Home Court 2 legged Finals

[spacejammer]

After the recent changes to the Cup competition.
I thought about how in my season 2011/12 at the Eagles I watched us defeated the Plymouth Raiders in a 2 leg final home and away final.
The following season the Trophy final then moved to a showpiece event at the Emirates.

It got me thinking whilst I usually hate 2 legged basketball I did wonder whether in order to give each competition in the league a different flavour.
Whether this would be better then what they have right now.
It would certainly mix things up.

Your thoughts?

[isthaturinal]

I love the idea of a two leg home and away final,

At last season’s playoff final Riders had a allocation of around 350 - 450 tickets

Given the cost of a big day out at a major arena, especially with how much everything costs today.
A hell of a lot of supporters won’t be able to attend.
But given a chance to see you team in a final at your home arena would be a different ball game,
Ok the ticket prices would probably be up a touch, but your not paying for extra travel, food etc

So give me a final where 95% of the supporters actually support those teams….with just a handful of neutral’s

[spacejammer]

Jul 6, 2022 17:03:06 GMT isthaturinal said:

I love the idea of a two leg home and away final,

At last season’s playoff final Riders had a allocation of around 350 - 450 tickets

Given the cost of a big day out at a major arena, especially with how much everything costs today.
A hell of a lot of supporters won’t be able to attend.
But given a chance to see you team in a final at your home arena would be a different ball game,
Ok the ticket prices would probably be up a touch, but your not paying for extra travel, food etc

So give me a final where 95% of the supporters actually support those teams….with just a handful of neutral’s

It would be good for Sky Sports were to televise both game and in some ways you could try and add extra entertainment on the night possibley in order to add a different feel to your average home game.

I mean the last time we played a final on Leicester floor it actually worked out well twice for us winning 2 trophies over London. 🤣

[tallerman]

Jul 6, 2022 17:03:06 GMT isthaturinal said:

I love the idea of a two leg home and away final,

At last season’s playoff final Riders had a allocation of around 350 - 450 tickets

Given the cost of a big day out at a major arena, especially with how much everything costs today.
A hell of a lot of supporters won’t be able to attend.
But given a chance to see you team in a final at your home arena would be a different ball game,
Ok the ticket prices would probably be up a touch, but your not paying for extra travel, food etc

So give me a final where 95% of the supporters actually support those teams….with just a handful of neutral’s

Anyone could buy a ticket. There wasn't an allocation, that's just what Leicester sold on

[SamH]

I just hate aggregate scoring. If they're doing 2 legs, go the whole hog and have a best of 3 series. Higher seed at home twice.

[reallyoldfeenixfan2]

Jul 6, 2022 17:45:07 GMT SamH said:

I just hate aggregate scoring. If they're doing 2 legs, go the whole hog and have a best of 3 series. Higher seed at home twice.

A 2 legged final with aggregate scoring works really well but only if the first leg remains close enough to make the second leg worthwhile for spectators/ players alike. Large number second leg recoveries are fairly rare (except ot course Nix beating Rocks recently) and supporters maybe reluctant to purchase tickets before a first leg is played particularly in a two  legged game over one weekend.

[blueskies99]

Jul 6, 2022 17:45:07 GMT SamH said:

I just hate aggregate scoring. If they're doing 2 legs, go the whole hog and have a best of 3 series. Higher seed at home twice.

Ditto

[dexter]

I have no concerns with an aggregate score finals. There is a risk that one team gets a big lead in the first leg, but that didn't happen in the BBL playoffs this season, and the beauty of basketball is it is possible to pull a lead back fairly quickly.

But what is being proposed here? The playoffs final at the O2 has to stay that is the jewel in the crown of the BBL season. So it's to get rid of either the Trophy final at the Emirates Arena or the Cup final in Birmingham.

I would say keep the Trophy final at the Emirates Arena because it is the "British" basketball league and Scotland should have a final. Replace the Cup final with a 2 leg aggregate final. And add a big weekend in Birmingham with 3 games on Saturday and 2 on Sunday.

[spacejammer]

Fair point the 1st leg if to destructive would render the 2nd game pointless although in theory if it was a final the 2 teams should run it close.

Problem is with a best of 3 home court advantage is who would you give the advantage to.
Which I think would be the same argument for who plays at home first.

