Top 4 Quickest Turnarounds In NBA History
A quick turnaround is one of the rarest events in sports, let alone the NBA. In more than any other American sport, it is a sport of the haves and have-nots. It is easy to tell which team has enough talent to contend and who is tanking, usually.
The 97-98 San Antonio Spurs
It is rare when title contenders get a chance to pick high in the draft, but more often than not, they whiff. Like when the Pistons infamously picked Darko Miličić second in the 2003 NBA draft. That is a dud amongst a lottery filled with Hall of Famers.
Another example is when James Wiseman was drafted second overall in the middle of their dynasty. When the Spurs had their turn, however, they made a pick that catapulted them from contenders to a dynasty.
The 96-97 Spurs struggled mightily, looking totally unlike the dominant Spurs we’d come to know. This was because star player and future Hall of Famer David Robinson was out with an injury for the year.
The Spurs wound up only winning 20 games, the third-fewest in the NBA that year. Luck showed them a smile when they got the first overall pick, though, and they didn’t waste it. Drafting one of the greatest players ever and a Spurs icon, Tim Duncan.
With him and Robinson back, the turnaround was immediate, going from winning 20 games to winning 56. Their first NBA title soon followed.
The 24-25 Detroit Pistons
The 23-24 Pistons will be remembered as one of the worst teams in the history of the NBA. That is exactly why the 24-25 Pistons will be remembered as one of the greatest turnarounds in NBA history.
The Pistons ended 23-24 with only 14 wins, even going the month of November without winning a game. Many were even questioning if Cade Cunningham was a winning player at all.
A question that he’d answer with an emphatic YES during the 24-25 season. The team changed coaches from Monty Williams to J.B. Bickerstaff after his awkward exit from Cleveland.
Their young core mostly stayed the same, yet they had a total turnaround. They went from 14 wins to 44, making the playoffs for the first time since 2018-19. 2025-26 has only built on this because they have the best record in the East!
The 2007-08 Boston Celtics
Statistically speaking, this is the biggest turnaround in the history of the NBA. In 2006-07, the Celtics had one of the saddest seasons in the Boston-based team’s long and very storied history.
They won 24 games and finished well outside the playoffs, which included a franchise record losing streak of 18 straight games. Celtics star Paul Pierce needed some help, and man, would he get some.
The C’s traded for two NBA legends, like the league’s best three-point shooter, Ray Allen, and one of the best defensive players ever, Kevin Garnett. The Celtics got rid of most of their roster and found a star in Rajon Rondo. It was, in the most literal way possible, a totally different team.
They went from 24 wins to 66 wins, an NBA record for the biggest turnaround in a season. They went on to win the NBA title.
The 2025-26 Toronto Raptors
It could be too early to call, sure, but if they hold on, it’ll be one of the best turnarounds in NBA history. At the end of the 24-25 season, the Raptors finished with 30 wins and finished one spot out of the play-in.
The Raptors acquired All-Star Brandon Ingram and were able to hold on to a young core consisting of promising young players like Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley. So far this NBA season, while the Pistons are first in the East, the Raptors are right behind them as the second seed by two wins.
