Most of the discussion going into the NBA Playoffs (or any other postseason tournament) focuses on the best teams. I took a different approach in examining the worst NBA Playoff teams of the 16 bit era, covering 1984-2024. Instead of using win-loss record, I examined the teams which made the playoffs with a negative SRS score, which takes into account scoring margin and strength of schedule.
https://thenewleafjournal.com/worst-nba-playoff-teams-by-srs-1984-2024/
After the 2025 Playoff field was finalized, I wrote a follow-up post highlighting how SRS can differ from win-loss record. The 37-45 Miami Heat made the 2025 Playoffs (and were unsurprisingly sent home quickly). One would think a 37-45 team would have qualified for my worst playoff team survey... but the Heat actually had a positive SRS and Net Rating. Go figure. I examined whether they had the worst record of a positive SRS/Net playoff team (spoiler: they did).
https://thenewleafjournal.com/best-nba-playoff-teams-with-losing-records/
