Learning on the job

Playoff novices will be at a disadvantage

Call it this year's playoff "ex" factor.

Each of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference -- New Jersey, Detroit and Boston -- will be newcomers to the postseason this year. The Celtics haven't made the playoffs since 1995. The Nets haven't been there since '98. The Pistons last made a cameo in '00.

With so little experience to draw upon, can these Eastern powers really be considered favorites against playoff-tested foes like the Sixers, Hornets, Raptors and Bucks?

"No way," Bulls veteran forward Jalen Rose says. "In the playoffs, experience is everything. You just don't see first-time teams having playoff success."

History supports such a less-than-Rose-y outlook. Not since Bill Walton's 1976-77 Trail Blazers has a team won the NBA title without having appeared in the postseason the year before. Few teams have even come close.

Why is playoff experience so important? Here are a few reasons:

Act Like You've Been There Not since the 1976-77 Trail Blazers has a team won the NBA title without having appeared in the postseason the year before. Only one other such team in the past 25 years has even reached the Finals (the '77-78 Sonics). In fact, since 1980, only five teams without a postseason appearance the previous year have even been able to make it to the conference finals. And neither of the two most recent were true neophytes like this year's Nets, Pistons and Celtics. The ’98 Pacers had played 38 playoff games from ’94 to ’96 before sitting out the ’97 postseason. The ’92 Cavs, meanwhile, had reached the postseason each year from ’88 to ’90. Exceptions to the Rule Teams that reached the conference finals without being in the playoffs the previous season (since 1980). Season  Team  Result  1997-98  Pacers  Lost to Bulls  1991-92  Cavs  Lost to Bulls  1988-89  Suns  Lost to Lakers  1986-87  Sonics  Lost to Lakers  1979-80  Celtics  Lost to Sixers

Pressure: Playoff basketball usually means sold-out arenas, national TV, and heightened media scrutiny. In addition, there is added pressure from teammates. Teams work hard for six months to get to the postseason, and no player wants to be a goat. With every possession so critical, stress levels can get ratcheted up several notches, affecting confidence and shooting strokes. "It's huge, especially mentally," former Celtics star Cornbread Maxwell recently told the Worcester Sunday-Telegram. "It was almost like a fear factor. It's the second season. It's the unknown."

Preparation: During an 82-game regular season, players have periods of time to relax physically and mentally. Come postseason, that changes. No longer can players afford to skip treatments or daydream through film sessions. Inexperienced players often discover that teams in the postseason have scouted them much more thoroughly, denying them a comfort zone. "In the playoffs, teams really focus in on each other," says Pistons veteran forward Cliff Robinson. "Your first and second option isn't always there. You need to be ready for it and make adjustments."

Poise: Veteran NBA coaches say there is simply no way to fully prepare a young player for the emotional roller coaster of the playoffs. Learning how to handle momentum swings can be crucial, as can playing through one-sided officiating and jet-engine loud arenas. "Teams like Philly and Charlotte that have been there before have a big-time advantage," Rose says. "They've been together on the court, and they've got coaches sitting over there who understand what it takes."

Nets forward Jason Kidd, a veteran of five playoff series, has heard all the talk about his team's lack of experience. Though only four Nets (Kidd, Todd MacCulloch, Aaron Williams and Anthony Johnson) have ever reached the second round, he says the team's fourth-ranked defense and stout rebounding will carry them through. "Sometimes playoff experience is overrated," Kidd says. "Sometimes the media and people put too much emphasis on [it]. We'll be fine."

Likewise, Pistons coach Rick Carlisle believes his team won't be affected negatively. He points out that five of Detroit's nine regulars have been in the playoffs, led by Robinson's 13 straight appearances. "There's no substitute for experience," Carlisle says. "But after 90 games, you've been together long enough. I'm not worried about the cohesive part of it. My concern is that we're prepared and healthy and our defense is as good as it can possibly be. That's the key for us."

For Boston, the experience factor might come more into play. Four Celtics starters (Antoine Walker, Paul Pierce, Tony Battie and Eric Williams) will be making their playoff debuts while starting point guard Kenny Anderson has never advanced past the first round. Fortunately for this aptly-named Gang Green, coach Jim O'Brien has playoff experience as an assistant to Rick Pitino with the Knicks in 1988-89.

Not that all of the talk about experience will matter anyway. If there's one thing this year's Eastern Conference race has shown, it's that any team can win on any given day. Just ask Bulls forward Charles Oakley, who when queried about the value of playoff experience recently, grumbled, "Usually [it matters]. But not this year."

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for CNNSI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.

 

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