing my research for the article, I said to myself “Wouldn’t it be fun to play with some of the worst NBA teams of all-time?” It would be a challenge to try to pull off monumental upsets against the all-time great teams, or to rebuild a laughingstock into a contender in Association mode. At the very least, it would allow for the Clippers to have an entry in the Greatest mode. Here are my suggestions for the best of the worst:


These two teams are classic. The teams below? Not so much.

2002-03 Cleveland Cavaliers

In some ways this was one of the most important seasons in Cavs’ history as the 17-win team ended up winning the lottery. They drafted this kid named LeBron James and usheedr in the franchise’s golden era. This Cavs team had some talent, starting with the frontcourt of future All-Stars Carlos Boozer and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the only member of this team on Cleveland’s 2007 Finals squad. Ricky Davis and Darius Miles were explosive wing players, but didn’t always have their head in the game, e.g., when Davis tried to get a triple-double by intentionally missing a shot. The point guard trio of Milt Palacio, Smush Parker and Bimbo Coles didn’t help matters much and first-round pick Dajuan Wagner showed very little promise. Not surprisingly, most of these guys were former Cavaliers by the end of LeBron’s rookie season.

Starters: PG-Milt Palacio, SG-Ricky Davis, SF-Darius Miles, PF-Carlos Boozer, C-Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Bench Rotation: Smush Parker, Dajuan Wagner, Jumaine Jones, Tyrone Hill, Chris Mihm

1972-1973 Philadelphia 76ers

This team won nine games (NBA record for an 82-game season), the first to lose 70 games and is generally regarded as the worst NBA team of all time. The “9 and 73ers” used 19 players during the season and lost 20 games straight at one point. The highlights of the season were unexpected wins over the eventual champion New York Knicks and the 60-win Milwaukee Bucks. The 76ers were led by Fred Carter (20 points per game), Tom Van Arsdale (17.7 points per game), and Leroy Ellis (13.7 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game).

Starters: PG-Freddie Boyd, SG-Fred Carter, SF-Tom Van Arsdale, PF-Leroy Ellis, C-Manny Leaks
Bench Rotation: Kevin Loughery, Don May, John Block, Dale Schlueter, Hal Greer

1997-1998 Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets won a measly 11 games while losing 71, falling just short of the all-time record. After trading away their best player, Antonio McDyess, before the season, the Nuggets struggled mightily, including a then NBA record of 23 consecutive losses. The leading scorer was their sixth man, Johnny Newman, who averaged a paltry 14.7 points per game. LaPhonso Ellis was probably the best player on the team, finishing second in scoring and leading the team in rebounds. The Nuggets had a couple of promising rookies in Danny Fortson and Bobby Jackson, but the majority of the roster was composed of veteran journeymen, like Newman and Joe Wolfe, and young players who never made an impact in the league.

Starters: PG-Bobby Jackson, SG-Eric Washington, SF- LaPhonso Ellis, PF-Tony Battie, C-Dean Garrett
Bench Rotation: Johnny Newman, Danny Fortson, Anthony Goldwire, Cory Alexander

1986-1987 Los Angeles Clippers

There have been plenty of bad teams in the less-than-storied history of the Clippers, but this team might have been the worst of them all. The Clippers finished a horrendous 12-70, which was half as many wins as the next worst team that season. Noted draft bust Benoit Benjamin was the centerpiece of this team, who featured a couple of reliable veterans in leading scorer Mike Woodson and leading rebounder Michael Cage. Former All-Star Marques Johnson suffered an early, season-ending injury and Cedric Maxwell was traded mid-season to the Rockets for draft picks. The rest of the roster was made up of journeymen like Darnell Valentine and Larry Drew. 

