2018 Houston Rockets | The Best NBA Teams to Never Win a Title
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- čas přidán 4. 05. 2023
- Today is our first video in a new series looking back at the best teams in NBA history that weren't able to finish the job. The first team we look at is the 2018 Houston Rockets that were led by Chris Paul and the league MVP James Harden. This team was the only real threat in the Western Conference to the KD era Golden State Warriors and would most likely have a championship if it weren't for Chris Paul's injury in the 2018 Western Conference Finals.
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#houstonrockets #nbafinals #warriors #jamesharden - Sport
What other teams would you like to see in this series?
91-92 Cavs or 93-94 Knicks. Im showing my age lol
2002 Kings, the og Beam Team😭
2016 Thunder🙏
@@shawncharles6077 92-93 knicks not 94
@@tj5180 94 to. They didn’t win. Should’ve but didn’t. It’s team to never win a title not appearance. That Knicks team was scary.
As a lifetime rockets fan, I feel proud that we got the first video in this series
Bro we lost by 9 and missed 27 straight 3s this was our year
@@Renz0K More context into this game 7. So many missed calls the rockets didn’t get that ruined the momentum and caused them to lose
@@uhm4026 yall missed 27 straight 3s and ur gonna blame the refs. cry harder
@@Renz0Kit was out year
5 years on it still hurts like hell knowing what we had and how close we were and comparing it to where we are now we were really one game away from the finals…
As a rockets fan that game 7 was just embarrassing. We missed 27 3s in a row, no cp3 and had several missed calls and still only lost by 9pts. So many chances to climb back in, but harden simply wasn’t the leader he needed to be.
Leave my baby girl Harden alone, Trevor Ariza went 0 for 10 from 3 it's his bum asses fault
Kinda of unfair to blame that entire meltdown on him. The entire team lost
@@BrothaGoneBased Yea but he’s the main guy, and as much as i loved harden then, i can’t deny that he failed as our leader multiple times
The better team won that series . It's really that simple.
27 missed three’s. You could have built an orphanage with all those bricks. It was so surreal watching it at the time because I’ve never seen a team miss so much.
Its been 5 years since that season and that loss still stings. That was our year! 😔
For real I know we would’ve crushed the Cavs
2018 rockets will forever be one of the biggest choke jobs in nba probably 2 after 2016 warriors, 27 missed 3s is shameful 🤦🏽♂️
Straight up embarrassing
Though I'm biased as a warriors fan, I feel like the 2018 game 7 was a bigger choke cause of how it happened. Like, in 2016, that game was basically a one or two score game the entire time. It was an absolute slugfest that wasn't decided until literally the last few seconds.
In 2018, the rockets had over an entire half of basketball to adjust away from the three. But nah, they decided to keep shooting them and missed 27 in a row. All they had to do was drive to the basket a few times instead of jacking up threes and they probably win. shit was goofy
I think the 02 Kings are the best team to never win. They LITERALLY got screwed out of a championship. Plus Peja was injured at that time as well.
Both teams played well early in the series and put themselves in a position to win...then they shit the bed. Rockets fans bemoan Game 7 but never mention they got blown out in Game 6. Kings fans never shut up about Game 6 but seem to forget they folded in Game 7. The better team won both of those series.
@@mjwbulich in game 6, warriors just played a better game with all the momentum as rockets were impacted on cp3 going down, game 7 rockets had a chance to respond, but the 27 missed 3s, and terrible officiating made them lose, so that is valid, and same for game 6 for kings, after they were screwed out of the game, they lost lost hope and were crsuehd and feared that game 7 would be the same, you had to be there to actually know, so they are both valid excuses after all
Anybody going to talk about the guy with the sign that says “I’m Indian, even I don’t like curry”😂 8:28
Just saw it! 😂😂😂😂😂 Nice!
I still can’t believe they missed 27 3Pt in a row in game 7 against the Warriors.
rigged
These Rockets, Nash n Suns, Webber n Kings, Malone n Jazz, Ewing n Knicks, and Drexler n Blazers all deserve mention in such a discussion
idk if im ready to relive this pain but here we go
The Prime Harden and CP3 Rockets vs basically the Warriors. The Rockets thought they are the counter to the Warriors deep three game but still ended up short
Lmao, they would have won that series
If they had made their shots and adjusted their defense in game 6&7 they would’ve won that series and also losing Chris Paul
@@DamnWhoAsked Yeah, they were the only team that can match with the Warriors' pace at that time in the West. It was so sad that they came up short.
