Worst 50 NBA Teams to Ever Make the Playoffs - Sorted by Winning Percentage

These are the all-time worst regular season teams that made the Playoffs and how they performed in the postseason.

Nobody in NBA History qualified to the Playoffs with a worst season record than these teams. Many of them are from the early years of the NBA when only a couple of teams were left out of the postseason.

NBA Teams that Made the Playoffs with the worst Regular Season Records -
Worst 50 by Winning %
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      Season Playoffs
Rk Season
Team
W-L
WPct Performance
W-L
 
1. 1953 Baltimore Bullets (1st) 16-54 .229 Lost East Div Semis 0-2  
2. 1960 Minneapolis Lakers 25-50 .333 Lost West Div Finals 5-4  
3. 1968 Chicago Bulls 29-53 .354 Lost West Div Semis 1-4  
4. 1950 Sheboygan Red Skins 22-40 .355 Lost West Div Semis 1-2  
5. 1986 Chicago Bulls 30-52 .366 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 0-3  
6. 1988 San Antonio Spurs 31-51 .378 Lost West Conf 1st Rd 0-3  
7. 1950 Philadelphia Warriors 26-42 .382 Lost East Div Semis 0-2  
8. 1959 Detroit Pistons 28-44 .389 Lost West Div Semis 1-2  
9. 1953 Indianapolis Olympians 28-43 .394 Lost West Div Semis 0-2  
10. 1960 Detroit Pistons 30-45 .400 Lost West Div Semis 0-2  
      Season Playoffs
Rk Season
Team
W-L
WPct Performance
W-L
 
11. 1955 Rochester Royals 29-43 .403 Lost West Div Semis 1-2  
12. 1967 Chicago Bulls 33-48 .407 Lost West Div Semis 0-3  
13. 1948 Boston Celtics 20-28 .417 Lost 1st Rd 1-2  
14. 1963 Detroit Pistons 34-46 .425 Lost West Div Semis 1-3  
1964 Philadelphia 76ers 34-46 .425 Lost East Div Semis 2-3  
16. 1984 Washington Bullets 35-47 .427 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 1-3  
1986 San Antonio Spurs 35-47 .427 Lost West Conf 1st Rd 0-3  
1995 Boston Celtics 35-47 .427 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 1-3  
19. 1961 Detroit Pistons 34-45 .430 Lost West Div Semis 2-3  
20. 1971 Atlanta Hawks 36-46 .439 Lost East Conf Semis 1-4  
1972 Atlanta Hawks 36-46 .439 Lost East Conf Semis 2-4  
1976 Detroit Pistons 36-46 .439 Lost West Conf Semis 4-5  
1985 Cleveland Cavaliers 36-46 .439 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 1-3  
1985 Phoenix Suns 36-46 .439 Lost West Conf 1st Rd 0-3  
1997 Los Angeles Clippers 36-46 .439 Lost West Conf 1st Rd 0-3  
2004 Boston Celtics 36-46 .439 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 0-4  
2022 New Orleans Pelicans 36-46 .439 Lost West Conf 1st Rd 2-4  
      Season Playoffs
Rk Season
Team
W-L
WPct Performance
W-L
 
28. 1952 Fort Wayne Pistons 29-37 .439 Lost West Div Semis 0-2  
29. 1967 Los Angeles Lakers 36-45 .444 Lost West Div Semis 0-3  
1967 New York Knicks 36-45 .444 Lost East Div Semis 1-3  
31. 1966 St. Louis Hawks 36-44 .450 Lost West Div Finals 6-4  
32. 1969 San Diego Rockets 37-45 .451 Lost West Div Semis 2-4  
1979 New Jersey Nets 37-45 .451 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 0-2  
1986 Sacramento Kings 37-45 .451 Lost West Conf 1st Rd 0-3  
1987 Denver Nuggets 37-45 .451 Lost West Conf 1st Rd 0-3  
2008 Atlanta Hawks 37-45 .451 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 3-4  
2011 Indiana Pacers 37-45 .451 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 1-4  
      Season Playoffs
Rk Season
Team
W-L
WPct Performance
W-L
 
38. 2020 Orlando Magic 33-40 .452 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 1-4  
39. 1950 Tri-Cities Blackhawks 29-35 .453 Lost West Div Semis 1-2  
40. 1961 Los Angeles Lakers 36-43 .456 Lost West Div Finals 6-6  
41. 1951 Indianapolis Olympians 31-37 .456 Lost West Div Semis 1-2  
42. 1956 Minneapolis Lakers 33-39 .458 Lost West Div Semis 1-2  
1956 St. Louis Hawks 33-39 .458 Lost West Div Finals 4-4  
1958 Cincinnati Royals 33-39 .458 Lost West Div Semis 0-2  
1958 Detroit Pistons 33-39 .458 Lost West Div Finals 3-4  
1959 Minneapolis Lakers 33-39 .458 Lost NBA Finals 6-7  
47. 1962 Detroit Pistons 37-43 .463 Lost West Div Finals 5-5  
1965 Baltimore Bullets 37-43 .463 Lost West Div Finals 5-5  
      Season Playoffs
Rk Season
Team
W-L
WPct Performance
W-L
 
49. 1972 Baltimore Bullets 38-44 .463 Lost East Conf Semis 2-4  
1976 Milwaukee Bucks 38-44 .463 Lost West Conf 1st Rd 1-2  
1980 Portland Trail Blazers 38-44 .463 Lost West Conf 1st Rd 1-2  
1984 Denver Nuggets 38-44 .463 Lost West Conf 1st Rd 2-3  
1984 Kansas City Kings 38-44 .463 Lost West Conf 1st Rd 0-3  
1985 Chicago Bulls 38-44 .463 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 1-3  
1988 New York Knicks 38-44 .463 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 1-3  
1988 Washington Bullets 38-44 .463 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 2-3  
1992 Miami Heat 38-44 .463 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 0-3  
2013 Milwaukee Bucks 38-44 .463 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 0-4  
2014 Atlanta Hawks 38-44 .463 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 3-4  
2015 Brooklyn Nets 38-44 .463 Lost East Conf 1st Rd 2-4  

related: Best 50 Teams in NBA History