If you were watching basketball in the spring of 2016, you probably felt like the world was tilted on its axis. Seriously. We’ve seen dominant teams before—the 90s Bulls, the Showtime Lakers—but the 2015 16 NBA standings didn't just look like a leaderboard; they looked like a glitch in the simulation.
73-9.
That number is etched into the skull of every hoops fan. The Golden State Warriors didn't just lead the Western Conference; they redefined what was mathematically possible in an 82-game grind. But honestly, if you only focus on Stephen Curry’s gravity or that impossible win-loss record, you’re missing the forest for the trees. The 2015-16 season was a massive pivot point for the league, a year where the "old guard" of the San Antonio Spurs actually had their best statistical season ever, only to be buried by a team that lived 30 feet from the basket. It was also the year LeBron James finally fulfilled a promise that seemed destined to stay a fantasy.
The Western Conference Bloodbath
It’s easy to forget that while Golden State was busy hunting ghosts, the rest of the West was terrifyingly good. You’ve got the San Antonio Spurs, coached by Gregg Popovich, finishing with 67 wins. In almost any other year in NBA history, a 67-15 record secures you the number one seed and a cakewalk to the Finals. Not this time. They were six games back. Think about that for a second.
The Spurs were a defensive meat grinder. Kawhi Leonard was evolving into a terrifying two-way force, and LaMarcus Aldridge had integrated seamlessly. They went 40-1 at home. That's insane. Yet, because the Warriors were playing "video game basketball," San Antonio felt like a footnote.
Then there was Oklahoma City. The Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook era was reaching its absolute boiling point. They finished 55-27, good for the third seed, but their record didn't tell the whole story. They were long, athletic, and arguably the only team that truly scared the Warriors in a seven-game series. They had the 2015 16 NBA standings looking top-heavy as hell, with a massive gap between the elite tier and everyone else.
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The middle of the pack was a scramble. The Clippers, led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, managed 53 wins despite constant injury drama. Portland surprised everyone by grabbing the 5th seed after losing four starters in the offseason—shoutout to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum for that. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Houston Rockets rounded out the bottom of the bracket. The Rockets actually finished 41-41, a total disappointment for a team that had James Harden in his prime, sneaking into the playoffs on the final day of the season.
Chaos in the East and LeBron’s Control
Over in the Eastern Conference, the vibe was different. It wasn't about historic dominance; it was about the Cleveland Cavaliers keeping everyone at arm's length. Cleveland finished 57-25. It wasn't a "73-win" kind of dominance, but you could tell LeBron was just pacing himself.
The Toronto Raptors actually pushed them. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan led "The North" to 56 wins, just one game back of the top spot. It was the best season in Raptors history up to that point. They were gritty. They were consistent. But deep down, everyone knew the East ran through Akron’s favorite son.
The rest of the East was a total logjam. Look at the numbers: the Heat, Hawks, Celtics, and Hornets all finished with exactly 48 wins. That is a statistical nightmare for tiebreakers. Miami took the 3rd seed because of their divisional record, but the margin for error was non-existent.
- Cleveland Cavaliers (57-25)
- Toronto Raptors (56-26)
- Miami Heat (48-34)
- Atlanta Hawks (48-34)
- Boston Celtics (48-34)
- Charlotte Hornets (48-34)
- Indiana Pacers (45-37)
- Detroit Pistons (44-38)
The 2015 16 NBA standings showed a conference that was getting deeper, even if the top-end talent wasn't as legendary as the West. The Celtics were the "scrappy" team under Brad Stevens, lacking a true superstar but playing a brand of team ball that made them a headache for everyone. The Charlotte Hornets—yes, the Hornets—actually had a legitimate season behind Kemba Walker.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the 73-9 Warriors
The biggest misconception is that the Warriors just "shot their way" to 73 wins. That's a lazy take. Honestly, their defense was what fueled the engine. Draymond Green was at the peak of his powers, acting as a small-ball center who could switch onto guards and swallow up drives.
People also forget how close they came to failing. They trailed the 76ers (who were historically bad that year) in the fourth quarter in late January. they needed a Steph Curry half-court buzzer-beater to beat OKC in February. It was a tightrope walk. They started the season 24-0, which is still the most absurd thing I’ve ever seen in professional sports.
But the 2015 16 NBA standings don't show the fatigue. By the time they hit April, they were chasing the Chicago Bulls' 72-10 record with a desperation that might have cost them in the long run. Steve Kerr has since admitted that the chase was exhausting. You could see the cracks in the playoffs when Curry dealt with knee and ankle issues.
The Bottom of the Barrel: The Process and the Farewell
While the top of the standings was glorious, the bottom was... well, it was a choice. The Philadelphia 76ers finished 10-72. Ten wins. Total. This was the peak of "The Process." Sam Hinkie was committed to the long game, and it resulted in one of the most unwatchable products ever put on a court, though it eventually landed them Joel Embiid.
In the West, the Los Angeles Lakers finished 17-65. It was the worst season in franchise history, but it was also the Kobe Bryant Farewell Tour. Every road game was a celebration. The 2015 16 NBA standings showed the Lakers in the cellar, but the Staples Center was packed every night just to see the Mamba one last time. It culminated in that 60-point finale against Utah, which—let’s be real—is still the most Kobe way to go out.
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Why These Standings Changed Basketball Forever
Before this season, the "math" of basketball was still being debated. Coaches were still hesitant to let players pull up from the logo. The 2015 16 NBA standings killed the old guard. When the Warriors went 73-9 and the Cavs came back from 3-1 to beat them in the Finals, it proved that the three-pointer wasn't just a gimmick—it was the most lethal weapon in the game.
The league changed overnight. Big men who couldn't shoot or switch onto perimeter players suddenly found themselves out of a job. If you weren't versatile, you were a liability.
Also, the salary cap spike was looming. Because of the league's success and the new TV deal, the cap jumped the following summer. That led directly to Kevin Durant joining the 73-win Warriors, a move that shifted the league's parity for years. But that's a story for another day.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you're looking back at this era to understand how the modern NBA was built, don't just look at the highlights.
- Study the "Point Differential": The Warriors had a +10.8 point differential. The Spurs were actually higher at +10.6. That shows you how dominant those two were compared to the rest of the league.
- Watch the OKC/Warriors Western Conference Finals: That series is the peak of basketball at that time. It explains why the standings were so lopsided—the talent at the top was just astronomical.
- Analyze the 48-win tie in the East: It’s a masterclass in how tiebreaker rules (head-to-head, division record) can completely change a team's playoff path. Miami’s path to the second round was paved by those tiebreakers.
The 2015 16 NBA standings represent the end of one era and the violent beginning of another. It was the last year of Kobe, the last year of Tim Duncan, and the year the "Splash Brothers" became global icons. It was a season where the regular season actually mattered—until the playoffs reminded us that 73 wins don't mean a thing without a ring.
To really grasp the weight of this season, pull up the game logs for the Golden State Warriors in April 2016. See how many times they nearly lost to "nobody" teams because the pressure of 73-9 was weighing on them. Then, go back and watch LeBron’s block on Andre Iguodala in Game 7. The standings set the stage, but the drama that followed is why we still talk about 2016 today.