The only team that took KD’s Warriors to a Game 7. Well that probably is their highest achievement, had they won that series they’d face up with LeBron’s Cavs which was very much beatable 🗿
@@JackahoonaLaGunathat probably would have been a better series, I don’t see it being 4-0. Rockets probably still win, but most likely in 6 or 7.
Crazy how the 18 rockets lost to the warriors missing a lot of three’s then then year the kings turn around and have a similar series to the 18 rockets
Man the 2018 rockets sure they didn't have cp3 in game 6 or 7, but that's on them because missing 27 straight 3s is inexcusable. Than a year after that, warriors with no KD just curry,klay,Draymond, and some bad role players not counting looney and Livingston and still lost.
i honestly believe if chris paul played they wouldnt have missed 27 straight 3s, he would shut that shit down
@Bruce Deng imo comes to show Harden is not a leader because there's no way you see your team and yourself missing 3s, and you don't shoot mid-ranges or attack the basket.
Stop it we were not the same team in 2019
@@Renz0K Neither were the Warriors when KD got injured
They got ABSOLUTELY ROBBED in game 1 2019
5:10 Curry’s always clutch against Portland
Yeah Curry’s greatest playoff series all time are all against Portland.
At the time Steph was the best pg.
I watch a LOT of sports content here on CZcams. A lot of it is basketball related, especially during basketball season. I watch many different channels, some bigger, some smaller. However, this channel is continuously my favorite channel on CZcams by far. I'm not sure why, maybe it's the sense of humor by you guys or the production value or just your basketball insight and how personable you make the videos feel. But I absolutely love your videos, and I hope you guys never stop making them! Keep killing it!!!
That WCF playoff series was the best of the last decade, damn the league was so fun back then
Painful memories
6:58 I would argue that Rockets (specifcally Daryl Morey + D'Antoni) started the 3 point. Yeah Curry and Thompson were insane. But Rocket's were the first team to pretty much revolve their offense around 3 pointers and layups
Not really you had teams like the 2009 magic who ran their offense through 3pt shooters and Howard being the main point of their offense
It was acc started by 1994 rockets
All three of y'all are just talking lmao. Watch the games. The 2005 Suns were the first team to do that. Then the 2018 Rockets.
@@supachef_dmoney_4
Prior it was Run TMC (Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullen) in Golden State in the early 90s with Don Nelson ironically
I believe Mike was an assistant there as well
That's why I knew it would work with Paul and Harden , since Richmond and Hardaway were both ball handling point guards
@@thepubknight6144 Oh wow! I never knew D'Antoni was on that staff. Nelly is a dawg of a coach fr.
Thank you for the knowledge my guy 🙏🏿
Thanks for all your content, it's world class
Harden's Rockets were the Paul George Pacers of the West, just could not overcome a generational star and his super team
Nah, I think of them like the Demar Derozan and Kyle Lowry Raptors, aka Lebronto.
Housteph Rockets
in terms of getting to the Finals i’d say the 2016 warriors but i agree with the 2018 rockets
I started watching right around the end of the Luis Scola era, seeing the rise from that to being that close to the Finals and then back down to where we are now is insane
tbh y’all need more recognition for these banger vids💯
I hope you bring up another James Harden team in the 11-12 OKC Thunder where they had 3 future MVPs
Hmmmmmm some bad mvp
They weren't playing at that level. Not even close to one of the best to not win
As a die hard Warriors fan, my dad and I still make jokes or references about this to this day. If a team starts bricking all their threes, we call them the Houston Rockets, like game 7 this past year Boston vs Miami where Boston was bricking every three they tried.
Man I found your stuff yesterday while scrolling and I’m hooked. Your videos are so good, you earned a sub
Elite Content and I love this new series by the goats amazing work
The Warriors were insanely lucky during their championship years with the amount of injuries the opposing team had. Really lucky 😂
They were also really good. 🤷🏾♂️
Acting like they weren't beating those teams either way. Lebron beat many injured teams too but you'll complaining on one team says about how hypocrite you'll. 😆
@@BullyMaguire387 nah my dude, every team/player gets appropriate criticism from me. I don’t cherry pick fool 😂 like some people. And you thinking I just complain about one team just because I didn’t include it in my previous comment shows how ignorant you are my man
if your trail blazers had the same obsession about being goldden state yall might have a ring rn just saying
I wonder why Dantoni never got any of the hate that Doc Rivers gets because at least Doc went went to the finals and got a chip. Dantoni hasn't even gone to the finals. If Dantoni's offense was so good and ahead of its time, why has his teams always lost to the same teams(Spurs:when he coached Phoenix, Heat:When he coached the Knicks, and Warriors). Or teams that do his style of play but a lot better.
