Why Have the 2-3-2 Format for the Finals?

[magicfan4life05]

Does anyone know the reason for it? I mean if it's not used in any of the other rounds, why use it in the NBA Finals?

I personally don't like it because I prefer the other format.

[JordansBulls]

Does anyone know the reason for it? I mean if it's not used in any of the other rounds, why use it in the NBA Finals?

I personally don't like it because I prefer the other format.

The idea was to keep the traveling down. If you get a Boston-LA finals, no one wants to travel to Boston, then La, back to Boston, then LA and back to Boston.

It is better to just go to Boston, LA then Boston again.

It saves on time, fuel and prevents gas prices from going up more for no reason.

[Magic All The Way]

Because of the travel time, travelling back and forth from game 5 to game 6 to game 7.

[LakerFanMan]

Yea travel time is probably the reason. However, 2-3-2 sort of gives a disadvantage to the team with home court.

[magicfan4life05]

-= original quote snipped =-



The idea was to keep the traveling down. If you get a Boston-LA finals, no one wants to travel to Boston, then La, back to Boston, then LA and back to Boston.

It is better to just go to Boston, LA then Boston again.

It saves on time, fuel and prevents gas prices from going up more for no reason.

thanks, and to other responses too

Yea travel time is probably the reason. However, 2-3-2 sort of gives a disadvantage to the team with home court.

yeah

I was thinking the same, it just doesn't seem to be the same for the home team, for instance the pivotal game 5 is not on your home court, which is a huge game (if the series gets that far).

I understand the points made, but it just seems for a couple of more hours on a plan, does it seem that big of a difference? Maybe I'm minimizing it but I don't see why it's a big deal that they would change the format.

[Iggyemu]

Main reason is travel. League wants games every other night. Can't do that if you gotta travel between games 4,5 and 6 from East coast to West coast.

[Andrew Bynasty]

Yea Im actually excited that the Lakers dont have homecourt. If they can steal 1 game out of the first 2... Than that puts a ton of pressure to beat the Lakers in LA, which hasnt happened so far in the playoffs.

[Speedlot]

When it's East Vs. West, home court advantage isn't as "one-sided" because of the different conference. Therefore a 2-3-2 set-up evens it out a bit more.

[Speedlot]

orr this

Jim Feist comments that,

[JordansBulls]

Only 2 teams have won the middle 3 games at home. Miami in 2006 and Detroit in 2004.

[magicfan4life05]

^

hmm now that's interesting!

definitely wouldnt surprise me if that's the case

good find speedlot

[LakerFanMan]

Only 2 teams have won the middle 3 games at home. Miami in 2006 and Detroit in 2004.

Yea but still, it puts the team with home court advantage in a situation where they have to win game 5 on the road in a 2-2 series. In a 2-2-1-1-1 set up then game 5 is at home. I see what you're saying though, it's tough to beat a good team 3 games in a row even if you are at home.

[RockTHECasbah]

well a counter argument is that home court advantage should mean slightly less in the finals because it is decided by different conference strengths

[Sedale Threatt]

Yea travel time is probably the reason. However, 2-3-2 sort of gives a disadvantage to the team with home court.

I've always thought the exact opposite. Just off the top of my head, the only teams to hold serve in the middle three games at home were Detroit in 2004 and Miami in 2006. That's two out of the 23 Finals since this format was implemented in 1985 that the road team has swept the three-game home stand. Not exactly great odds. So what this format basically does is force the road team to win twice on the other team's court if it's going to win the title. When you're facing a team like Boston, which has only lost once at home in the playoffs, that's a pretty tall order.

[realball]

Why not allow the 2-3-2 for every series in the playoffs? Cuts travelling costs and makes the entire post-season more exciting.

[Basileus777]

I don't like the 2-3-2 format. It gives a big advantage to the homecourt team. Those three home games in a row are difficult to take advantage of. Even at home its tough to win 3 games in a row against a conference champion. And having both games 6 and 7 at home is a huge advantage.

[ADM]

Only 2 teams have won the middle 3 games at home. Miami in 2006 and Detroit in 2004.

Keep in mind that the middle 3 games are, by definition, at the home of the team with the worse regular season record. Theoretically, the team with the home court advantage should be more likely to win the series.

That's why it's a little misleading to talk about the Game 7 stats for home teams. OF COURSE the home teams win a huge percentage of Game 7s, they were the better regular season team!

A more interesting stat would be how many #4 vs. #5 seed series that go to Game 7s see the home team win. Theoretically, the #4 vs. #5 series is the closest matchup of talent the league has. I'd bet the home teams aren't quite as dominant.

[raptor21_85]

watch it this way
they're tied 2-2
and then it turns on a best of three games series, so the format is logic
at home
on the road
on the road

[Kobay]

Cuz jet lag is more disruptive when u travel from West to East.

[0HeadAche0]

tbh it is the finals of the entire seasonso surely they should make sure they do it properly.

i mean even if they took an extra day between games 5-6-7 it would be worth it for me, just feels crappy having 3 consecutive playoff games in one place.