I would love the Finals to be the 2-2-1-1-1, makes the series more exciting imo.

There have been only two NBA Finals that went seven games since the introduction of the 2-3-2 format in 1985. There were 13 that went in the 34 years prior to 1985. That's a difference of about 28% more before the format was introduced. Houston did manage to win both road games in game 6 and game 7 to win the Finals in the 2-3-2 format, but that is the exception to the rule.

 

I done a little research and stat compiling.

 

Of 24 NBA Finals under the 2-3-2 format...

 

11 times the clincher has been won on the road. Of those 11, the team with home court advantag won 7 and the underdog won 4.

 

Of the 13 home clinchers, the favorite won 11 and the underdog 2.

 

3 of 24 have gone the distance (1988 - Detroit/LA, 1994 - Houston/NY, 2005 - San Antonio/Detroit).

 

12 of 24 have ended in six games. 5 have ended in five and 4 have ended in four.

 

Additionally, the team with home court in the series has a combined road record of 35-33. The team without home court is 18-48 on the road.

 

That means teams without home court are 33-35 at home in the past 24 years. 10 of 24 times (41.7%) they have won 2 of 3 on their home court. 5 of 24 times (20.8%) they have lost 2 of 3. Six times they've gone winless at home and 3 times they've swept their home court.

 

When I get time, I'll figure out what the 24 champions road record is. But, it seems the better teams find a way to win no matter where the game is played.

Home court is earned, and I don't mind giving the best regular season team the inside track to winning the title...

I do agree with that. I just favor the 2-3-2.

 

Also, 2-3-2 makes economic sense in these tough times. In a 7 game series under the finals format, there are only two plane trips involved. In a 7 gamer under the other format, you double that. That's a lot of jet fuel to be saved.

 

The NBA needs to get on board with Obama and go green (and I don't mean Celtic green).

 

2-3-2 is garbage. I don't see how it really helps either team consistently. It does have to do with the travle though I'm sure.

 

Home court is earned, and I don't mind giving the best regular season team the inside track to winning the title...

 

Doesn't home court advantage already do that?

I agree that homecourt is earned but I don't agree with it being different for the biggest series of the season.

Home court is earned, and I don't mind giving the best regular season team the inside track to winning the title...

 

Exactly. :thumb:

2-3-2 is garbage. I don't see how it really helps either team consistently. It does have to do with the travle though I'm sure.

 

Win on the road. Defend your home court. If you're good enough to win a title, then you're good enough to do that. It doesn't matter what the format is. There isn't a single finals since '85 that anyone can point to and say the 2-3-2 format changed the outcome. The better team wins.

 

Eventual NBA Champions since 1985 are a combined 41-26 (.612%) on the road. In 13 of 24 finals, the eventual champions has won 2 or 3 on the road.

 

The bottom line is that championship teams win on the road. It doesn't matter what the format is.

 

I wish the NBA would switch to the 2-3-2 for the entire playofss.

Win on the road. Defend your home court. If you're good enough to win a title, then you're good enough to do that. It doesn't matter what the format is. There isn't a single finals since '85 that anyone can point to and say the 2-3-2 format changed the outcome. The better team wins.

 

Eventual NBA Champions since 1985 are a combined 41-26 (.612%) on the road. In 13 of 24 finals, the eventual champions has won 2 or 3 on the road.

 

The bottom line is that championship teams win on the road. It doesn't matter what the format is.

 

I wish the NBA would switch to the 2-3-2 for the entire playofss.

 

I agree. No matter what I think it's dumb to change it for one seires. Either all 2-2-1-1-1 or all 2-3-2. I'd prefer 2-2-1-1-1 b/c I think it's hard to win 3 straight at home. But I agree that the team w/ the home court advantage should get a home court advantage.

Isn't Baseball 2-3-2 and has been for seemingly forever?

 

How much did that weigh in?

 

I don't think it's disadvantage to the road team.

 

All the road team has to do is take one, just one game of the first two. Then he can be set up to go home, get the crowd behind them, and sweep the favorites before having to go back there.

 

Advantage is in the eye of the beholder I think.

 

In '85 it seemed that when LA split in Boston they were in the seat. They lost a close one in game four to Boston (or was it five?) and knew they had to go back East to win the thing. Everyone expected a collapse because Boston had never lost a title on their home court before. But the Lakers went into Game 6 (with the ghosts of '84 in their minds) and took care of business in the end.

 

The format doesn't matter.

The best team should win period.

The best team should win period.

 

Particularly in a Series they SHOULD win.

 

However sometimes that isn't the case.

 

'69 Mets over Orioles

'90 Reds over A's

'77 Trailblazers over 76'ers

 

 

But most times, irregardless of the format, the better team will win.