I still vividly remember the 2013-2014 NBA season as one of those transitional periods where established dynasties were being challenged by emerging forces. The standings that year told such an interesting story about competitive balance across both conferences. Looking back at the final rankings, what strikes me most is how the San Antonio Spurs' consistent dominance throughout the season perfectly set up their eventual championship run. They finished with a league-best 62-20 record, which honestly didn't surprise me given their system and coaching.
The Eastern Conference was particularly fascinating that year because the Indiana Pacers actually held the top seed with 56 wins, narrowly edging out Miami's 54 wins. I recall thinking at the time how the Heat seemed to be pacing themselves, conserving energy for another playoff push after back-to-back championships. The Pacers' regular season success felt more urgent, like they were trying to prove something - and they did, until they collapsed in the playoffs. The quote from Fajardo about being down but still hopeful somehow reminds me of teams like the Chicago Bulls that season, who managed to secure the fourth seed despite Derrick Rose's absence, showing incredible resilience.
What really stood out to me was the Western Conference bloodbath. The gap between the first-seeded Spurs and the eighth-seeded Dallas Mavericks was just 13 games, compared to the 22-game difference in the East. Teams like Houston and Portland were rising forces, while traditional powers like the Lakers struggled immensely, finishing 14th in the West with just 27 wins. I remember watching the Clippers and Warriors develop their exciting styles that would define the next era of NBA basketball. The Thunder's 59-win season felt somewhat overshadowed, though Kevin Durant's MVP campaign was absolutely deserved.
The playoff picture that emerged from these standings created some unforgettable series. That first-round matchup between the Thunder and Grizzlies went seven games, while the Clippers-Warriors series had all the drama and intensity we've come to expect from California rivalries. The standings didn't lie about the Spurs' superiority though - they navigated through that brutal Western Conference and then handled the Heat relatively comfortably in the Finals. When I analyze that season's data now, what's remarkable is how the final rankings accurately reflected team quality - the best teams generally rose to the top, though there were certainly surprises like Phoenix winning 48 games despite low expectations.
Reflecting on it now, the 2013-2014 season represented a turning point where we began to see the league's evolution toward pace-and-space basketball more clearly. The standings showed certain teams adapting better than others, with the most successful franchises balancing present competitiveness with future planning. That tension between hoping for immediate success while building sustainable models was evident across the league. Teams like the Spurs demonstrated how regular season consistency translates to playoff success, while others showed that regular season overachievement doesn't always mean lasting contention. The final rankings from that season continue to inform how I evaluate team building and season-long performance to this day.