I feel like the only reason why he gets a pass and Doc doesn’t is that docs teams are usually overwhelming favorites and at times blow 2-0 leads while Dantoni has ran into historic teams like Golden State, Spurs, and Dirks Mavs.
Dantoni hasn't blown as many 3-1 leads and most people do believe his offense is gimmicky and does get criticized for his defense. without a good defense a revolutionary offense ahead of its time can only do so much. Doc was hyped as a championship level coach on the same level as pop, phil and kerr despite his only championship coming off a team with one of the worst win-loss percentages for a championship team. Dantoni is not regarded as seriously and people know what he brings to the table. But Doc is considered an example of excellent coaching with infuriates fans given his blown leads in the playoffs.
And despite his offense being ahead of its time, the personnel to execute it didn't really have a true superstar during the Suns days. If he was given the warriors roster from 2016-2019 then there would be more talk about him. Sometimes a superstar will boost your legacy tremendously like Ty Lue with Lebron and Bud with Giannis. We all know how bad Bud's halfcourt offense is but the talent of Giannis has carried him. Most of Dantonis teams didn't have the star power and names some of Docs have. Doc has had the privilege of working with the Celtics big 3 + rondo and competent role players, Lob city and Kawhi and PG but out of all the seasons only got 1 ring. In recent years more people have credited their offense to PP and Ray Allen all being elite shooters and Rondo an elite passer with insane court vision, while on defense it was Thibs making the defensive schemes and KG anchoring the defense along with role players like Tony Allen and Kendrick Perkins.
He also get criticized. I remember him as no ‘D’antoni and putting much pressure into the minutes of Kobe that probably led him to his injury. RIP Kobe.
Cant wait for more of this series honestly looking forward to it
Salute skipping Disneyland for a game. lol that's what's up.
The team that missed 26 3pointers in a row. What could've been
Mannn they really lived and died by the 3 point line
they were built around 3 pointers but they missed 28 straight 3 pointers in game 7
I’m still sad about the season tbh. Can’t wait for the boys we have now to ball next year
2004-05 pacers next-ish?
People forget how stacked that team was and if it wasnt for *the incident* that team might’ve cruised to the championship
Edit: said cursed instead of cruised lmao 💀
Pacers and spurs would’ve been a good matchup
You guys should cover the 2008-09 Denver Nuggets, the year they traded Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups. Melo and the rest of the squad made a really good run that year and would've made the finals if not for the Kobe led Lakers. Great WCF series.
Also that rockets team also put the Lakers to the limit. I can’t imagine if Yao was not injured, they could beat the Lakers.
Yes, they absolutely stunk the bed during the most pivotal game..but just the fact that they even pushed the NBA equivalent of the damn Monstars to 7 is still crazy as sht.
The thing with injuries is, ngl you can do that with basically every champion. The nuggets didn't have to see the heat with oladipo and Tyler herro. The warriors didn't have to see ja for the whole series. The bucks didn't have to see Kyrie and harden healthy with KD on the nets the whole series. Or Chris Paul being healthy. The Lakers got to deadass take several months off so AD didn't get hurt. The raptors didn't have to see KD, Klay blew out the acl, looney was playing with broken ribs, iguodala had a back injury.
Deadass, go through every NBA champion. Basically all of them get some kind of injury luck
true i feel the only ones in recent years you could call luck are 2015 and 2020 one the pandemic like who saw that coming then 2015 russ got hurt in round 1 and kyrie and k love went down
@@username-mf4muI'd say that's fair for the most part. Although for 2015, the warriors were pretty young, and they were the first team in YEARS where nobody on the team had ever even played in an NBA final. Like, the thunder had kendrick Perkins, the magic had Ty Lue, then it was the spurs and nets and pistons and stuff. The warriors in 2015 might've been the first team since the 90s to win the title without having a single player on the team who had ever previously made one.
