“There is No Home Advantage”: Former NBA Champion Makes a Bold Prediction Over Western Conference Finals
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The biggest difference in the 2020 NBA playoffs will be the lack of fans and home-court advantage. Teams slogged it out in the regular season to grab the top four seeds, but it is now pointless since everyone battles it out in the same court for all games. This could lead to Western Conference teams like Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies springing upsets, according to former NBA champion Kenny Smith.
On Inside the NBA, Ernie Johnson asked his three colleagues for a hot take. So Smith said, “One of the teams ranked fifth to ninth will reach the Western Conference Finals. There will not be two teams with [traditional] home advantage in the Western Conference Finals. There is no home advantage, that is my point. Look out for Dallas. Look out for Memphis.”
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Lack of home-court advantage will be key in the NBA bubble
Heading into Orlando, the Mavericks are the seventh seed while the Grizzlies are the eighth seed. Both are teams that are led by young stars. The Mavs are led by sophomore superstar Luka Doncic, who is having a phenomenal season, averaging 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists. Grizzlies, on the other hand, have Rookie of the Year favorite Ja Morant leading the team averaging 17.6 points and 6.9 assists.
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The biggest concern for these two teams heading into the bubble is their lack of playoff experience. But Kenny Smith says that will not be an issue.
“The thing that separates championship teams is experience playing on the road. (In the bubble) inexperience playing on the road (is not an issue). You don’t have to worry about playing at Staples Center in a Game 6, traveling in there in a hostile environment, and worrying about it being a close-out game. (The teams seeded five to nine) don’t have that anxiety (they would have otherwise).”
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The Mavericks have had some impressive regular-season victories, with wins against the Lakers, Clippers, 76ers, and even the Raptors. They will head into their first playoffs since 2016 and will be eager to have a strong showing. For the Grizzlies, the playoff spot isn’t guaranteed yet. They have a tough schedule of eight games before the playoffs, and that will be a true test of their grit.
If the standings stay the same, we will be on course for a matchup of two superstars vs two upcoming superstars. LeBron James’ Lakers would take on the Ja Morant’s Grizzlies while Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers will face off against Luka Doncic’s Mavericks. Will the young teams come out on top? We will find out in a few weeks’ time.
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