What Does “Playoff Basketball” Really Mean?

The postseason NBA matches aren't the same. Players aren't guaranteed to keep their performance during the playoffs due to increased stress and intensity. The NBA playoffs tonight have a few differences from the regular games. This post explains the reasons for the changes through the 2020-2021 season perspective.

Playoffs

The playoffs are all about the adjustments and their countering. The Specific format includes various games played among the teams, followed by adjustments after each match. Teams will analyze their opponent's advantages to beat them. The game between the Hawks and Heat is a clear indicator of that. The Heat led in five games, done by shrinking the floor. They did this to prevent their offense from working effectively. Trae Young was the offense at that time, targeted by the opponent. They knew that Atlanta didn't have a potent offense despite this player, so they played it smartly. We saw how Atlanta's offense failed to achieve the desired results and struggled a lot.

Detailed plans

Teams are aware of all aspects during the playoffs, so the plans are more detailed. The team is knowledgeable of the plays after timeouts, actions, and sets of their opponents. The players have a better understanding of their tendencies and have more information they can use to gain advantage. At this point, players have all the information they need to know, such as defensive tactics, moves, and counter-offensive.

The playoff matches are more intense than the NBA season. The pressure on mental load makes the games so much more complicated. As teams face elimination, the stakes are higher, which makes the matches even more challenging. The game plans make the players focus more on the defense. Since the season is over and no games are ahead, the players will invest more energy. Another critical factor is the fans. The arenas are louder, making it more difficult for players to focus.

The increased workload is another factor that makes the playoffs more intense. At this point, the coaches care more about wins rather than rest. Therefore They will force the best players on the floor. According to statistical data, the big stars will have more minutes on the floor during the playoffs. However, it is not only the floor time that increases. The star players will get a higher usage rate. The team relies on them for the offense, which is a common practice.

The NBA playoffs also focus on the physical aspects of the game. There aren't strict rules regarding physicality, and the foul criteria are different.

We explained the factors that contribute to their game intensity during the NBA playoffs. When combined, these factors can contribute to increased fatigue. When players put pressure on their bodies to perform better and have increased mental load, this results in fatigue. Exhaustion can affect various aspects of a player's performance. One of them is the shooting percentage. For example, Milwaukee Bucks dropped to 32.65% during the playoffs compared to 47.5%. This can be explained by the fact that he had different things to do, which put pressure on him and led to fatigue.

It is necessary to complete certain adjustments for the playoffs. One of the options is for the offense to take over when the defense is giving up. Ja Morant is a fast player that knows how to do rim pressure. During the series, he scored 10 3PA per game on average compared to the 4.5 average 3PA per game in the season. It is a common practice for teams to abandon certain shots during playoff matches.

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