As a Torontonian that has
been following the Raptors since their inception in 1995, is safe to say the
2015/2016 NBA season will go down as the greatest year in Toronto Raptors
history. Although this year’s journey has been amazing, one cannot help to reminisce
the past 21 years of disappointment. Over the past two decades, I never felt
that the Raptors were part of the NBA fraternity and being located in Canada
definitely does not help. However, this feeling of exclusion does not stem from
the geographic whereabouts of the Raptors, but it stems from the lack of
on-court accomplishment as an organization. Similar to the NBA 2K video game
series, I believe there are certain achievements an organization needs to
accomplish to validate their membership within the NBA fraternity. Below are 5
achievements that I believe an organization needs to fulfill before that franchise
can even be considered a novice member of the NBA fraternity (Tier One).
As
winning the NBA championship is such an exclusive accomplishment, this list
does not apply to franchises that have won a championship. The organizations listed
below are automatically part of the highest tier within the NBA fraternity:
76ers, Blazers, Bucks, Bulls, Celtics, Hawks,
Heat, Kings (Royals), Knicks, Lakers, Mavericks, Pistons, Pistons, Rockets,
Spurs, Thunder (Supersonics), Warriors and Wizards (Bullets).
Tier One Achievements:
#1:
The 50+ Win Club
In
the past 4 seasons, only 31 out of the 120 teams eclipsed the 50+ win mark. Although
50+ wins does not guarantee getting home court in the playoffs, it does mean
your team is playoff-bound. With a total of 56 wins in the 2015/2016 season, the
Toronto Raptors is officially the last organization to join the 50+ win club.
(Organizations Pending – None)
#2:
A Streak of 10+ Wins
From
a big picture perspective, a streak of 10+ wins does not actually mean
anything. A team could win their first 10 games of the season and lose the
other 72. Although this feat does not guarantee a playoff berth, it is very difficult
to accomplish and it requires a team to play well on a consistent basis. As of
today, the
Memphis Grizzlies is the only organization in the NBA without a double digit
winning streak.
(Organizations Pending – Grizzlies)
#3:
The Final Four
The ultimate goal for every organization is to win a
championship. However, just getting the opportunity to play for a championship
is a rare feat on its own. Every year, only about 3 to 4 teams are actually
contenders to win it all. For most organizations, just reaching the Conference Finals
is considered a major accomplishment.
(Organizations Pending – Clippers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Hornets, Grizzlies and
Pelicans)
#4:
Multiple All-Stars on Roster
Over the course of 65 All Star Games, over 400
players had the honor to call themselves an All-Star. Roughly 70% out of the
406 players were All-Stars on multiple occasions. Although having one player to
represent an organization is quite common, having multiple representatives is a
tougher task. Unfortunately, the Memphis Grizzlies is the only organization in the
NBA to not have multiple All-Stars on the same roster.
(Organizations Pending –
Grizzlies)
#5:
Hosting the NBA All-Star Game
Although
this feat is not an on-court accomplishment, having the opportunity to host the
All-Star Game is a sign that the NBA is ready to welcome your organization and city
into its fraternity. To be fair, there are many factors that play into
accomplishing this feat, from funding to hotel accommodations. However, a NBA
franchise just feels incomplete if its city never gets the opportunity to host
the biggest party of the year.
(Cities Pending – Memphis, OKC, Portland and Sacramento)
Based
on the checklist above, surprisingly quite a few organizations (Clippers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Hornets, Grizzlies and
Pelicans) are
ineligible to be considered a Tier One member of the NBA fraternity. Although
most organizations are only reaching the “Final Four” away from completing the list,
the Memphis Grizzlies has a bit of work to do. Let me know what you think about
my list and feel free to chime in on what achievements you would like to add or
even take out.
~ NORTH IS COMING ~
~ NORTH IS COMING ~