I'm Sure You've Never Heard Of The Terms...

[ABM]

...."playoff baseball" or "playoff football".

Why, then, is there such a thing as "playoff basketball"?

 

[Sug]

This is a playoff post

 

[ABM]

This is a playoff post

Obviously, playoff basketball indicates, as an example, a much rougher form of play. The refs tend to let stuff go that they might have blown a whistle on during the regular season.

Why, though?

 

[Minstrel]

Obviously, playoff basketball indicates, as an example, a much rougher form of play. The refs tend to let stuff go that they might have blown a whistle on during the regular season.

Why, though?

To allow players to stay in games more, especially stars. Other sports don't "suffer" from the risk of players being benched for fouls. The NBA doesn't want Larry Bird or Michael Jordan sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter. Or even lower tier guys like Tony Parker or Pau Gasol.

 

[ABM]

To allow players to stay in games more, especially stars. Other sports don't "suffer" from the risk of players being benched for fouls. The NBA doesn't want Larry Bird or Michael Jordan sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter. Or even lower tier guys like Tony Parker or Pau Gasol.

That makes sense.

Thanks.

 

[oldmangrouch]

While I agree with Minstrel, I would also point to another factor.

In football, teams have a full week to prepare for each opponent. That allows for more scouting and game planning - particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Refs are used to teams playing hard on both sides of the ball *every game*. In the NBA, you only see that in the play-offs. As the teams shift their emphasis to defense, the refs, perhaps subconsciously, do likewise.

 

[Rhal]

Might have something to do with the fact that if players are allowed to play in the regular season like they do in the playoffs then a lot more injuries would happen. There are 82 games not counting playoff games and that takes a huge toll on the body especially if they can get bumped tripped and grabbed all night long because the defender knows he probably wont get a foul called on him. Play like that can easily lead to stars getting hurt more often and the way that Stern has marketed the game if the stars are injured then the team is more likely to lose and ticket sales will most likely go down for that team.

 

[BGrantFan]

To allow players to stay in games more, especially stars. Other sports don't "suffer" from the risk of players being benched for fouls. The NBA doesn't want Larry Bird or Michael Jordan sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter. Or even lower tier guys like Tony Parker or Pau Gasol.

Somebody needs to inform the refs in the Orlando series that "playoff basketball" has already started. Dwight Howard is probably hearing whistles in his sleep after the Charlotte series.

 

[BGrantFan]

"Playoff basketball" for some playoff series.

Team - regular season fouls/game - playoff fouls/game

Portland -- 20.9 -- 23
Phoenix -- 20.9 -- 24.2

OKC -- 21.3 -- 22.8
LAL -- 19.4 -- 24.1

Utah -- 22.7 -- 27.6
Denver -- 22.5 -- 30.8

San Antonio -- 20.4 -- 19.8
Dallas -- 19.1 -- 22.5

In the West, "playoff basketball" seems to mean significantly more fouls are called on every team except the Spurs.

 

[crandc]

Actually, I have heard the term "playoff baseball". But a big difference is that in baseball teams play series all year. The A's play 3 games against the Yankees in a row, 3 or 4 times a year. In basketball a team plays an opponent once at a time. So playoff baseball is not that different in format from regular baseball. Just don't have the relief of 3 games in a row against a terrible team.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Actually, I have heard the term "playoff baseball". But a big difference is that in baseball teams play series all year. The A's play 3 games against the Yankees in a row, 3 or 4 times a year. In basketball a team plays an opponent once at a time. So playoff baseball is not that different in format from regular baseball. Just don't have the relief of 3 games in a row against a terrible team.

Also there's quite a bit of difference between playoff baseball and regular season baseball in that juggernaut offensive teams that rack up a lot of runs against team's with maybe subpar pitching almost always look a lot more pedestrian if they have to go through a team with a couple of Aces -- further to that point, you don't need quite the depth at pitching it takes just to get into the post season if you have those two aces.