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Hey guys how do you think the Finals format of 2-3-2 (2 games home, 3 away, 2 home) affects the Lakers?

At first it seemed a little scary to me because if everyone wins at home the Lakers are down 3-2.

However, I have to believe Lakers will win both at home and steal one on the road, leaving them at 3-2 with two chances to win one at home.

Both teams have played well on the road and the Lakers havn't been unbeatable at home in the first three series though, so this can go a number of different ways.

Do you think this format is better or worse for us than the 2-2-1-1-1?

Only 2 teams in the history of 2-3-2 format has ever won the 3 home games at home, both those teams went on the win the title, so lets not make Orlando the 3rd team.

Detroit did it to us back in 2004 and Miami did it in 2006.

we are the best road team in the nba..i believe we will steal 1 or 2 games in orlando..

and we will be winning our 15th championship and celebrating at home.

I wrote a nice topic on this format during the season with a few facts about it,I'll see if I can find it and re post it.

That format is bu**$hit for the team who has HCA. I think the NBA just really did that for us during the 1986 when we can't win game 5? I think. Correct me if I'm wrong. We really have to win one in Orlando there.

Guys don't sweat the format that hard, remember only 2 teams have won all 3 middle games since the format was installed in 1985. The Pistons in 04 and the 06 Heat, but the teams they beat had a multitude of problems. We had internal strife and the Mavs lacked a killer instinct. Orlando will not win all 3 middle games........bet on it and win money !

Nice idea.

Got a bookie in Vegas you'd like to recommend?

How often does the visiting team win 1 of the first 2?

Then your 1-1 with 3 at home, but I agree, its tough to win 3 in a row, but Orlando is a great road team also. Should be in interesting series.

The 2-3-2 Format Facts

New postby DEEP3CL on Wed Mar 18, 2009 5:39 pm
OK with all the talk of needing HCA on just about every contending teams board, I've decided to share some long time thoughts on the 2-3-2 Finals format adopted in 1985. First off for those here born after this format was adotped, let me tell you how we got to this. In 1984 the Lakers and Celtics were in the Finals and slugging it out once again. Prior to this the old format was 2-2-1-1-1 for the Finals.

Basically flying back and forth across the country was starting to take toll on both teams, but this hit the fan when the Lakers had just played an overtime in Game 4 on a Wednesday night and had to fly to Boston and play a critical Game 5 on a Friday night. With the Lakers gased and old man Red turning off the AC in the crypt called the Boston Garden, the Lakers were trucked by the Celtics.

"I suggest," Kareem said, "that you go to a local steam bath, do 100 pushups with all your clothes on, then try to run back and forth for 48 minutes. The game was in slow motion. It was like we were running in mud."

One of many nasty stunts the old man pulled.

With that said the Lakers won Game 6, but had to make the final flight back to Boston for Game 7 were they lost. I guess the league saw something had to change, because flying back and forth didn't make sense...............and in comes the 2-3-2 format.

My belief is that if your a good to great road team you should be able to steal a game. So is it really all that important to win HCA ? Probably just for the sake of having a critical Game 7 at home, but if you have faith you can win at least one on the road then probably not.

FACTS ON THE 2-3-2

Home Team Wins First Two Games : 8 times

Road Team Wins First Two Games : 2 times

Teams Split First Two Games : 9 times ( Only 2 teams have went on to win title: LA 85, CHI 98)

Home Team Wins Middle Three Games : 2 times (Piston 04 & Heat 06)

Road Team Wins Middle Three Games : 3 times

Home Team Wins Last Two Games : 2 times

Road Team Wins Last Two Games : 0 times

Only 3 of the last 24 NBA Finals series have went 7 games. Basically this means the home teams have been taking care of business, and finding a way to steal one of those games on the road. And only 4 teams have won the title without having HCA (95'Rockets, 98'Bulls, 04'Pistons, 06'Heat)

After watching all the Laker games, and last years games, mental toughness will be key. I know they're hungry, but if we lighten up, it might be trouble. I didn't like the fact that Denver and Houston won at Staples. So I'm a bit nervous.

Try something new... not having the home court didnt work last year

Its important to get a good start

That was a great post Deep, then and now. The Magic present some serious matchup issues -- I'm not looking forward to watching Andrew and Pau try, and I stress try, to guard Howard. But in the end, I'm taking homecourt each and every time, no matter how tough the matchup might be. The odds are against you big-time otherwise. The bottom line is, we have nobody to blame but ourselves if we can't finish this off.

The key is winning the first 2 games, then the pressure is on Orlando to win the 3 an their home court kind of like what happened to us last year..

We came pretty close to taking game 2 last year and i believe the series would have atleast gone 7 games.

KObe Bryant wrote:That format is bu**$hit for the team who has HCA. I think the NBA just really did that for us during the 1986 when we can't win game 5? I think. Correct me if I'm wrong. We really have to win one in Orlando there.

Actually, the 2-3-2 format is WAY better for the HCA team than the 2-2-1-1-1 format. Winning 3 straight games in the Finals is incredibly tough so most likely the team without HCA will need to win at least 2 road games.

The 2-3-2 format is just great for us since we start at home.

The league has jacked itself with the format though... only 3 game 7's in 23 years..

The current average after this year will be 1 game 7 - every 8 years - sucks to be a hoops fan.
The average in the 23 years prior was 1 game 7 - almost every 3rd year.

As a kid, I remember watching that Sonics/Bullets series... I didn't even like those teams but got caught up in it.. and the Celtics/Bucks (with Kareem)... watching late at night as a kid keeping the sound low so my parents wouldn't hear.

With TV dollars and viewership growing to non-hoops fans for those bigger than life game 7's, you think they'd have done something.

DEEP3CL wrote:
FACTS ON THE 2-3-2

Home Team Wins First Two Games : 8 times

Road Team Wins First Two Games : 2 times

Teams Split First Two Games : 9 times ( Only 2 teams have went on to win title: LA 85, CHI 98)

I think you're missing a couple of series here, no? That's only 19 total, when it should be 23, right?

What is the statistics on the home team winning vs the road team?

If I'm not mistaken the home team is 20-4 in the Finals since the format was implemented in 1985.

That's one of the most disturbing sigs I've seen, ST.

Sort of poetic, though, isn't it?