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Top five teams in Wizards franchise history: Which season lands on top?

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Elvin Hayes led the Washington Bullets in scoring in 1974-75, the only 60-win season in franchise history. | George Gojkovic

Hint: it isn’t the Washington Bullets’ 1977-78 NBA Championship team.

Last time, I looked at the top coaches in Washington Wizards franchise history. The upcoming seasom is going to be painful. So, let’s keep going with the feel-good express with a look at the top five teams in Wizards franchise history.

First question, of course is deciding how to make that determination. I see three primary ways:

  1. Record
  2. Strength of schedule adjusted scoring margin
  3. Postseason success

Let’s put together the three lists and then One List to Rule Them All.

Record

This is pretty easy. Only five teams in franchise history won 50 or more games in the regular season. Just once did they win 60. Here we go:

  1. 1974-75 Washington Bullets — 60-22
  2. 1968-69 Baltimore Bullets — 57-25
  3. 1978-79 Washington Bullets — 54-28
  4. 1972-73 Baltimore Bullets — 52-30
  5. 1969-70 Baltimore Bullets — 50-32

If we made this a top six, the 2016-17 team would be there with 49 wins.

We’d have to list the top 12 to get to that the title team from 1977-78. They won just 44 in the regular season.

Strength of Schedule Adjusted Scoring Margin

This is my preferred team strength metric. Scoring differential has long been a better predictor of postseason success than regular season record. Adding strength of schedule to the consideration further strengthens the predictive power (though not by a lot).

  1. 1974-75 Washington Bullets — +6.53. This is the only team in franchise history to surpass +5 in this metric.
  2. 1978-79 Washington Bullets — +4.75. The year after their championship. They lost in the Finals to the Seattle Supersonics.
  3. 1968-69 Baltimore Bullets — +4.05. This was the year Wes Unseld won Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season.
  4. 1972-73 Baltimore Bullets — +2.85.
  5. 1975-76 Washington Bullets — +2.20. Just 48 wins.

Just as there were only five teams with 50+ wins, the franchise has only five teams who rated at +2.20 in strength of schedule adjusted scoring margin.

Postseason Success

This is simple: Which team got furthest in the playoffs.

  1. 1977-78 Washington Bullets — the franchise’s only NBA Championship.
  2. 1974-75 Washington Bullets — Lost in the Finals.
  3. 1978-79 Washington Bullets — Lost in the Finals.
  4. 1970-71 Baltimore Bullets — Lost in the Finals. Note: this team was 42-40 in the regular season.
  5. At this point, there are seven different teams that lost in the conference semifinals: 2016-17, 2014-15, 2013-14, 2004-05, 1981-82, 1976-77, 1975-76.

Overall Best Team

  1. 1974-75 — Yes, I’m not picking the title team. That group was special. This one won 60, led the league that season in strength of schedule adjusted scoring margin…and then got swept in the Finals by Rick Barry and the Golden State Warriors.
  2. 1977-78 — The championship team. Rough regular season with just 44 wins, but they dug in, elevated their play, and won the postseason tournament.
  3. 1978-79 — After winning the championship the previous season, the Bullets roared through the regular season, won 57 games, and went back to the Finals for a rematch with Seattle. Second time was not a charm, however.
  4. 1968-69 — Strong team led by Unseld in his rookie season. More than that, this was the franchise’s first season with a winning record. They were sub-.500 in each of the previous seven seasons.
  5. 1972-73 — Won 52 games on the back of a strong defense.