One reason homecourt advantage isn’t as big in the playoffs as it is in the regular season
There is a lot of concern among Trail Blazer fans about having to win a game at Houston somewhere along the line in this series against the Rockets, because the Blazers haven’t had a lot of success winning there in recent seasons. But we’ve already seen more than half the visiting teams in playoff series come up with wins on the road.
One reason for visiting-team success in the postseason people don’t talk about much is one of the most powerful. Quite simply, in the regular season the visiting teams are at a much bigger disadvantage than they are in the playoffs in regard to preparation time. Really, it’s a huge deal.
But given proper time to prepare, the visiting team is going to do much better.
First, it’s important to understand that when teams go out on regular-season road trips, they play as many games as possible in as short amount of time as possible. They’re cramming a lot of games into not many days. This does not happen at home. You don’t ever play five games in seven nights at home — but you will on the road.
The Trail Blazers, for example, played road games on back-to-back nights eight times. How many times did they do that at home? Zero. Even when you have a day off in between road games, it’s usually a travel day and practice times are unsettled or nonexistent. That’s why almost all the Western Conference playoff teams have excellent home records. They are good teams and visiting teams don’t have a chance to get ready to play them during the regular season.
Sure, some buildings are tougher to play in than others. But NBA players get used to the hostile crowds and noise pretty fast. It’s just that on the road in the regular season, the games come at you so fast and furiously that half the time you can’t remember who you’re playing next until you get there.
Portland met Houston three times this season. The only home game was Nov. 6, when the Blazers had played Utah the previous night on the road — so Portland didn’t even get preparation time for a HOME game. Then in the Portland games on the road against the Rockets, the Blazers were fortunate enough to have a day off prior to the games — but both were travel days.
The point is, there is very little time for teams to do a lot of preparation in the regular season – especially for the road team. That leads to largely out-of-proportion home records. I think this helps a team like Houston at home more than most teams because the Rockets are radically different than the rest of the league. They have the most unusual player in the league, Yao Ming, and they play a different style — the slowest pace in the NBA. It takes special preparation to play them well.
The Blazers have had time for that preparation in the playoffs. It showed in Game 2, when they were more comfortable attacking the basket and getting into the paint against the Rockets.
I’ve said it all along, but I believe the longer the series goes, the better Portland will play. Part of it is the youth of the Blazers. They’ll grow and they’ll also probably stay fresher because of their young legs. But they’ll also be aided by their continued opportunity to become accustomed to playing against this very unusual team.
NBA, Trail Blazers | Dwight Jaynes | April 23, 2009
Dwight Jaynes, homecourt advantage, Houston Rockets, NBA playoffs, Portland Trail Blazers, Yao Ming
I think the preparation time will only help the blazers. I like your assertion that the longer the series goes the better the blazers will play. I hope you are right about that. I believe that Outlaw, Blake and Rudy are going to have to play well for Portland to win in Houston. Young players always seem to struggle on the road so I am a little worried about these guys stepping up. Also, it’s tough to get calls on the road and I am concerned about how the younger guys can adjust to that. Greg Oden could turn out to be a huge factor. Even if he doesn’t score he’s going to draw fouls and eventually draw double teams. Maybe that will give Blake, Outlaw and Fernandez a chance to get some open looks.
I wonder who you think the better preparing coach is ? Nate or Rick ? To me Nate seems to be able to prepare and adjust from game to game pretty well. Sometimes I wonder how able he is to adjust his in game strategy. Adelamn can. It is Houston’s turn to adjust. Yao himself admitted in his post game comments that the young Blazers are quick learners. We know Adelman can learn and will prepare something new. I am curious to see how he will adjust Yao now that he’s lost Deke. I do believe that will be Houston’s biggest challenge going forward. I hope the Blazers coaching staff use some of the extra time between games to work on getting some air under and touch into Oden’s hook shot. That shot is so close and yet still so far off. If that shot would go down with any consistency. I believe the Rockets would go down.
Great perspective.
