APBRmetrics

Pato · Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 12:04 am Post subject: Neutral games

There are a lot of games in NBA history played in neutral stadiums. How do you catalogue them? As neutral or one team made as home team? For example: the double games nights in the first years of the NBA.
Pato

Pato · Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 2:31 pm Post subject: Reply myself

Because nobody replies, I'll try to clarify the answer. In 1984/85 Lakers and Utah played a game in Las Vegas. Lakers were home team in LA in 41 games and were visitors in 40 in the other teams normal arenas. Considering that, Jazz was the home team in Las Vegas. But is that correct or should I consider the game as neutral?

Mark · Joined: 20 Aug 2005 Posts: 807

I think it depends on the specifics of the game and who each of the teams were and what you are using the information for.

Utah in Vegas would be home team as you descdribe it if you want the dataset to stay home and away.

(I dont think they got the normal home team advantage out if it if you were predicting point spread though. Especially against Lakers who could have a large share of fan support. But maybe against an eastern conference team they would.)

I guess I'd call the designated home team the home team and avoid neutral unless the situation made it very ambiguous or the particular set of teams made you strongly want to reverse it to the visitor because of crowd leaning their way. Or you specifically wanted to study neutral sites, then leave it as neutral.

Pato · Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:18 pm Post subject: What about Japan

Thanks for the answer. But what I'm trying to find out is if the NBA used to make some neutral games or if some team made as home team in that occasion. I remember another big example: games in Japan. Both teams were once home and in the other visitor or the games were considered as neutral. When you separate the games, do you count the 41 at home and 41 as visitor or 40-40 and 2 neutrals.

Mark · Joined: 20 Aug 2005 Posts: 807

I think they called them home & away in that case.
But you can continue your research, make your own judgment or ask at http://www.apbr.org/forum/index.php. There are a number of historians there who may have an opinion.

Pato · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 10:52 pm Post subject:

Thansk again. Is that forum for the "top guys" or something like that? There are another like it in APBR?
Pato

Mark · Joined: 20 Aug 2005 Posts: 807

You seem to have some historical interests and they have a lot of historical discussions over there. There are some right here too but they are usually from just the last few years and are heavier on statistics. There is overlap in members but some people focus on one. There is also the "ring of honor" section here if you are interested in great players of the past.
Check out each and read & participate where you find things that interest you or get responses (it can be hit & miss sometimes).