To me, THAT'S pretty big. Sure, the cavs were missing some important players. But they also had LeBron James and a bunch of veterans like Jr Smith and Richard Jefferson, guys whod either been in the finals before or played for eons in the league. Those warriors had none of that. It was the first time in decades we really saw an entirely new collection of guys, a truly new squad, make it to the finals their first time, figure things out, and seal the deal. So while it was certainly fortunate that the cavs were missing guys, the cavs had championship pedigree, and it's hard to remember all the way back then cause the warriors are legends now, but in 2015 we'd done NOTHING yet, and there were still questions about whether or not a jump shooting team could win it all.
The 2020 finals tho, that feels like A LOT of luck imo. I mean, c'mon, you get a several month break where you don't have to worry about injuries or travel, then when you get into the bubble, you don't have to worry about flying, time zones, checking into hotels, opposing arenas, fans, etc. There was no home court advantage or anything. And the lakers had a bunch of old guys like Dwight, Rondo, and danny green along with vets like kcp. So the lack of travel and stuff benefitted THAT team more than anyone else, cause the old guys would get more out of not having to fly and travel than a young team like the heat were at the time
Chris Paul was healthy for games 1 and 3 of that Warriors series-Rockets lost. Saying Houston would have won the title if not for the hamstring is an oversimplification of how playoff series are played
Addition to this, they have a similar build in 2020 season and they were dominant until in the bubble. Unluckily they faced the Lakers with AD which effectively is the needed big man to defend the 3 and switch. But if they face like the Nuggets, I believe they can go until WCF.
See who the Jazz had to beat on the way to the finals to lose twice in a row is why I think they're the best team to never win
The cod background music in the beginning
The team that missed 26 3pointers in a row. What could've been.. Iunno, coulda missed 30 in a row??
2019 sixers team were also a great team not to win a ring.
Looking forward to the rest of this series guys!
Do the 2016 Thunder please
I know when the warriors are gonna win a title and thats when one of their opponent’s star players go down in the playoffs.
I remember how weird it felt not seeing the warriors have home court advantage in a playoff series.
i thought the 73-9 warriors was the best team to never win the title
No chance you said best PG in the NBA when at the time Steph, Kyrie, Wall, and even Thomas were all better than he was lmao
one thomas was off that hip injury and was traded to clevland and sucked in 18 and cp was easily the best passer and floor general in the league better than steph no but better than kyrie who as injury prone this year and still is
2018 James Harden & Cp3 vs 2018 LeBron James
- LeBron James in 6
losing chris paul made them miss 20+ threes in a close out game?
I think this team really lives as an example of just how many things have to go your way to win a championship in the nba this one hurts as a rockets fan
New video🎉
Teams aren’t very good if they don’t win championships
Injuries ALWAYS dictate who wins it all. Even the two times the Warriors lost injuries played a huge factor. Raptors got the biggest bump when the Dubs lost Durant and Klay in the finals. And when they blew the 3-1 lead they didn’t have Draymond and Steph played through an injury.
But those will always still count, because injuries are part of the game. Health is a huge attribute to a player. You can’t “asterisk” the other team because you signed injury prone players.
Thank you so much for not blaming the refs. The one reason they lost game 7 is the 27 missed 3s in a row. Period.
Hm they werent robbed of title or a what if team. They just lost fair and square.
27 straight missed 3s with a big lead
@@kinglightning5256 well I mean they were missing there floor general who was running the offense
@DJ missing a floor general or not missing 27 straight 3s and kept shooting them is inexcusable. You would think your superstar or your coach will tell you to attack the basket or do better plays.
@@kinglightning5256 exactly plus they lost the following year when cp3 was healthy in 2019
@@kinglightning5256 well yes I agree mike dantoni should have stepped in and made adjustments but they depended on Paul to set up there buckets and hit them the offense flowed through him he generated most of there points with his elite passing when you take away a center piece in how the offense flows it messes it up.
The 2012 Thunder, the 2018 Rockets, and the 2021 Nets... Harden has been a part of 3 of the best teams to never win a championship. Had he stuck with one of these cores for longer, he would have had a ring.
I thought steph not being clutch is over
Dont forget them state farm ads
Good times
I just found this channel, I enjoy this channel but ya’ll gotta stop the Warriors hate. It hurts my heart
Oh he’s a Portland fan no wonder he hates steph😂😂😂😂idk why y’all would hate Steph he’s y’all owner
2021 Nets Best Team to never win a finals
can yall do the drexler finlas teams in 90 and 92?