Starters: PG-Darnell Valentine, SG- Mike Woodson, SF-Rory White, PF-Michael Cage, C-Benoit Benjamin
Bench Rotation: Larry Drew, Lancaster Gordon, Quintin Dailey, Kenny Fields, Marques Johnson

1995-1996 Vancouver Grizzlies

It’s tough to blame an expansion team for being bad, but this was probably the worst of all expansion teams. They had a 19-game losing streak and later in the season followed it up with a 23-game streak (later matched by the Nuggets and surpassed by the Cavaliers last year). The leading scorer was former Knick Greg Anthony, who led the team with a meager 14 points per game. The frontcourt was anchored by Bryant “Big Country” Reeves, who had a solid rookie season in what became an otherwise disappointing NBA career. Blue Edwards and Laker legend Bryon Scott were the other double figure scorers for Vancouver, who went through 18 players during the season. 

Starters: PG-Greg Anthony, SG-Blue Edwards, SF-Ashraf Amaya, PF-Chris King, C-Bryant Reeves
Bench Rotation: Byron Scott, Eric Murdock, Anthony Avent, Lawrence Moten

These teams are very far from the “Greatest”, but they would add a different element to the NBA's Greatest mode in ]2K12

Would you like to see bad teams like these added, and if so who would you run with?

 


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Member Comments
# 21 richmo @ 11/02/11 12:05 AM
Wow, self- reading comprehension FTL. But again, we were around .500 when healthy so I wouldn't exactly say 40 wins is impossible.
 
# 22 johnnyboy8102 @ 11/02/11 12:34 AM
1992-93 Dallas Mavericks

They went 11-71 w/ Derek Harper, Rookie Jimmy Jackson, Rookie Sean Rooks, and Terry Davis leading the way.

They also had Tim Legler and original NBA Jam player Mike Iuzzolino.
 
# 23 AlwaysBased @ 11/02/11 01:05 AM
The 2009-10 Nets!
#SWAG
 
# 24 SouthBeach @ 11/02/11 01:11 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by richmo
Wow, self- reading comprehension FTL. But again, we were around .500 when healthy so I wouldn't exactly say 40 wins is impossible.
Haha.

I dunno. I mean, I guess 40 wins isn't that outrageous given the bottom feeders are capable of getting being an 8th seed with that many wins.

And they were capable of beating "elite/good" teams (Lakers, Heat, and Knicks during the season) when playing at the level they're expected of playing.
 
# 25 kc2135 @ 11/02/11 04:44 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by almostbobsaget
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CHI/2000.html

99-2000 Chicago Bulls get my vote. Though the 1999 lockout season was just as bad, the Bulls this year were consistently ranked in the bottom 5% of the league averages (28th in ppg) and the 2nd worst record in the NBA (beating out the Clippers).

It also didn't help when Will Perdue had the highest paid contract that year.
Wasn't that also the year the Bulls paid Eddie Robinson like 32 mil lol. I actually liked him
 
# 26 MrBallaBoy21 @ 11/02/11 05:31 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by richmo
Anderson Varejao (one of the best flopping bigs in the NBA)
I'm sorry, I just had to fix that
 
# 27 pietasterp @ 11/02/11 03:37 PM
Great Thread. My vote: 1998-99 Detroit Pistons. It wasn't so much that they were the worst record-wise, or that they were notably/historically putrid, but they represented the complete dearth of interesting and dynamic players/teams in the NBA during the entire latter half of the 90's and early 2000's...just so generic and vanilla that no one, even the most die-hard 'Stones fan like myself, could ever get excited about them. I mean, they were desparately grasping to try to surround their one player - Grant Hill - with a cast that included a year-from-retirement-Joe Dumars (who already had one foot in the front office at that point), a still-learning Lindsey Hunter and Stackhouse, and then a hilariously overmatched collection of journeymen even the most die-hard NBA fan would have trouble recognizing, including Bison Dele (nee Brian Williams, RIP), Corey Beck, Jud Buechler, Steve Henson, Don "The Chief" Reid, and Mikki Moore...but then, to top it all off, they collected this nucleus of guys-that-you-primarily-remember-from-college that were totally non-descript pros including Christian Laettner, Eric Montross, Loy Vaught, and Charles O'Bannon. Oh, and that year we joined the "draft a high school kid" craze by taking Korleone Young...

