Today, the Nets reported that Irving was about to return, but Irving was still reluctant to be vaccinated and could only play in away games. It also raises doubts: Does the home-court advantage in the playoffs still exist against the Nets? In an interview with ESPN reporter Nick Friedell, Iguodala quipped about Irving's comeback that the Nets may not want to be the number one seed for Irving's sake.
Home field advantage in the playoffs has always been important to all teams, but it's a different story for the Nets this season. Because Irving is still reluctant to be vaccinated, he can only play away games as a "part-time player" and cannot play in home games.
This has also created a strange phenomenon, that is, the Nets who play away for the rest of the season will be more threatening than the Nets at home, because the Nets big three can play together on the road. Then, the so-called home advantage does not exist for the Nets.
Iguodala quipped in an interview that after Irving's return, the Nets may not want to be the number one seed, but more want to be the second and third seeds. The "home advantage" that teams have flocked to in the past has changed to the Nets here but has changed to "away advantage".
If you become the second and third seed in the Eastern Division, you can basically ensure that you will "lose" the home advantage in the second round or the Eastern Conference Final, and then gain the "away advantage", that is, one more away game. And this will even give the Nets an advantage in the Finals, after all, from the current pattern of this season, the team that represents the West End to reach the Finals is not even as likely as the second and third seeds in the East Division.
As the only team in NBA playoff history to be more threatening from home than at home, how far will the Nets go? See. (Supine Braces/Hairy)