The Importance of Winning On The Road

The biggest news going into the playoffs this year is injuries. Not only is Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics shockingly out for the playoffs, but the San Antonio Spurs will be without their super-sub, Manu Ginobili, for their playoff run as well.

This allows the door to be blown open for a number of teams, including the Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, and Portland Trail Blazers.

But the main key to playoff success will be who can pull out the big wins on the road.

The critics seemed to be in love with the young Portland team these past few days, saying that their only weakness is their youth. Well, they proved to be erroneous as the Blazers young guns were shooting blanks Saturday night at the Rose Garden. Yao Ming got the Houston Rockets off to a good start and the win as they dominated on both ends of the court, winning by 27.

The injuries played a big part as the Chicago Bulls squeaked one out in Boston over the defending champs in overtime, and the Dallas Mavericks controlled the game in the second half in San Antonio game and eventually won by eight.

What better person to talk about how to win on the road than Kenny “The Jet” Smith, whose Rockets team won a ring as the sixth seed—meaning they won every series without home court advantage.

He talked about this after the Lakers/Nuggets game on April 9th, going over what he believed were the top four components to winning on the road in the NBA.

They are as follows:


COACH

You need a good coach. One who is battle tested, understands the game, and can make changes on the fly. The coach needs to be able to go against the game plan and still have the belief that his team can carry out the task at hand.


BENCH

Bench guys have to play consistent. Teams like the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, and the Los Angeles Lakers have guys that can sub in and contribute on a nightly basis.

It is also important to have an impact bench player. A guy that can come in and be a star on any given night. Think Lamar Odom (LAL), Daniel Gibson (CLE), and Michael Beasley (MIA). These guys can put up 20 points from the bench to help your team get a win.


TWO DOMINATORS

It is essential to have two guys who can score at will and dominate.

No team has a better second guy than Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers. Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups of the Denver Nuggets can do it every night. Ron Artest and Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets can take it to the next level. And the Spurs have Tony Parker and Tim Duncan¬—but their star bench player (Ginobili) is out, so that will make a huge difference.


BEAST

This is a guy that can go out, dominate the paint, and get you 40 points. Almost as if the rest of the team does not have to worry about anything offensively all night.

This type of player says, “Just worry about playing defense. I’ll take the load, and anything bad that happens, I’ll take the blame. You do not even have to take tough shots, I will get you open lay-ups and open shots.” This is why you need a “beast” to win on the road in the NBA.


LUCK

Think back to when Rex Chapman of the Phoenix Suns hit a lucky, fading shot to give the them the win.


Read the full article at Lakers101.com.