Easiest and toughest title runs since 2000

[SouBeachTalents]

Toughest
2011 Mavs
HM: 2001 Lakers

Easiest
2013 Heat
HM: 2003 Spurs

Who you guys got?

[livinglegend]

Easiest= 2001 Lakers.
No team challenged them.
2013 Heat are far from easiest. They went 7 games against Pacers and almost lost to Spurs.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

2003 Mavs? They lost to the Spurs in the Conference finals

Good call on the 2013 Heat. Weak teams; weak conference; no competition until the Spurs, who were already beat up.

[BlakFrankWhite]

easiest:2010 lakers

difficult:2014 spurs

[ClipperRevival]

I actually don't look too hard at stuff like this. To me, if you are the last team standing at this level, you earned it. Playing 4 rounds in 7 game series and still standing at the end? That's good enough for me. Sure, some runs might be a bit tougher or easier based on comp but I don't focus too much on that. Not in this era of parity and fierce competition.

[lilandywiggins]

Easiest= 2001 Lakers.
No team challenged them.
2013 Heat are far from easiest. They went 7 games against Pacers and almost lost to Spurs.

Just because they struggled didn't mean the competition was that tough.

[ArbitraryWater]

Toughest
2011 Mavs
HM: 2001 Lakers

Easiest
2013 Heat
HM: 2003 Mavs

Who you guys got?

dood.... doooooooood

[lilandywiggins]

HM: 2003 Mavs

I don't understand.

[Odinn]

2003 Spurs, 2005 Spurs, 2006 Heat, 2011 Mavs are my major candidates for the toughest.

[lilandywiggins]

2003 Spurs, 2005 Spurs, 2006 Heat, 2011 Mavs are my major candidates for the toughest.

For a second I thought you were saying easiest.

[DMAVS41]

2003 Spurs, 2005 Spurs, 2006 Heat, 2011 Mavs are my major candidates for the toughest.

03 Spurs had it pretty easy actually. Shaq/Kobe feuding and injured Dirk... Average finals team in East.

Should be on easy list... Not hard list.

[SouBeachTalents]

Lol, my bad guys, meant 2003 Spurs

[sp6r=underrated]

I did a study of this on another sports website ranking roads to the finals based on SRS from 1990 on.

[CODE]5 Easiest Roads to NBA Finals
2014 Heat Lost Finals 0.39 SRS
2013 Heat Won Title 0.50 SRS
2007 Cavs Lost Finals 0.63 SRS
2003 Nets Lost Finals 0.66 SRS
1991 Bulls Won Title 0.75 SRS


5 Hardest Roads to NBA Finals
2001 Lakers Won Title 6.17 SRS
1995 Rockets Won Title 5.83 SRS
2002 Lakers Won Title 5.69 SRS
2010 Celtics Lost Finals 5.55 SRS
2009 Magic Lost Finals 5.43 SRS[/CODE]

Note I did not include the finals in my analysis and was strictly focusing on competition play.

[SouBeachTalents]

I did a study of this on another sports website ranking roads to the finals based on SRS from 1990 on.

[CODE]5 Easiest Roads to NBA Finals
2014 Heat Lost Finals 0.39 SRS
2013 Heat Won Title 0.50 SRS
2007 Cavs Lost Finals 0.63 SRS
2003 Nets Lost Finals 0.66 SRS
1991 Bulls Won Title 0.75 SRS


5 Hardest Roads to NBA Finals
2001 Lakers Won Title 6.17 SRS
1995 Rockets Won Title 5.83 SRS
2002 Lakers Won Title 5.69 SRS
2010 Celtics Lost Finals 5.55 SRS
2009 Magic Lost Finals 5.43 SRS[/CODE]

Note I did not include the finals in my analysis and was strictly focusing on competition play.

Does that include their Finals opponent?

[sp6r=underrated]

Does that include their Finals opponent?

no, which makes the heat/cavs roads tougher than they look on that last list. Also that is only since 1990.