I still remember the 2013-2014 NBA season like it was yesterday - what an incredible year that was for basketball fans. The standings told such a fascinating story of dominance, surprises, and heartbreaking near-misses. Looking back at those final rankings, I can't help but marvel at how the San Antonio Spurs absolutely dominated the Western Conference with a remarkable 62-20 record. That's the kind of consistency that makes you appreciate great coaching and team chemistry. Meanwhile over in the East, the Indiana Pacers claimed the top seed with 56 wins, though honestly, I always felt they were playing above their potential that season.
What really stood out to me that year was how competitive the Western Conference was compared to the East. Teams like Phoenix Suns won 48 games and still missed the playoffs - that's just brutal when you think about it. I remember arguing with friends about whether the 49-win Dallas Mavericks deserved their 8th seed over Phoenix, and to this day I think the Suns got robbed. The Eastern Conference had its own drama too, with Brooklyn Nets barely making it as the 6th seed despite having that expensive roster everyone was talking about.
The playoffs that year were absolutely electric, and I'll never forget watching that incredible Spurs vs Mavericks first-round series that went to seven games. When the Spurs finally broke through, you could just sense they were on a mission. Their ball movement was poetry in motion - I've never seen a team move the ball so beautifully. Then watching them dismantle the Miami Heat's superteam in five games during the Finals was just satisfying basketball. That series proved that team basketball could still triumph over individual superstars, which is something I've always believed in.
Thinking about that season reminds me of something June Mar Fajardo said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards: "Tagilid kami ngayon. Pero may chance pa naman kami. Hopeful pa rin kami." That sentiment perfectly captures how several NBA teams must have felt that year - facing tough odds but maintaining hope. Teams like the Toronto Raptors, who surprised everyone by grabbing the 3rd seed in the East, or the Washington Wizards emerging as dark horses. That fighting spirit is what makes basketball so compelling to watch season after season.
What's interesting to me is how the standings from that season predicted some franchise trajectories while completely missing others. Who would have thought that the 59-win Oklahoma City Thunder, with Durant's MVP season, would struggle to maintain that level in subsequent years? Or that the Golden State Warriors at 51 wins were just one season away from becoming a dynasty? Analyzing these standings with hindsight shows how fluid NBA success can be. The teams that finished at the bottom that year - Philadelphia with 19 wins, Milwaukee with just 15 - were actually positioning themselves for future success through the draft, though at the time it felt pretty bleak for their fans.
Reflecting on that season's standings and playoff outcomes gives me a deeper appreciation for how quickly fortunes can change in the NBA. The Spurs' championship felt like the culmination of years of building, while other teams were just beginning their journeys. Those final rankings don't just represent numbers - they tell stories of triumph, disappointment, and everything in between. For basketball nerds like me, digging into these historical standings is like revisiting old friends, each with their own unique narrative worth remembering.
