NBA Finals: Home Court Disadvantage? League Needs to Change the 2-3-2 Format
The NBA Finals lived up to expectations.
It had the Miami Heat, who created the buzz of the off season with Lebron Jame's Decision and the assembling of The Big Three. They had been the favorites to take the title since last summer.
The Dallas Mavericks had other thoughts, as Dirk Nowitzki was the best player in the playoffs and proved that staying with one team for an entire career can indeed pay dividends.
The series had trash-talking, physical play and outcomes decided at the buzzer. Not to mention, it was a rematch of the 2006 Finals, when the Mavs blew a 2-0 lead to lose the series in six games to Miami.
However despite all of the intriguing story lines, the 2-3-2 format is ruining the NBA Finals. The 2-3-2 format is where each game of the series is played: The higher seed plays the first two and last two games of the series at home opposed to the 2-2-1-1-1 format.
The Heat had a better record than the Mavericks during the regular season—albeit by one game—which earned them the right to have home court advantage in the series. As a reward, they were given the gift of having to play a crucial Game 5 in front of a raucous Dallas home crowd for the third straight game.
They lost that game, and never recovered, as the Mavs went on to win the series in six games.
More times than not, Game 5 is one of the most important games in a seven game series. When a series is tied 2-2, it's absurd that the team with the better record is forced to play the next game on a visitor's home floor.
The Mavs were on the other side of the "home court advantage" in 2006, by losing Game 5 in Miami, before losing the series in six games back in Dallas.
Additionally, the NBA Playoffs prior to the Finals follows the 2-2-1-1-1 format, giving the team with the home court advantage the all-important Game 5 in front of their home fans.
What about the travel argument?
Please. One or two extra chartered flights will hardly make a difference to players. It's not as if they are traveling in coach and waiting for their delayed connecting flight at JFK.
Also consider the fact that some of the series leading up to this year's finals required a greater travel distance than the mileage between Dallas and Miami (L.A. to New Orleans, Dallas to Portland, Boston to Miami, etc).
Sure, there will be exceptions. The Lakers were able to fight back and win two home games against the Celtics in 2010 after trailing in the series 3-2. But if the NHL can get this right, so can the NBA.
I am in no way saying that this cost the Heat the series. The Mavericks were a better and more consistent team throughout the playoffs.
However, the NBA needs to address this and make a rule change, so that the team with the best record can, in fact, have a home court advantage.
