Golden State Warriors
Team of Note
1986-1987 Golden State Warriors
Record: 42-40Overall ranking: 795th, 2.385 points below average
George Karl reached the peak of his coaching career when he led the Seattle Supersonics to the NBA Finals following the 1995-1996 season.
Karl might have done some of his finest coaching during an unheralded earlier stop with the Golden State Warriors.
Karl led Golden State to an unlikely 42-40 record during the 1986-1987 season. The POST formula recognizes the 1986-1987 Warriors as the least-dominant team to finish with a winning record.
Karl coaxed a 12-win improvement out of the likes of Purvis Short, Joe Barry Carroll and Eric “Sleepy” Floyd. The only difference in personnel between the 1985-1986 Warriors and the 1986-1987 edition: Short played 30 fewer games in 1986-1987.
Golden State tightened up its defense under Karl. The defensive improvement helped the Warriors win a majority of their games despite giving up more points per game than they allowed (an average point differential of -2.4 points per game).
Golden State upset the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz in five games in the first round of the playoffs before falling against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the West semifinals.
Golden State Warriors From Top to Bottom
| All-time Ranking | W-L | Playoffs | ||
| 84 | 1975-76 | Golden State Warriors | 59-23 | West finals |
| 172 | 1963-64 | San Francisco Warriors | 48-32 | NBA finalist |
| 201 | 1991-92 | Golden State Warriors | 55-27 | West first round |
| 211 | 1955-56 | Philadelphia Warriors | 45-27 | NBA champion |
| 248 | 1950-51 | Philadelphia Warriors | 40-26 | East semifinals |
| 268 | 1946-47 | Philadelphia Warriors | 35-25 | BAA champion |
| 271 | 1976-77 | Golden State Warriors | 46-36 | West semifinals |
| 273 | 1972-73 | Golden State Warriors | 47-35 | West finals |
| 291 | 1974-75 | Golden State Warriors | 48-34 | NBA champion |
| 322 | 1961-62 | Philadelphia Warriors | 49-32 | East finals |
| 327 | 1966-67 | San Francisco Warriors | 44-37 | NBA finalist |
| 342 | 1959-60 | Philadelphia Warriors | 49-26 | East finals |
| 343 | 1973-74 | Golden State Warriors | 44-38 | |
| 414 | 1993-94 | Golden State Warriors | 50-32 | West first round |
| 417 | 1990-91 | Golden State Warriors | 44-38 | West semifinals |
| 433 | 1956-57 | Philadelphia Warriors | 37-35 | East semifinals |
| 496 | 1971-72 | Golden State Warriors | 51-31 | West semifinals |
| 497 | 1981-82 | Golden State Warriors | 45-37 | |
| 504 | 1960-61 | Philadelphia Warriors | 46-33 | East semifinals |
| 531 | 1947-48 | Philadelphia Warriors | 27-21 | BAA finalist |
| 545 | 1978-79 | Golden State Warriors | 38-44 | |
| 547 | 1977-78 | Golden State Warriors | 43-39 | |
| 568 | 1957-58 | Philadelphia Warriors | 37-35 | East finals |
| 579 | 1948-49 | Philadelphia Warriors | 28-32 | East semifinals |
| 598 | 2006-07 | Golden State Warriors | 42-40 | West semifinals |
| 614 | 1954-55 | Philadelphia Warriors | 33-39 | |
| 619 | 2003-04 | Golden State Warriors | 37-45 | |
| 642 | 1988-89 | Golden State Warriors | 43-39 | West semifinals |
| 665 | 1967-68 | San Francisco Warriors | 43-39 | West finals |
| 668 | 2002-03 | Golden State Warriors | 38-44 | |
| 680 | 1970-71 | San Francisco Warriors | 41-41 | West semifinals |
| 681 | 1992-93 | Golden State Warriors | 34-48 | |
| 703 | 1951-52 | Philadelphia Warriors | 33-33 | East semifinals |
| 709 | 2005-06 | Golden State Warriors | 34-48 | |
| 723 | 1980-81 | Golden State Warriors | 39-43 | |
| 735 | 1995-96 | Golden State Warriors | 36-46 | |
| 753 | 1968-69 | San Francisco Warriors | 41-41 | West semifinals |
| 786 | 2004-05 | Golden State Warriors | 34-48 | |
| 793 | 1953-54 | Philadelphia Warriors | 29-43 | |
| 794 | 1962-63 | San Francisco Warriors | 31-49 | |
| 815 | 1958-59 | Philadelphia Warriors | 32-40 | |
| 822 | 1998-99 | Golden State Warriors | 21-29 | |
| 828 | 1965-66 | San Francisco Warriors | 35-45 | |
| 836 | 1986-87 | Golden State Warriors | 42-40 | West semifinals |
| 843 | 1949-50 | Philadelphia Warriors | 26-42 | East semifinals |
| 862 | 1989-90 | Golden State Warriors | 37-45 | |
| 906 | 1983-84 | Golden State Warriors | 37-45 | |
| 913 | 1982-83 | Golden State Warriors | 30-52 | |
| 919 | 1985-86 | Golden State Warriors | 30-52 | |
| 959 | 1979-80 | Golden State Warriors | 24-58 | |
| 960 | 1969-70 | San Francisco Warriors | 30-52 | |
| 997 | 1996-97 | Golden State Warriors | 30-52 | |
| 1000 | 2001-02 | Golden State Warriors | 21-61 | |
| 1006 | 1994-95 | Golden State Warriors | 26-56 | |
| 1025 | 1964-65 | San Francisco Warriors | 17-63 | |
| 1086 | 1984-85 | Golden State Warriors | 22-60 | |
| 1106 | 1999-00 | Golden State Warriors | 19-63 | |
| 1107 | 1952-53 | Philadelphia Warriors | 12-57 | |
| 1113 | 1987-88 | Golden State Warriors | 20-62 | |
| 1116 | 2000-01 | Golden State Warriors | 17-65 | |
| 1131 | 1997-98 | Golden State Warriors | 19-63 | |