NBA Playoff Predictions

[Steve_in_Exile]

Measuring home court advantage in the regular season avoids the complicating factor in the playoffs that the better teams play more games at home. Interestingly, the home court advantage has been in decline over the years, and nobody is sure why.



http://a3.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=%2 ... .jpg&w=570

[Electrolyte]

Could be better refereeing.

For comparison, there was a Knick game decades ago that the Knicks lost because the ball went in the basket and neither referee (only two back then) saw it.

Knicks down by 2 in the final seconds. A Knick drove to the basked and was clobbered. No one expected the ball to go in so neither referee was looking, but it went in. The player got 2 free throws, made the first and missed the second. Would have been a 3 point play if he had also made the free throw in the case where the referees saw the ball go in and he got 1 free throw.

[Electrolyte]

Btw, when did the starting time of the games shift to 9PM? It used to be 7PM so that the games would span prime time. Has the NBA fallen so far? Are we going back to the day of Sunday morning or late night starting times and tape delay broadcasts?

[steveogolf]

Friday (Game # 4) may well be LeBron's last game playing for Cleveland (at least until he decides to return to the Cavs later in his career).

[steveogolf]

As for Home Court Advantage: It is much much greater during the Regular Season because the visiting teams have to travel often long distances and often have to play back-to-back games = fatigue and not enough rest.
The NBA does that for an obvious reason: The NBA Commissioners want the home team to win most of the games because it brings in more fans (and creates more local interest for the home team) than if the home team loses more often.

[eric84]

Could be better refereeing.

For comparison, there was a Knick game decades ago that the Knicks lost because the ball went in the basket and neither referee (only two back then) saw it.

Knicks down by 2 in the final seconds. A Knick drove to the basked and was clobbered. No one expected the ball to go in so neither referee was looking, but it went in. The player got 2 free throws, made the first and missed the second. Would have been a 3 point play if he had also made the free throw in the case where the referees saw the ball go in and he got 1 free throw.

The refereeing was worse once? Wow. I think road travel is no longer a big deal in the modern era so no reason for teams not to be prepared.

[Electrolyte]

I also suspect that during the regular season the referees are biased, and maybe the home team tries harder, but the reasons you give are probably more important.

Referees make some big mistakes, but mostly they are awesome these days. Maybe they were always pretty good. I remember my opinion of them changing when I was out of school and I was able to go to games and then look at the video afterwards. I just wanted to reaffirm my certainty that they had blown several important calls, but they were almost always right and I was wrong even when it seemed obvious that they were wrong. The one that really convinced me was Charles Smith Game 5 (yes, I was there, and right behind that basket).

[Steve_in_Exile]

Yeah, Eric is full of shit on the refereeing issue.

[Citizen Baba]

GS can't win without Curry being thoroughly healthy.

Toronto takes the east. Houston the west, unless GS gets healthy before the western conference finals.

Houston or a healthy GS crushes the Raptors.

nostrafuckingdamus

[Lost Soul]

Whereas a gnatballs such as yourself is too afraid to make a prediction. Much like Reich there. You should feel pride.

[eric84]

I also suspect that during the regular season the referees are biased, and maybe the home team tries harder, but the reasons you give are probably more important.

Referees make some big mistakes, but mostly they are awesome these days. Maybe they were always pretty good. I remember my opinion of them changing when I was out of school and I was able to go to games and then look at the video afterwards. I just wanted to reaffirm my certainty that they had blown several important calls, but they were almost always right and I was wrong even when it seemed obvious that they were wrong. The one that really convinced me was Charles Smith Game 5 (yes, I was there, and right behind that basket).

Refereeing is awesome in the nba? Geez, I don’t think I’ve ever heard it described that way. I’m just grateful when a terrible call doesn’t decide the fate of a game.

[Lost Soul]

Elbron is officially a Laker for the next four years.

He will make slightly less than Curry's $40,000,000 per year.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/lebron-jam ... 1850.html

[steveogolf]

LeBron's 4-year contract with the Lakers allows him to "opt-out" after 3 years.
But without some additional top tier players the Lakers won't beat the Warriors, and may not even get to the Western Division Final.

[eric84]

Hurray, he’s out of the east.

[Lost Soul]

LA has some cap room to rent another top player, but I agree with you steveo.

They will make the playoffs. BFD

[RedsailsII]

DeMarcus Cousins to the Warriors. He'll be at the 5 and make them unbeatable.

Attendance will decline further in the NBA. Teams like the Kings are being buried alive.

[eric84]

His Laker teammates seem to be Lebron haters so that ought to be fun to watch.

[Electrolyte]

All of the top players in the league will want to come to LA now that LeBron is there. It's not just the team that they care about; it's the city. If you were James Harden and you could play with LeBron but you had to live in Cleveland, what would you do? But if it's LA ...

DeMarcus Cousins to the Warriors. He'll be at the 5 and make them unbeatable.

Or he could be a great tasting dish that gives everyone food poisoning. He might ruin the team chemistry and get everyone fighting with each other.

Attendance will decline further in the NBA. Teams like the Kings are being buried alive.

There are hardly any teams left that are worth watching. The stacked teams have become ridiculous. It's like a playground court that has been ruined. And I don't want all teams to have an equal chance--the 80s-90s were great when it was all LA, Boston, Chicago, but other teams were interesting.

I used to love the All-Star game. What a joke that has become. Curry lying down on his back when he was the lone defender on a fast break of bigger players is an image that I will never be able to get out of my head.

The networks have recognized this. They have cut back their coverage of the playoffs. The games are played later in the evening, and are less likely to be on major networks.

[gnd]

Cavs. bc Cavs<3.