Author Topic: Is this the youngest team to ever make a Conference Finals?  (Read 3463 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Green-18

  • Bill Walton
  • *
  • Posts: 1253
  • Tommy Points: 130
Back in January there was an article on The Ringer that cited the Celtics as having the potential to be one of the greatest young teams of All-Time.  I was thinking about this the other day and I couldn't find of a younger group to reach the Conference Finals.  The 2012 Thunder are clearly the best example of a modern day young team, but our group is still far more inexperienced than theirs was.  Below is the article.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/1/11/16878632/boston-celtics-could-be-best-young-team-in-nba-history-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown

Can anyone confirm if there was a younger team that might have advanced as a lower seed?  Either way I hope this provides some perspective on how amazing the journey has been.     


Re: Is this the youngest team to ever make a Conference Finals?
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2018, 08:23:28 AM »

Online Roy H.

  • Forums Manager
  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 58540
  • Tommy Points: -25636
  • Bo Knows: Joe Don't Know Diddley
The 1977 Blazers are the youngest title team ever. I would start there.  Their weighted age was 24.2.
« Last Edit: May 22, 2018, 08:29:21 AM by Roy H. »


I'M THE SILVERBACK GORILLA IN THIS MOTHER——— AND DON'T NONE OF YA'LL EVER FORGET IT!@ 34 minutes

Re: Is this the youngest team to ever make a Conference Finals?
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2018, 08:24:16 AM »

Offline Moranis

  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 33461
  • Tommy Points: 1533
Well the 2011 Thunder were also in the conference finals.  They started Durant (22), Westbrook (22), Ibaka (21), Perkins (26), and Sefolosha (26).  Had Harden (21), Collison (30), Maynor (23), and Cook (23) play in all 17 games they played that post season.  Maynor, Ibaka, and Harden were in their 2nd year.  Westbrook his 3rd year.  Durant and Cook in year 4.  Sefolosha was in year 5.  Collison was in his 7th year and Perkins was in his 8th.  Nazr Mohammed  played in 14 of the 17 playoff games at the age of 33 and was in his 13th year.  No one else played more than 3 playoff games.
2023 Historical Draft - Brooklyn Nets - 9th pick

Bigs - Pau, Amar'e, Issel, McGinnis, Roundfield
Wings - Dantley, Bowen, J. Jackson
Guards - Cheeks, Petrovic, Buse, Rip

Re: Is this the youngest team to ever make a Conference Finals?
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2018, 09:26:09 AM »

Offline slightly biased bias fan

  • Bill Walton
  • *
  • Posts: 1198
  • Tommy Points: 310
Back in January there was an article on The Ringer that cited the Celtics as having the potential to be one of the greatest young teams of All-Time.  I was thinking about this the other day and I couldn't find of a younger group to reach the Conference Finals.  The 2012 Thunder are clearly the best example of a modern day young team, but our group is still far more inexperienced than theirs was.  Below is the article.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/1/11/16878632/boston-celtics-could-be-best-young-team-in-nba-history-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown

Can anyone confirm if there was a younger team that might have advanced as a lower seed?  Either way I hope this provides some perspective on how amazing the journey has been.     

I think the official average age of the roster is 24.5 so no but technically if you were minus Hayward and Irving, the average would drop slightly more.

Re: Is this the youngest team to ever make a Conference Finals?
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2018, 09:36:25 AM »

Online Roy H.

  • Forums Manager
  • James Naismith
  • *********************************
  • Posts: 58540
  • Tommy Points: -25636
  • Bo Knows: Joe Don't Know Diddley
Back in January there was an article on The Ringer that cited the Celtics as having the potential to be one of the greatest young teams of All-Time.  I was thinking about this the other day and I couldn't find of a younger group to reach the Conference Finals.  The 2012 Thunder are clearly the best example of a modern day young team, but our group is still far more inexperienced than theirs was.  Below is the article.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/1/11/16878632/boston-celtics-could-be-best-young-team-in-nba-history-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown

Can anyone confirm if there was a younger team that might have advanced as a lower seed?  Either way I hope this provides some perspective on how amazing the journey has been.     

I think the official average age of the roster is 24.5 so no but technically if you were minus Hayward and Irving, the average would drop slightly more.

I think the "average age" is a weighted average that takes minutes into account, so Hayward only counts a very tiny fraction.  Kyrie is more significant, obviously.  The 24.5 also might not take into account Monroe.


I'M THE SILVERBACK GORILLA IN THIS MOTHER——— AND DON'T NONE OF YA'LL EVER FORGET IT!@ 34 minutes