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Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Reasons a 2020 title wouldn’t be tainted

By Kole House

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 12: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers walks off the court past fans following the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on November 12, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Lakers defeated the Suns 123-115. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 12: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers walks off the court past fans following the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on November 12, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Lakers defeated the Suns 123-115. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

No home-court advantage for the Los Angeles Lakers

With the only feasible option being all of the remaining games played in one centralized location, this actually punishes the teams at the top of the standings. You now have a level playing field for every team in the field that wouldn’t typically be in place under normal circumstances.

In any normal season, the Lakers would have home-court advantage through at least the Western Conference Finals. And there are few home-court advantages in the NBA that can rival the one the Lakers have at the Staples Center. In this new scenario, that can pretty much be thrown out the window.

Teams who were jostling for the lower playoff seeds in each conference are now given a reprieve as they get to play the league’s best at a neutral site. There’s no heckling from fans and no getting used to the rims and layout of the arena in a hostile road atmosphere.

The discomfort has been minimized greatly. With all that said, it’s just another unprecedented challenge that the 2020 champions can say they overcame while other champions cannot.

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