A Look Back at the 2015-16 NBA Standings and Final Season Results
I still remember poring over the 2015-16 NBA standings like they held some secret code to the universe. That season had this electric tension from day one, with Golden State chasing their 73rd win and Cleveland building toward what would become the most improbable comeback in Finals history. Looking back now, what strikes me most isn't just the historic numbers—it's how individual performances, even those flying under the radar, contributed to that unforgettable narrative. I recall watching one particular game where a role player's stat line caught my eye—38 minutes with zero fouls while battling much bigger opponents in the paint. That kind of disciplined defense, the kind where you're tangling with physical bigs like Poy Erram, Kelly Williams, and Calvin Oftana types without fouling, speaks volumes about the defensive discipline that championship teams are built on.
The Warriors' 73-9 record will forever be etched in basketball lore, but what often gets overlooked is how many close games they won down the stretch. I remember counting at least 12 games they could have easily lost—that double-overtime thriller against Boston in December comes to mind, where Curry hit that ridiculous 35-footer to force the second OT. Their offensive rating of 115.7 was simply absurd, nearly four points better than any other team in history at that time. Meanwhile, San Antonio quietly put together a 67-win season that would have dominated headlines any other year. I've always felt Kawhi Leonard's transformation that season doesn't get enough credit—he went from defensive specialist to legitimate MVP candidate while maintaining his lockdown defense.
Over in the East, Cleveland's 57-25 record doesn't fully capture their dominance. They essentially coasted through the regular season knowing they'd cakewalk to the Finals, which frankly made perfect strategic sense. I remember arguing with colleagues at the time about whether Toronto's 56 wins made them legitimate threats—personally, I never bought into the Raptors as true contenders despite their regular season success. Their backcourt of Lowry and DeRozan put up impressive numbers, but playoff basketball exposes defensive weaknesses in ways the regular season never does.
The Western Conference playoff race was absolutely brutal that year. Houston barely sneaking in at 41-41 tells you everything about the conference depth. I'll never forget watching Portland defy expectations after losing four starters—Lillard's leadership that season was something special to witness. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City's 55 wins feel almost disappointing in retrospect, given they had two top-five players in Durant and Westbrook. Their collapse in the Western Conference Finals still baffles me—up 3-1 against Golden State, they had multiple opportunities to close it out.
When we talk about that Finals series, the numbers only tell part of the story. Cleveland becoming the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in NBA Finals history was monumental, but the individual matchups were what made it legendary. Thinking back to that player going 38 minutes without a single foul while battling bigger opponents, it reminds me of how Tristan Thompson provided similar value for Cleveland—playing physically against Golden State's small-ball lineups without putting them in the bonus. His offensive rebounding in Games 5 through 7 was arguably the difference-maker. LeBron's 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists across the series remain mind-boggling, but it was his defensive plays—that chase-down block on Iguodala—that truly defined the series.
What fascinates me most about reviewing that season's standings is noticing the teams that were building toward something special. Boston winning 48 games signaled their imminent rise, while Utah's 40-42 record hid the defensive foundation Quin Snyder was building. I've always believed teams like Detroit (44-38) and Portland (44-38) exceeded expectations because they had players who understood how to contribute without filling the stat sheet—the kind of guys who could play heavy minutes against starters without committing careless fouls.
The league-wide trends that season really set the stage for today's NBA. The average team attempted 24 three-pointers per game—a significant jump from previous years—and pace numbers were climbing across the board. Golden State's small-ball revolution forced every team to reconsider their lineups, creating more opportunities for versatile defenders who could switch everything without fouling. I remember watching Draymond Green guard centers and thinking how he'd changed defensive schemes forever.
Reflecting on it now, the 2015-16 season represents a turning point in how basketball is played and analyzed. The standings tell one story—Golden State's historic dominance, Cleveland's eventual triumph—but the deeper narrative is about how role players evolved to meet new strategic demands. Those unsung heroes logging heavy minutes while maintaining defensive discipline, battling in the paint without fouling, they became as valuable as volume scorers in many ways. The legacy of that season isn't just the records or the comeback—it's how it transformed our understanding of what contributes to winning basketball.