With the possibility of neutral-zone playoff games coming into play for the close of the 2020 NBA season, this could be an advantage for the Indiana Pacers.
No decisions have been made yet regarding how the Indiana Pacers and the NBA may opt to continue its 2020 NBA season, if they decide to continue it at all.
The league, certainly, would like to hold the NBA Playoffs in some shape or form. If nothing else, it will provide closure for the season and prevent from “what-if” dialogue taking over for decades to come, but the playoffs are also a major revenue tool for the league.
Coming off the heels of a season in which television ratings were down and international revenue streams were turned off or diminished in China, the league certainly would like to try to hold the playoffs for financial reasons as well. Already having maximized its line of credit, the league’s financial status isn’t dire, but this is an unprecedented and unexpected happening for the entire league and world.
Once the playoffs return, it is almost a sure thing that they look quite different from how we know them to look. Until a vaccine for COVID-19 is readily available to the public or health officials deem it safe to congregate in spectator settings, it will be extremely hard for the league to justify playing games with fans.
The resumption of the NBA needs to be done safely.
One of the more likely scenarios is playing a game at a neutralized and secure location where living arrangements and playing zones are attached and heavily monitored, such as UNLV’s campus or Walt Disney World. The league has been rumored to be looking closely at the Las Vegas option.
This would mean that one of the most powerful tools for any playoff team, home-court advantage, would be removed. It would be a shocking and entertaining adjustment that would certainly reveal a lot about what teams are truly the most talented.
The Pacers might be uniquely positioned to take advantage of such a format.
In terms of home and away records, the Pacers performed a bit better at home this season, as one might imagine, 21-11 at home and 18-15 on the road, a winning percentage of about 65 percent at home and 55 percent on the road.
Other teams are far more mercurial when it comes to success on their home floor. The Sixers have been dominant at home, losing just two games in Philadelphia, but atrocious on the road, going 10-24 so far this season.
Some teams curiously have better road records than they do home. The Lakers are 23-8 at home and 26-6 on the road. The Mavericks are 19-15 at home and 21-12 on the road.
In terms of change in home success versus road success, the Pacers are not the most stable, but they are just about the median in terms of consistency. They have a winning percentage of about 11 percent better at home, a fairly reasonable difference for a professional sports team.
The biggest takeaway here is that the Pacers aren’t super reliant on their home court, and not all that susceptible to the tribulations of the road games, either.
Hopefully, that doesn’t sound like a slight to Pacers fans, I think the home fans are great and likely would have an impact if there were postseason games in Indianapolis, but fans should be encouraged that, at least throughout the regular season, the team didn’t waver much in terms of success based on location.
The Sixers and Heat, for instance, thrive off the energy of their home fans. Philly posts a 64 percent better winning percentage at home versus on the road, Miami 42 percent. The Nuggets post a winning percentage 19 percent better at home, potentially indicative of the altitude issues road teams see in Denver.
Consistency, unwavering play regardless of the circumstances in location and fan energy is what would work best in a neutral-zone game. The Pacers, based on their consistent success at home and on the road, might be positioned well for success at a neutral playoff venue.