So what bothers me is this 2-3-2 Finals format which I just found out was initiated by TV. Like ABC doesn't have enough money to fly from city to city. Or for that matter, NBA could pay the freight. I think this series is a good example of how 2-3-2 is not the way to go. Wouldn 't it be much better for Dallas if they were back home for this game? Some of you have been following so much longer than I, do you think it really doesn't matter? I'm interested to see what you think. Three games on the road in the NBA finals just seems like the perfect recipe for what we are seeing here with the Mavs/Heat Finals. I mean, doesn't it at least mitigate winning home court advantage to have to play three road games in a row in the Finals? What does anyone think?
I don't mind it. I've got a lot of other issues with scheduling but it would be nice if the NBA used a consistent format from round to round. I'm ok with the 22111 or 232.
I'm fine with it. Whoever is still playing at this point should be way beyond trivialities like 232 or home court advantage. (Making HCA our primary season objective was a silly idea.)
Just imagine the 2-3-2 format always in every round. We could of seen the Pistons fall in 5 instead of 6 to Miami. Imagine how many people would want to blow this team up.
Be careful with those "what ifs?". Notwithstanding my post above, teams will, on some level, approach 232 and 22111 differently. In another thread someone wondered what it would have been like in '03 if we still had best-of-five and the Pistons got bounced in 4 by the Magic. But if it had been best-of-five, the Pistons may very well have come out with enough desperation in game 4 to have kept themselves alive. Everyone plays the hand they're given.
22111 is more fair but only designed for low travel time. There would be too much fatigue with a 4-5 hr plane flight and being expected to play the next day and then have to fly back out to do it again. With 2-3-2 the teams can be given an extra day off between cities. It makes a big difference. Players are tired enough as it is at that time of year.
