The NBA playoffs are the most anticipated accolades for fans. The league's best 16 teams will compete for the NBA championship. Meanwhile, there are 14 other teams in the league who will release Ma Nanshan early because they did not make it to the playoffs. In the NBA league, the five teams that have been away from the playoffs for the longest time are the Kings, Hornets, Cavaliers, Pistons and Spurs.
TOP1: Kings 16 years off the playoffs
The Kings are one of the worst teams in the NBA. The last time they made the playoffs was in the distant 2006 season. At the time, the Kings had players such as Weber, Mike Bibby, Divac, Bobby Jackson and others. In the 16 seasons that followed, the Kings were in the process of rebuilding. During this period, the Kings also had stars like Cousins, but it was still short-lived. This season, the Kings traded for Halliburton in exchange for Sabonis Jr. But the combination of Sa and Fox still failed to lead the team to achieve a breakthrough.
TOP2: Hornets, 6 years off the playoffs
Jordan's Hornets have one of the worst records in NBA basketball history over the past 20 years. This team has almost always been at the bottom of the league. Since 2005, the team has played only 3 playoffs (2010, 2014 and 2016). Their best result came in 2016, when Kemba Walker led the team to the No. 6 seed in the East, but lost 3-4 to the Heat in the first round.
For the last two seasons, the Hornets have fallen back-to-back play-offs under Lamelo Ball. The team has built a solid foundation around Ball, but there are still some lineup flaws that need to be addressed. That includes getting a reliable center and figuring out how to keep this core lineup as they all become free agents in the upcoming season.
TOP3: Cavaliers, 4 years off the playoffs
The cavaliers last made it to the playoffs in the 2018 season. At the time, James was also playing for the Cavaliers, and the team reached the Finals. But after the end of the season, James left the team and the Cavaliers were fully rebuilt. This season, the Cavaliers have had a great chance of making it straight into the playoffs. However, key players such as Sexton, Rubio and Allen were injured, which eventually led to them losing to the Hawks in the playoffs and missing the playoffs for four consecutive years. However, the Cavaliers' rebuilding work has been basically completed, and their lineup is full of young talents, and it is still worth looking forward to next season.
TOP4: Pistons, 3 years away from the playoffs
Since the first round of the 2019 playoffs, the Pistons have missed playoff games for three consecutive seasons. Griffin's injury caused the Pistons to get into trouble in 2019 and 2020, and they began building teams around players such as Reggie Jackson, Derrick Rose, Andre Drummond and Markiff Morris. In the end, however, the Pistons failed.
In the 2021 draft, the Pistons selected Cunningham with a pick. Cunningham has played well this past season, with players like Sadikbe and Stewart growing, and with the presence of Jerami Grant, they will be a good team in the future.
TOP5: Spurs, 3 years off the playoffs
The Spurs have appeared on the NBA playoff stage for 22 consecutive years, setting an NBA all-time record. The record began in 1997 and ended in 2020. The last time they made the playoffs was in 2019. The Spurs at the time were still Ade and DeRozan.
The Spurs have been in the rebuilding phase for the past two years. This season, Dejuntay Murray even made it to the All-Star. But in the playoffs, the young Spurs eventually lost to the Pelicans, who failed to go any further. After the game, it was reported that Popovich was expected to continue coaching next season, and he did not want to retire for the elderly. Before Popovich retires, the Spurs may still have a chance to play in the playoffs.