Garrett Ellwood / NBAE photo via Getty Images
As NBA teams did not yet have enough uniforms, Nike launched another set for just over half of the teams.
As they have done in recent years, the 16 teams that made it to the playoffs last year revealed what is being called “Gains” T-shirts to accompany your normal home and road (or, in official jargon, “Association” and “Icon, “respectively), along with the third alternative to the” Declaration “and the City Editions, as well as any setbacks that any of these teams may experience.
Below is the definitive and objectively correct classification of the 16 “Winnings” editions, which were released on Wednesday.
16. Los Angeles Clippers
The basic uniforms of the Clippers were already among the worst in the league. The only thing that could have made them worse is if they left them gray, which is exactly what they did here.
15. Orlando Magic
14. Utah Jazz
13. Philadelphia 76ers
12. Denver Nuggets
No less than a quarter of the teams decided to go without a name on the front of the shirt, which is almost never a good thing. They look like rec-league shirts or warm-up regattas. It’s a shame, because the Magic, Jazz, 76ers and Nuggets jerseys have a fantastic color scheme.
The Nuggets, in particular, paid tribute to their ABA era logo. These would be the top five if they had just put their team’s name on it.
11. Portland Trail Blazers
Gray is never good looking, but unlike Clippers, Blazers are at least starting with a better jersey design.
10. Dallas Mavericks
They are not bad, but they are very similar to the regular t-shirts from Dallas. They are basically identical to their normal navy blue uniforms, except that they say “Mavs” instead of “Mavericks” on the front.
Perhaps more than any other in the league, this franchise needs a complete redesign – preferably something closer to its green / blue / white uniforms and logos in the late 80s and early 90s.
9. Houston Rockets
These are basically the Rockets’ existing black alternatives, but with red letters instead of white. Again, itβs not bad, but itβs not exciting. The Rockets are another franchise that could use a complete makeover of the brand.
8. Oklahoma City Thunder
Thunder has never had a really good uniform since they moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, but at least these don’t have any oranges.
7. Brooklyn Nets
They’re based on the New York City subway system, which doesn’t inspire a lot of good vibes or positive feelings in people, but it’s great that they carried the chevron pattern on this year’s City Edition polarized shirts.
6. Indiana Pacers
It’s basically impossible to mess up the yellow-striped look of the Pacers from the early to mid-2000s. Like everything else associated with this franchise, they know what they’re good at and don’t stray too far here.
5. Boston Celtics
With the caveat that the Celtics should never really wear any shirt other than the classic green and white, these are probably the best alternatives they have ever invented. The neon accents make the regular green of the letters stand out, and they don’t try to cast too much white or gold.
4. Los Angeles Lakers
Going back to the 2013-14 season, the Lakers have occasionally worked out a black alternative in their rotation, and it has generally been very good. Your regular purple T-shirts would be great, but they are ruined by unnecessary black side panels. Strangely, however, the reverse works well here.
3. Miami Heat
Will Manso @WillManso
The photos were leaked on all social networks, but they finally arrived. The Miami Heat will debut these Earned Edition uniforms tomorrow night. Why βTrophy Goldβ as the color? This is the story of how these unique uniforms came about. https://t.co/srOEkKLxQe https://t.co/XvySC32Z6L
The official term for this shade is “Gold Trophy”. It’s close enough to your regular shirts to make sense, but different enough to be interesting. The Heat usually does these things very well (see: the incredible Miami Vice race, the various monochrome shirts during the LeBron era), and that is no exception.
2. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks should just make these their new permanent green shirts. “Bucks” in the front is much cleaner than “Milwaukee”, and the deer antler pattern on the side is fantastic.
1. Toronto Raptors
The opposite of Clippers. The Raptors took what was already one of the league’s best uniforms and added purple – a throwback to their early days. Everything about it is great.