Phoenix Suns

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Team of Note

1971-1972 Phoenix Suns
Record: 49-33
Overall ranking: 105th, 5.574 points above average
    The Phoenix Suns also have emerged as one of the hard-luck franchises in the NBA. They lost a coin flip against the Milwaukee Bucks for the rights to center Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) after the 1968-1969 season. Their two appearances in the NBA Finals ended with heartbreaking six-game losses.
    Fortune also failed to favor Phoenix during the 1971-1972 season. The Suns posted a 49-33 record – at the time the best in franchise history – only to fail to qualify for the postseason.
    Phoenix set a record for most wins for a non-playoff team. The POST formula also identifies the 1971-1972 Suns as the most dominant team to miss the postseason.
    Phoenix boasted an exciting team led by Connie Hawkins, but couldn’t crack the postseason lineup in the brutal Western Conference. The top four teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs. The West included the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers (NBA record 69-13 season), the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks (63-19), the underrated Chicago Bulls (57-25), and the future NBA champion Golden State Warriors (51-31).
    Had Phoenix played in the Eastern Conference, the Suns would have qualified for the postseason as a No. 2 seed.

Phoenix Suns From Top to Bottom

All-time RankingW-LPlayoffs
442006-07Phoenix Suns61-21West semifinals
512004-05Phoenix Suns62-20West finals
521989-90Phoenix Suns54-28West finals
531988-89Phoenix Suns55-27West finals
711990-91Phoenix Suns55-27West first round
761992-93Phoenix Suns62-20NBA finalist
1051991-92Phoenix Suns53-29West semifinals
1111971-72Phoenix Suns49-33
1152005-06Phoenix Suns54-28West finals
1331999-00Phoenix Suns53-29West semifinals
1411980-81Phoenix Suns57-25West semifinals
1591982-83Phoenix Suns53-29West first round
1601993-94Phoenix Suns56-26West semifinals
1621997-98Phoenix Suns56-26West first round
2061994-95Phoenix Suns59-23West semifinals
2291978-79Phoenix Suns50-32West finals
2341977-78Phoenix Suns49-33West first round
2551979-80Phoenix Suns55-27West semifinals
2651981-82Phoenix Suns46-36West semifinals
3281998-99Phoenix Suns27-23West first round
3312000-01Phoenix Suns51-31West first round
3521970-71Phoenix Suns48-34
4422002-03Phoenix Suns44-38West first round
5221983-84Phoenix Suns41-41West finals
5291976-77Phoenix Suns34-48
5321975-76Phoenix Suns42-40NBA finalist
5591996-97Phoenix Suns40-42West first round
5661995-96Phoenix Suns41-41West first round
6362001-02Phoenix Suns36-46
6921972-73Phoenix Suns38-44
7641969-70Phoenix Suns39-43West semifinals
8161984-85Phoenix Suns36-46West first round
8301974-75Phoenix Suns32-50
8421986-87Phoenix Suns36-46
8881985-86Phoenix Suns32-50
8912003-04Phoenix Suns29-53
9001973-74Phoenix Suns30-52
9871987-88Phoenix Suns28-54
11171968-69Phoenix Suns16-66