Memphis made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2004. In ’04, and then again in 2005, the Grizzlies lost in the first round of what was then a ruthlessly deep and competitive Western Conference. The 2006 Memphis Grizzlies were hoping to take the next step, and they improved on their regular […]
The Nets had been in decline since Jason Kidd led them to consecutive NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. They lost in the second round in 2004, and then in the first round of 2005. The 2006 New Jersey Nets bounced back with an improved season and successful advancement in the playoffs. Kidd was still […]
The Washington Wizards made a big step forward in 2005. The acquisition of Gilbert Arenas triggered the franchise’s first playoff season since 1997, and its first postseason series victory since 1982. The 2006 Washington Wizards came close to matching that achievement, before a heartbreaking playoff loss. Arenas had a big year, pouring in 29ppg and […]
After pulling a historic upset in 1994—the first 8-seed to win a playoff series—the Nuggets fell on hard times. They missed the postseason eight straight years, from 1996 through 2003. George Karl took over the team and got them back into the playoffs in 2004 and 2005. The 2006 Denver Nuggets team continued the pattern, […]
For over a decade, the Indiana Pacers had been on a run of success. A trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1994 triggered a stretch that included six appearances in the conference finals and one NBA Finals trip. But in 2005, the infamous Malice in the Palace brawl that resulted in multiple suspensions, ruined the […]
In 2005, buoyed by the arrival of rookies Ben Gordon and Luol Deng, the Bulls made the playoffs for the first time since the Michael Jordan Era ended seven years earlier. The 2006 Chicago Bulls regressed a bit, but in the end still got back into the postseason. Gordon and Deng continued to lead the […]
After reaching the conference finals and losing a controversial seven-game series in 2001, the Bucks had fallen on hard times. In 2005, they struggled to a 30-52 season. When the lottery balls fell their way, the 2006 Milwaukee Bucks got an opportunity to rebuild with the first overall pick in the draft. They selected center […]
In 1973, Dale Brown inherited an LSU program that had not reached a Final Four in 19 years, and not even been a serious contender a few years earlier when “Pistol Pete” Maravich was starring in Baton Rouge. Brown gradually built a winner. By 1979, he made a Sweet 16, only losing to eventual national […]
After winning the national championship in 1978, Kentucky had an uncharacteristic setback in 1979, missing the NCAA Tournament field entirely. While the bracket was considerably smaller than is the case today (40 teams in ’79, expanded to 48 for this season), an early NIT exit wasn’t going to cut it in Lexington. The 1980 Kentucky […]
Denny Crum was an assistant for the great John Wooden at UCLA, when the opportunity arose to take the Louisville job in 1972. Crum inherited a program that had been a consistent winner, but had only made the Final Four in 1959. Crum promptly went to the Final Four in his first season. He went […]
Ray Meyer’s DePaul program was riding high, coming off the old coach’s first Final Four appearance in 1979 and the key players back in the fold. There were great expectations for the 1980 DePaul basketball team, and the Blue Demons lived up to those expectations almost every step of the way—until a sad end proved […]
Eldon Miller inherited a collapsed program in 1976. The legendary Fred Taylor had been an all-time great coach, but the bottom fell out in his final four seasons, and Miller took over a Buckeye team that went 6-20 in 1975. Miller gradually rebuilt and four years later, the fruits were starting to show. The 1980 […]