The best part was that the team tried desperately to market to fans by forcing Jerome "Junkyard Dog" Williams down your throat as the team's de facto mascot, including "JYD" merchandise and a special, $20 seat section called "the Junkyard", which was even in effect for the playoffs!!!! I actually attended a Pistons-Hawks first-round playoff game for a $20-spot I had in my pocket and sat in the Junkyard. That was as depressing and moribund of a playoff game, in any sport, that I've ever been to. There was more energy in the Oakland County Morgue than there was in the Palace that night.

But I offer that as the Pistons' official selection for the all-crap team, because I distinctly remember playing NBA Live games on the PS1 using that team, and trying desperately to make it semi-interesting by trying to win the 3-point title with Bison Dele...spoiler: I came about 75 3's short of the leader that season....
 
# 28 The Bad Man @ 11/02/11 04:50 PM
i wont pay to have some all-time worst nba teams in the game. theyre just a waste of space in the disk. NO WAY
it's so easy to make your team the worst team ever in the nba. get rid of your key players and trade your superstars for a bunch of useless wusses and you have a perfect worst of the worst team. fun to use to maybe upset some great teams but doesnt ring to me. sorry.
 
# 29 hoop xyience @ 11/02/11 05:20 PM
"MY" post season 10-11 LAKERS
 
# 30 qpc123 @ 11/02/11 06:03 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by sunsaz
No love for the '96 Raptors? ANYTHING to get the dino jerseys in the game!
1995-96 Raptors weren't even the worst team in the league(or eastern conference) that year going 21-61. The other expansion team the Vancouver Grizzlies went 15-67 to claim that title and the Sixers went 18-64.

That said I would like to see both the Raptors dino and Vancouver Grizzlies jersey's in the game. Only way I pay for any of this is if the jersey's are included and the cost is half of the planned DLC for 2k12(unless it was a some kind of package with several teams/missing jersey's included i.e. 93 Suns Jersey).
 
# 31 Goffs @ 11/02/11 06:14 PM
Knicks with the Isaiah Thomas as coach era....
 
# 32 fnz21 @ 11/02/11 08:12 PM
Any game that allows me to play with Bryant Reeves on my team, I will certainly buy.
 
# 33 HMcCoy @ 11/04/11 06:31 AM
The 02-03 Cavs weren't bad, they were young. They ditched every decent vet ( Dre Miller, Wes Person and Lamond Murray) in order to tank for Bron. Davis and Miles were pretty entertaining...

And did someone compare NBA starters to D-league call ups?
 
# 34 geowalla @ 11/06/11 02:56 PM
2000 raptors vince carter, tracy mcgrady, charles oakley, antonio davis, alvin williams, jerome williams, dell curry, dee brown, mugsy bogues, kevin willis. Need I say more the 2000 raptors should have been put in considering the dynamic duo of t-mac and Vince
 
# 35 BJNT @ 11/06/11 11:21 PM
1982-83 Houston Rockets 14-68 and the 1983-84 Houston Rockets 23-59. These two teams are the reason why the NBA has the lottery.
 
# 36 BustinLoose @ 11/10/11 11:05 AM
And wasn't it the very next season the Rockets went to the Finals?
 
# 37 Isom @ 11/29/11 10:13 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by JaySmooov
They didn't "lose" Mo Williams and Jamario Moon, they traded them to the Clippers for Baron Davis. Baron Davis, IMO is better than Mo Williams and is arguably one of the best PGs in the game when he's all-in. That's just been Davis' issue, he can be a top 5-10 PG one week or 3, and be bad the next. Just inconsistent.

As for Jamario Moon and Delonte West, they were just replaceable bench guys. I mean, They're essentially the same guys as Samardo Samuels, Christian Eyenga, and Manny Harris.

The Cavs need to get rid of guys like Boobie "I practice with Channing Frye in the offseason" Gibson. Seriously, that guy just chucks up threes with no regard for shooting percentage.
One one hand you're saying Davis is good and on the other you're saying he's inconsistent. Inconsistency doesn't make you a top point guard, ever.
 
# 38 OGKing @ 11/29/11 01:56 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by RedSceptile
ummm the 04-05 Lakers finished 34-48...I hardly see how that constitutes a worst of the worst moniker...
Finished 34-48, but that year was horrible for us. We sucked ***.
 

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