No team came close to beating that team. And the rockets choked lmao
I’m a thunder fan but I’ve always had a soft spot for the rockets and James harden so seeing them lose when they were so close hurts
I have ptsd about CP messing up his hammy, man if we just would’ve had the same team with same vibes one year later maybe we win
Rockets fan here. I get we missed 27 threes in a row but the refs lost us game 7 just as much with all of the missed calls on the warriors, and I stick by that
I’m gonna with the Utah Jazz pretty much all of the 90’s, they had 2 MVP Caliber players in their prime having record seasons and made it to the finals in 97’ and 98’. But as we all know, Michael Jordan, so 🤷♂️
no way ur pretending stockton is mvp caliber
@@zomboss-xb1st He had seasons dropping 17 and 14, if Steve Nash can go back to back with 15 and 14 points 10 years later while contributing less to his team, then John Stockton can win MVP
@@MePersonally499 50/40/90 plus being the facilitator of a legendary offense > pick and roll merchant.
@@zomboss-xb1st 1st team all defense also being the facilitator the offensive abilities of a 2 time MVP competing against Michael Jordan, cause he couldn't do that without Stockton(see the Lakers)+ Bringing his team to the finals twice>Everything you just said
All of that means nothing if the Jazz can go 64-18 with those two and Nash and Stoudemires 61-21 isn't even the best record in their franchise. Barkley was more effective than the "Legendary Offense" you cling to.
@@MePersonally499 karl malone averaged 13 and 9 at age 40 on the Lakers ur so unserious
3:36 best point guard in the nba 🤔🤔 mans forgetting a 2-time mvp
yeah idk. rockets still could’ve very much lost w chris paul. and saying steph isn’t clutch is also crazy
Curry not clutch is crazy🤦🏽♂️
Almost every Clippers team the last 10ish years lmao
Curry is clutch btw
Wrong
@@TheBBCSlurpee nah
9:30 i would’ve said the same shit 😂😂😂
This is prob gonna get a lot of hate but being from Cleveland, I felt like Lebron especially in 2018 could’ve beat any team except the warriors in those playoffs.
27 missed 3s
In my humblest of opinions, and based on over 40 years of watching NBA basketball, I think that the Clyde Drexler era Portland Trailblazers are the greatest NBA team to never win a title.
I love how the warriors literally proved they still would’ve beaten them the next year in 2019 but nobody mentions it lol
That was not the same team
@@rememberblackmesa CP3 Harden Capela? Etc. K buddy
@@RealJMCproductionsNeither Harden nor CP3 played up to the same standard that they did in 2018. They also lost depth with no Trevor Ariza or Mbah a Moute to juggle on defensive switching. Roster doesnt always indicate consistency, a year makes a large difference.
S/o to Rockford hometown hero Fred VanVleet for having a picture cameo in this video.
That game 7 was rigged
95 rockets started the 3 point revolution
‘Steph isn’t clutch’
The guy owns the 4th quarter finals scoring record.
never hits game winners or even go ahead points in the last minutes thats why kd took em
bro the rockets still blew that game 7 away tired of this chris paul excuse
WE WERE KINGS ONCE!!!!!😭😭😭😭
Steph got plenty of clutch moments bruh.
unpopular opinion but i think in a world where Houston beats GS the luck of Chris Paul he still gets injured in the finals and Harden still chokes in 2 of the games and LeBron actually wins that ring.
Don’t forget Celtics almost beat LeBron in 2018 conference finals too.
82K 10mo 59.9K subs
I'm actually kind of intrigued to know why y'all hate Chris Paul as a player
the 73-9 warriors
Steve Nash era Suns
Sorry, the Rockets wouldn't have won that series vs the Warriors if CP stays healthy. Please stop this nonsense.
2018 Cavs would’ve had a better chance against yall
Best NBA teams to never make the final*
tbh if this team won they’d 100% lose to 2018 lebron
First of all, you guys are wrong about Steph. He is absolutely clutch in the playoffs. He doesn't hit go-ahead shots much, but that does not determine clutchness. Secondly, it's debatable as to whether or not CP3's presence would've changed the result of that series. Third, the Warriors would have beaten the Spurs and Memphis even if Kawhi and Ja were healthy, respectively. Finally, Mike D'Antoni deserves more blame than he gets for that series loss. He sat there and watched his players shoot themselves out of the game after going away from what was working in the first half. (Btw, Ariza shot 0/12 OVERALL, 0/9 from three). I've rarely ever seen a coach be that stupid.
Bitter Portland fans
eh he really isnt espcially with nail biters but he is clutch just in a different way that he averages better than the reg season stats and that he drops high scoring games in big games just with the game on the line hes not that guy