Unlike the playoffs where the championship is over and seeded. The Cup and Trophy aren't.

Although if the Cup or Trophy was like a magic weekend with the 4 semi finalists plus a final I'd be curious to see if that could work?

[reallyoldfeenixfan2]

Jul 6, 2022 19:39:34 GMT dexter said:

I have no concerns with an aggregate score finals. There is a risk that one team gets a big lead in the first leg, but that didn't happen in the BBL playoffs this season, and the beauty of basketball is it is possible to pull a lead back fairly quickly.

But what is being proposed here? The playoffs final at the O2 has to stay that is the jewel in the crown of the BBL season. So it's to get rid of either the Trophy final at the Emirates Arena or the Cup final in Birmingham.

I would say keep the Trophy final at the Emirates Arena because it is the "British" basketball league and Scotland should have a final. Replace the Cup final with a 2 leg aggregate final. And add a big weekend in Birmingham with 3 games on Saturday and 2 on Sunday.

I can understand that you would look at having some Scottish involvement but it would be very disconcerting for the BBL to have Surrey against Patriots in the final. Last season with Lions in the final could have been quiet with limited club supporters, fortunately we were there!!
The O2 and Birmingham are central, perhaps another more central venue could be used? Where though? Leicester is the obvious choice but as Riders seem to be in every final that does given "home court" advantage,

.

[dandayr]

I think what is being ignored in these discussions about neutral venues is from a spectacle point of view it doesnot matter that (using the Surrey v Patriots example) that there is a long distance as the BBL knows they will have a finals crowd that is bigger than the aggregate average home crowd of the two participants. Lions v Phoenix a recent example - the attendance at the final was more than the combined average attendance of the two clubs. So very attractive to BBL to go to 3 large venues in the spread of the south, midlands and north.

Looks like there might be changes ahead though - have seen the ticket presales start for 2023 at the O2 London (playoffs) and Utilita Birmingham (cup) but nothing yet for the Trophy. Wonder how much is linked to Rocks trying to move to Easterhouse that nothing announced yet on the Emirates Glasgow hosing again. Or maybe not found an agreeable date for Glasgow yet?

[SamH]

Apart from Lions and maybe Surrey, all teams are quite far from London anyway, and Birmingham apart from Riders and maybe Flyers.

[milehigh]

Actually Birmingham is an ideal location with Bristol, Cheshire, Manchester, Sheffield, Leicester and London all under 3 hours drive away.
Also the NIA (or whatever it's called today) is within a few minutes walk of a major railway station, within 30 minutes of an international airport, and you can even arrive by a canal barge and park (moor) your boat directly outside the arena.

Birmingham would be ideal venue for a final four type weekend, especially as there are hotels, bars and restaurents within easy walking distance of the NIA.
For most people getting to the NIA is quicker, cheaper and easier than any other major basketball venue.

[dexter]

Jul 7, 2022 20:20:41 GMT milehigh said:

Actually Birmingham is an ideal location with Bristol, Cheshire, Manchester, Sheffield, Leicester and London all under 3 hours drive away.
Also the NIA (or whatever it's called today) is within a few minutes walk of a major railway station, within 30 minutes of an international airport, and you can even arrive by a canal barge and park (moor) your boat directly outside the arena.

Birmingham would be ideal venue for a final four type weekend, especially as there are hotels, bars and restaurents within easy walking distance of the NIA.
For most people getting to the NIA is quicker, cheaper and easier than any other major basketball venue.

NEC is easier to get to by road because you don't have to get in and out of the city centre. But it doesn't have the advantage of those other amenities.

[spacejammer]

I understand thw argument for fans having to travel far that and knowing alot of fans don't tend to travel to away games except maybe the closest one or as a one off in your in the area.

But if it was a final and your team doesn't make it there that often then you would think of it as the one off where you say "you know what since its a final I will go to Sheffield for the Trophy Final" and the club would perhaps try to arrange to go up in groups or arrange transport like a finals day.

When we played Raiders in the BBL Trophy 2011/12 and Riders in the playoff semi finals in 2013/14 it was really cool that an entourage of away fans came up to Sports Central.
Similar to the last 2 GB games except a lot less.

A final 4 in Birmingham would be thenhest location.
I think geographically surely fans from Plymouth would have the furthest to travel to any of the 3 finals?