It’s odd – I was a nervous wreck before game 1, a nervous reck before game 2, but I feel strangely confident about game 3.
I wonder if the players feel the same way.
Great point Dwight. Especially as the two teams start to get used to each other the home court advantage will lessen and game plan tweaks will be the difference. The first two games were a playoff baptism by fire for nearly every blazer and they learned quickly what it takes to win.
We have to feel good about the court savvy of roy and blake and the diagram skills of Nate.
Good post.
The playoffs are more of a chess match for coaches–lots of time for thinking about what your opponent is up to. I suspect they try to anticipate what adjustments the other coach is planning as well as making their own.
Maybe we’re going to find out how much Nate learned about this aspect of the game when had his few tries at it with the Sonics. It is the players, however, who have to execute the game plan.
Wouldn’t it be a great thing if game 3 was another trial by fire – where we come up short after a great effort…. but in game 4, we figure out how to win on the road and have another 20 point victory?
Constant improvement. Either way – coming out with a split in Houston would have to be considered a big lift for this team. If we win game 4 in convincing fashion – then take care of business on the home court – I think this team has demonstrated the type of growth that is going to take them to the next level.
The question then becomes – how much MORE growth can they do during this playoff run. If they can learn enough to beat the Lakers at home in the first two games – the dam has broken.
“The Trail Blazers, for example, played road games on back-to-back nights eight times. How many times did they do that at home? Zero.”
Actually, it’s against NBA rules to have back to back home games. The subject was discussed on True Hoop a little bit earlier this season.
After seeing Adelman play for the run and gun inaugural Blazers and watch the teams he coached run and gun, is anybody amazed by the way he has coached a bunch of plodders? I always liked him as a person and the way he worked with his players, but never thought Xs and Os was his strong suit. Guess I am like the 21 year old that was amazed how much smarter his dad became in the last four years. That being said which team has the greater ability to adapt during the series? Houston is fairly limited by the amount of weapons they actually have. If Portland continues to step forward in their development through the series they should win. Off this topic, I do like the concept of Veterans Memorial Field to replace the MC but I just don’t like the idea of a stadium there.
Playoffs or not, it’s very tough to win on the road in the NBA and history proves it. But the Blazers are young, and most kids don’t care about the past. Here’s hoping the Blazers make some history of their own this weekend. Matchup to watch: Outlaw vs. Outlaw. He can’t lose. But so long as he continues to shoot fall-away 20-footers as often as Roy shoots lay-ins, the Blazers sure can.
Not to mention good old corruption:
If the NBA wants its marketing to take a certain direction, like say, mining the wallets of 300 million middle class fans in China, the officiating will reflect that monetary imperative.
“After seeing Adelman play for the run and gun inaugural Blazers and watch the teams he coached run and gun, is anybody amazed by the way he has coached a bunch of plodders?”
Rick is pretty adaptable. With Sac-town he ran a Princeton-style offense and used Webber/Divac as high-post passers. In it’s heyday, the Kings had some of the best interior passing I’ve ever seen in the NBA. Some coaches (I’m looking at you, Jerry Sloan) have a “system” and select players who will run that system, period. Rick has never had the kind of job security that Sloan has enjoyed in Utah, so he’s had to adjust his scheme to the talent on-hand.
So Dwight, you said Nate didn’t have the players prepared for game 1, but now they’ll do better on the road because he’ll have more time to prepare? Pick a side and stick with it. If the Blazers get a split in Houston this weekend, will you throw a bouquet towards McMillian and his staff?
You said:
“I’ve said it all along, but I believe the longer the series goes, the better Portland will play. Part of it is the youth of the Blazers. They’ll grow and they’ll also probably stay fresher because of their young legs. But they’ll also be aided by their continued opportunity to become accustomed to playing against this very unusual team.”
I agree 100%. I have great feelings about the first game in Houston and even the second!
We’re so loaded with talent, and I wish we’d play 100%. Have Rudy drive all the way up to the basket. We can blow them away if we make a few minor tweaks.