Lakers: Home Court Disadvantage

[divo0oneh]

Yea home court will play a huge factor but LA did not really go against good teams to get to the finals besides that they beat OKC by a tip in and they beat the Suns in the same way in games they could have lost.

Now remember C's the Suns came back from an 18 pt deficit and a 17 point deficit in their last 2 games so the Lakers are not a great defensive team they're a good defensive team but they fall asleep the majority of the game so if we can build an early lead we can kill this team.

Im not convinced that this is a championship material team i think they're talented but not convinced by their play just yet Kobe bailed them out in almost every series.

[ACF]

Celtics have road court advantage.

[BballTim]

Home court advantage is HUGE in the Finals, because it's a 2-3-2 schedule instead of 2-2-1-1-1 ... meaning if we don't win it in 5, we will need to try to close it out in Los Angeles (last two games are in LA)

  I think it's a bigger advantage for the road team. We start the series just trying to get a split on the road. If we do and take 2 out of 3 at home we go back to LA just needing to win either of the last 2 to win the series.

[Vermont Green]

I don't think home court or the format make any difference in this series.  Both teams have the types of players who can play well on the road.  That is until game 7.  Game 7 (if it comes to it) at home is a huge advantage for the Lakers.

[P2]

Imagine the C's took Games 1 & 2 to come to Boston up 2-0... but we are definitely going to get one game.

[CelticSooner]

Win at least one of first two in LA, win the next two in Boston, then u have the Lakers on the ropes just like Orlando.

[Ohio Celtics Fan]

I honestly feel like our Celtics will make very quick work of LA. A sweep or a 4-1 victory is what I'm expecting. I find LA to be extremely over-rated, if anyone wanted to see a competitive finals it would have been against Phoenix. Of course I could be wrong, but I really doubt it at this point. This Celtics team is kicking butt and taking names. LA is just another name on the list.

[Spicoli]

I honestly feel like our Celtics will make very quick work of LA. A sweep or a 4-1 victory is what I'm expecting. I find LA to be extremely over-rated, if anyone wanted to see a competitive finals it would have been against Phoenix. Of course I could be wrong, but I really doubt it at this point. This Celtics team is kicking butt and taking names. LA is just another name on the list.

TP for you my friend. I totally agree. I don't think any opponent will be tougher than that Cavs team.

[Ohio Celtics Fan]

I honestly feel like our Celtics will make very quick work of LA. A sweep or a 4-1 victory is what I'm expecting. I find LA to be extremely over-rated, if anyone wanted to see a competitive finals it would have been against Phoenix. Of course I could be wrong, but I really doubt it at this point. This Celtics team is kicking butt and taking names. LA is just another name on the list.

TP for you my friend. I totally agree. I don't think any opponent will be tougher than that Cavs team.

Thanks and back at ya. I was talking with a friend the other day and that's exactly what I told him, we've already played the toughest opponent we're going to in the playoffs and that was the Cavs.

[el.celta]

You could almost argue that the Finals format works against the home team. Sure, they get homecourt through the first 2 games, but then it evens up at game 4 with 2 being played on each court. Then, the 5th game actually gives the team with the 2nd best record the advantage and it's only evened out in game 6 and only is a homecourt advantage if it goes 7. Then again, odds suggest that it's very difficult to beat a good team 3 games in a row too.

because you say that a good team can not be won three times bull?
perhaps you did not see the first 3 vs miami?
or the last 3 vs cleveland?
and the first 3 vs magics?

[vinnie]

I am kind of shocked that I am seeing predictions of a sweep or the Celtics in 5. I think the C's will win, but they will have to win it in LA. I do not buy that the Lakers are overrated. They have two of the top 20 players in the league, in my opinion, in Kobe and Gasol. They have one of the best sixth men in the league, in Odom, and they have one of the best defensive players in the league, in Artest. I think they are almost the equal of the Celtics, with Kobe as the x-factor. I would love to see the Celtics winning in 5, but I see them in 6.

[albas89]

I am kind of shocked that I am seeing predictions of a sweep or the Celtics in 5. I think the C's will win, but they will have to win it in LA. I do not buy that the Lakers are overrated. They have two of the top 20 players in the league, in my opinion, in Kobe and Gasol. They have one of the best sixth men in the league, in Odom, and they have one of the best defensive players in the league, in Artest. I think they are almost the equal of the Celtics, with Kobe as the x-factor. I would love to see the Celtics winning in 5, but I see them in 6.

TP! I totally agree, the Lakers are a heck of a team and I cant understand how so many people in here underestimate them!! forget about the others, Bryant himself has been on fire during the western finals...
I'm pretty sure we can win game 1 or game 2 but not both... and when we come back to Boston, is there anyone who can guarantee that Kobe is not gonna go off and score 40 to win a game in the Garden??? I guess not...
if we play on the top of our game, I'm not afraid of any team, not the Lakers, not anyone... but I think we reached that high point during that 6-0 stretch against the Cavs and the Magic, it is really very difficult to play any better than that!! It's gonna be an epic series and I have no idea what is gonna happen... but my prediction is that we will prolly need to visit LA twice...