One of the issues that has marked her season 2022-2023 of Golden State Warriors The two editions have been shown as both locals and visitors. This duality between playing inside or outside Pursuit center goes a long way to explaining their current situation: anchored in the Midwest and in danger of falling into Play-In. The defending champions have the necessary experience to meet Playoffsor so everyone thinks, but if they don’t manage to change this dynamic they won’t last long.
Such was the contrast between playing in San Francisco or away from where they reached the chain 11 straight losses on the road. From February 1 to March 20, the Warriors did not win a single game at home. To better understand the impact of this, an example. Had they added just two or three home wins, their current outlook would have been very different, sitting fourth in the west in relative comfort.
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To be champion in the NBA you have to win “only” 16 games in the playoffs. The difficulty of this increases whether there is a favorable field factor in each tie or not. Assuming Golden State can actually be, at most, fifth, that means they will never have more than 3 home games per series.
In each case, no fifth division has ever won the ring and only a sixth has (Rockets, 1995). Although many more factors are involved in this, it is time to take a look how important it is to perform well as a visitor and how everything done in the regular season carries over to the Playoffs.
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Good away performance, essential in the Playoffs
In this season The Golden State Warriors have won 23.6% of their games at home compared to 78.9% at home, which makes a huge difference. In the estimated projection of this campaign, it would be normal for them to finish with 10 wins, currently removing 3 more away commitments.
The contrast of the Warriors is so great that, with the exception of the seasons that existed padlock (1999, 2012) team with 10 or fewer road wins hasn’t made the playoffs since 1992 (Miami Heat, 10-31).
Since the absorption of the ABA franchises for the academic year 1976-1977 only 12 times a team has entered the playoffs with fewer than one 25% of winnings as a guest.
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Of all these it was wipes 7 from them. It should be noted that until 2003 the First Round was the best of five duels, so only one match was at home for them.
In a once from 12 Here he compiled a franchise with 10 wins or fewer as the regular season visitor overcame First round of playoffs: the Phoenix Suns in 1984. Without further ado, this team led by John McLeod reached the Conference Finals, eliminated by the Lakers (4-2) as depicted in the series Time to win.
Performance during the regular season is very important as it will put a team in a better or worse position to face the Playoffs positively.
Add to that the fact that there is no home field factor, and the outlook for the Warriors would almost certainly be, at best, a 4-2 first round shutout.
The impact of the home field factor in the playoffs
Ever since Steve Kerr took over as their head coach Golden State Warriors the team has lost only two playoff series: The 2016 and 2019 Finals. First, the Cavs’ 3-1 comeback. Then, a tie in which Kevin Durant only played and then got injured, Klay Thompson also ended up going down and where the Raptors were better.
All this to maintain an incredible postseason balance of 93 wins to just 34 losses (73.2%).
Then only in the 2018 Conference Finals, the aforementioned 2019 Finals and the 2022 series against the Grizzlies the Warriors had to play without the home advantage factor.
That 2-1 balance It reflects very well on Golden State’s reliance on their home court and their fans to succeed, and how difficult it will be for them to make a good playoff run in 2023.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
