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Tim Dong asks via MSN:
"I'm a Yao Ming fan. Actually I like Tim
Duncan best but I have to say in public that I'm a Yao Ming fan. I'm from
Shanghai, you see, Yao's home city. I've been following NBA basketball by
reading news in English. I have many questions. One of them is concerned
with the terms 'home record', 'road record', 'home loss', 'road loss'. A
loss is a loss, right? My question is - why do they keep track of home
losses and road losses?"
My comments:
Great question, Tim. Did you name yourself after Tim
Duncan? True or not, it's nothing to be ashamed of to be a fan of Duncan,
the power forward of the San Antonio Spurs who does everything so well
that Shaquille O'Neal (a no small judge on the subject) calls him the Big
Fundamental. Even in Shanghai, I mean.
Great point - "A loss is a loss", you say. After the playing season is
over, all that fans will remember is a team's total number of wins and
losses, not how many wins at home, how many on the road.
But we cannot be so sure, can we?
In the NBA, each team plays 82 game during the regular playing season
from November to next April. Teams play exactly half of those games (41)
at home on its own court in front of its own supporting fans.
Naturally, teams tend to perform better at home, when they are cheered
on by the screaming fans who often boo players from the visiting team.
Even referees are prone to making favorable calls for the home team when
the fans really get into it. Aptly, this is called home court advantage.
The Arco Arena, home to the Sacramento Kings, is considered the most
intimidating home court among all 30 NBA teams.
By the same token, however, losing games at home is more difficult to
accept by the home fans, who may turned traitor and boo their own team if
things get too bad. At the Madison Square Garden, home to the Knicks, New
York fans have practically been booing their own players for years. This
year's been no exception (they are 1-6 - one win against six losses - at
home). Actually, Knick fans are among the most knowledgeable and
supportive. They are not at all miserly when it comes to cheering a good
play when they see it on the floor. I guess they just don't see it that
much these days. The Knicks have been struggling.
Pundits too take a team's home record into consideration when they
evaluate teams. Good teams, they say, are usually able to win two-thirds
or more of games at home and at least half of games on the road.
Elite teams, of course, are those that are able to "hold serve" at home
and win games on the road.
The Spurs (Duncan's team) is an elite team. So far this season, they
are 4-3 at home - not that impressive considering - but their road record
has been an awe-inspiring perfect 6-0 (six victories against no losses).
Yao's Rockets, on the other hand, are looking to turn it up at home.
Last season, they managed just 16 wins at home, losing 25, the primary
reason why they failed to make the playoffs.
So far this season, they have a healthy record of 5-1 (five wins, one
loss) at home.
Very healthy indeed, don't you think, Tim?
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