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With our 4-game losing streak, I could not care less about the actual losses. However, I did/do have concern about the big picture, as far as HCA. Chicago is a great team, but I honestly think Miami or Boston has a great shot to beat them and come out of the East. I know our players can win on the road, but I just don't trust the officiating on the road, especially in Boston and Miami. Besides that, I think it's harder to come back and win it when you're down 1 or 2 games, and you really just can't escape the fact that in the past couple of years in close playoff series, the team that won the individual games was often at home (see OKC, Phoenix, Houston, etc.).

With all of that said, it's pretty clear to me that our team's attitude is that HCA doesn't really matter. When you can clearly see a lack of effort and intensity, you can tell that they are trying to save everything for the playoffs. I don't think it could be any clearer than when your leader says that they are just "B.S.'ing" games. Not boxing out, having people go behind you for alley-oops, losing loose balls, carelessness all have to do with effort and intensity. After the third game we lost, someone asked Artest about this and he said something to the effect of "Well at least this isn't game 7 of the finals," which is true but also not true in the fact that it could very well determine where you play game 7.

Now, don't get me wrong, I would MUCH prefer health and an injury-free team over HCA, so, knock on wood, I think that's a positive. I just hope we can luck out with HCA with our remaining schedule...Considering how we're playing, though, I think that might be a lot to ask for right now.

Not trying to sound arrogant or anything but we don't need HCA in the west at least. HCA in the Finals is a different animal though, only because it nullifies the officiating to a certain degree. Especially in the 7th game of the Finals. No ref in the NBA want's to be that guy who'll go down in history for making a call that could possibly keep a team from winning a title.

I'm telling you all don't worry about the Bulls, I'm willing to throw a gran on the table saying they won't make the ECF. Go read the GB and see all the over confident Bulls fans saying they'd trash us in a Finals matchup, and how they got the advantages here and there. Telling you now they won't make it.

it's hard to tell with the 2-3-2 format, as home court seems to matter less than before - regardless the 2 Boston series. On one hand, you may be down 2 quickly if you don't have the advantage, on the other hand, if you get one of the 2 games, you may be able to close it at home...
My guess is that it is always good psychologically even before you start, not even considering the fans, referees et al. A great team should be able to handle it though (but perhaps a great team wouldn't have that problem?)

I'm only concerned on staying in front of Miami and Boston. Like Deep said i still don't believe that the Bulls will beat the Heat and the Celtics, and if they do get to the finals we got experience on our side.

Put it this way.

We would not have won the title last year if we did not have homecourt advantage

The Bulls is almost exactly the same team as the Cavs in the previous years. One superstar, a bunch of half decent role players around him. They are young, athletic and do a great job getting HCA every year during the regular season but their lack of top shelf talent makes them very vulnerable in the playoffs. Celtics knew how to beat LBJ's Cavs and they will beat this Bulls easily.

dub81 wrote:Put it this way.

We would not have won the title last year if we did not have homecourt advantage

True dub81, but not all the Laker teams in their history have depended on home court. There were times we didn't have it and still won, in 1984-85 the Lakers didn't have home court against Boston and still won the series.

You guys just have to have some faith it can be done, I've seen it done so maybe that's why I feel different about it than most here.

rather be at home then away thats for sure

its very important. theres a reason phil jackson stresses it...im sure he knows the team more than all of us combined.

The only team we really need it against is Boston IMO. Also, a team unable to win on the road is not a championship caliber team, period. Rarely does the #1 overall seed in the league win the championship, so I wouldn't stress about it too much

Lakers can win anywhere. But Home Court is always a better situation.

If Game 7 was in Boston last year. The Celts would probably be the Champs.

Against Miami and Boston we need it.

iki4life wrote:its very important. theres a reason phil jackson stresses it...im sure he knows the team more than all of us combined.

he doesn't and thats why I post here.

We only need it against Boston, I would be confident against anyone else without home court

sigh, it wouldve been nice to have HCA for maybe 3 rounds out of 4

i know its not necessary, but winning a few games now makes a world of difference in a game 7 in a hostile environment

this is highly disappointing.

Not very.

Would be nice to have it, but if the Lakers believe that they can win anywhere, then so be it. As long as they're prepared for it then it doesn't matter.

Weve won one title on the road and one at hone with the same core guys. It's not huge deal.

Cavemold wrote:Weve won one title on the road

Sorry, but when was this? We've had HCA in every single series that we've won over the past 3 post-seasons. The one series where we didn't have HCA (Celtics 2008) didn't turn out too well. Edit: We might as well include the previous two post-seasons where we didn't have HCA against the Suns, so basically we've yet to win without HCA in the post-Shaq era.

HCA matters. This team hasn't proven jack **** in terms of beating the odds. We've simply beaten the teams that we were supposed to beat. So yeah, HCA is pretty damn important, although we have enough experience to overcome it. Unfortunately, we're going to be facing a very good team that has just as much experience as we do in the WCF (Spurs), so we can't really play the experience card until we get out of our conference.

If they don't have it in the Finals they will lose... if they even make it that far. HCA in the West isn't that important. The way the games are setup in the finals is bad for the team without HCA.