Lakers and clippers have unfair advantage in the playoffs

[byennie]

This is a horrible disadvantage for the Clippers, and a huge advantage for the Lakers, but only because LA is a Lakers town. The travel is less significant especially with days off in the playoffs and shorter trips.

[Jvalin]

This is nothing compared to the fact that they are more likely to attract big name free agents, cause they are both big market teams. The same goes for the Knicks and the Nets. Obviously, the Knicks have Dolan, so it's as if he throws their competive advantage out the window.

Also, this in nothing compared to the advantage the Heat, the Magic, the Grizzlies, the Rockets, the Mavs and the Spurs have cause there is on state individual income tax in Florida, Tennessee* and Texas respectively.

(click on image to enlarge)


All things considered, the Heat might have an even bigger competitive advantage compared to the LA and NY teams. I mean, Miami is massively popular as well, plus they are based in a state with no state income tax. No wonder LeBron chose to move there in 2010.

*Fwiw, Tennessee has a "Hall income tax", levied at a rate of 3% on income received from stocks and bonds not taxed ad valorem as of 2019. The tax is 2% as of 2020, 1% as of 2021, and fully repealed as of 2022.

[MattyIce]

NBA should limit one team per city and shut down the Lakers.!

send them back to MN and send the wolves to Seattle.

winner of a series between the two goes packing out of state...now that's some ratings

[Phantom255x]

I bet that's part of the reason why the Clippers have no trouble load managing and not going "all out" for a 1 seed. They know even if they finish with a better record than LAL that in a playoff series, LAL will have the homecourt advantage throughout anyways lol

And while there are some other threats (like DEN/HOU), it's very likely to be Clippers-Lakers in the WCF anyways

[Moranis]

I bet that's part of the reason why the Clippers have no trouble load managing and not going "all out" for a 1 seed. They know even if they finish with a better record than LAL that in a playoff series, LAL will have the homecourt advantage throughout anyways lol

And while there are some other threats (like DEN/HOU), it's very likely to be Clippers-Lakers in the WCF anyways

If the Clippers aren't careful they are going to end up as the 4 or 5 seed. 

[Phantom255x]

I bet that's part of the reason why the Clippers have no trouble load managing and not going "all out" for a 1 seed. They know even if they finish with a better record than LAL that in a playoff series, LAL will have the homecourt advantage throughout anyways lol

And while there are some other threats (like DEN/HOU), it's very likely to be Clippers-Lakers in the WCF anyways

If the Clippers aren't careful they are going to end up as the 4 or 5 seed.

That's a good point. Still a long season to go. I still expect the Clippers will finish 2nd or 3rd while the Lakers finish 1st. Although if they are 4th or 5th and Lakers remain 1st, we would see that matchup in the 2nd round. Would be exciting.

There is the possibility one of the Lakers/Clippers plays the Rockets in the 2nd round depending on how seeding shapes out, which is probably not what they'd want. I know DEN's been good but honestly I feel they are a bit overrated. Maybe I'm in the minority in thinking that.

[Moranis]

I bet that's part of the reason why the Clippers have no trouble load managing and not going "all out" for a 1 seed. They know even if they finish with a better record than LAL that in a playoff series, LAL will have the homecourt advantage throughout anyways lol

And while there are some other threats (like DEN/HOU), it's very likely to be Clippers-Lakers in the WCF anyways

If the Clippers aren't careful they are going to end up as the 4 or 5 seed.

That's a good point. Still a long season to go. I still expect the Clippers will finish 2nd or 3rd while the Lakers finish 1st. Although if they are 4th or 5th and Lakers remain 1st, we would see that matchup in the 2nd round. Would be exciting.

There is the possibility one of the Lakers/Clippers plays the Rockets in the 2nd round depending on how seeding shapes out, which is probably not what they'd want. I know DEN's been good but honestly I feel they are a bit overrated. Maybe I'm in the minority in thinking that.

I picked a Milwaukee/Houston final before the season started and I see no reason to change that up (as much as we'd like to see Boston make it, I think Giannis is just too much). 

[Chief]

Who has the worst travel schedule in the league?

Memphis???

[Jvalin]

Who has the worst travel schedule in the league?

Memphis???

Here's a graph from the 2017-18 season.



Portland and Minny travel across half the country just to play against their division rivals.

Interestingly enough, the C's were in 3rd place.

And here's the same graph from last season. The C's fell from 3rd to 19th!

[SparzWizard]

This may actually be a disadvantage for the LA teams. Every other team has a clear advantage at home, not only because of the away teams traveling, but the referees being influenced by the home crowd. Neither the Clippers or Lakers will have that home court advantage by not traveling. Who do the referees side with, if the crowd is 50/50? Will we finally see a series, where the actual teams decide who the better team is? Far too many times, series are decided by a home court advantage.

BTW, if anything, an all LA series, may hurt the Clippers, as there is no way the crowd is 50/50. If anything, the crowd will be 70/30 or 60/40 Lakers over Clippers fans. And that is where the referees will be influenced.

The crowd will be 80/20 in favor of the Lakers. That's how big the Lakers nation is and I live in LA. Not enough Clippers fans that outweigh the Lakers.

Most of them are either bandwagon LeBron fans, just recently became Lakers fans because of Davis, or the remnants of those Kobe fans who can get themselves to root hard for LeBron. And then there are the casual Lakers fans.

[ozgod]

Who has the worst travel schedule in the league?

Memphis???

Here's a graph from the 2017-18 season.



Portland and Minny travel across half the country just to play against their division rivals.

Interestingly enough, the C's were in 3rd place.

And here's the same graph from last season. The C's fell from 3rd to 19th!

Wasn't that because we had to play in London? Or was that only last year, I can't remember.