If you are into basketball, but you are unfamiliar with the NBA or the playoffs, this is definitely what you need to be reading right now.
Even if you do not like basketball for some strange reason, but you are looking to be able to join in the conversation about the topic with your friends, then you are also in the right place, we have everything you need right here.
If you are an avid bettor who wants to know the odds to win the NBA finals, we cannot tell you that, but we can tell you what you know to help you understand the odds, and how you can best understand the game, so your betting works to your advantage.
So, let’s get you started with something really simple… How does it work?
How Do The Playoffs Work?
What are the NBA playoffs then? Well, it is a 4-round tournament between 16-teams, although, it actually functions as a set-up of 2 teams of 8 teams, in 3 conference playoffs.
There are two conferences; east and west, and the teams will be seeded in accordance with the conference. In every matchup, a round is ‘best of 7’.
This means that the first team to win at 4 games will advance, and the winners of the third round will be the champions and thus compete in the final game.
Who Are The Teams?
So, which teams play in the NBA. If you are unfamiliar with the NBA, it can be so easy to mix up the names, so we will go through them for you.
| Eastern Conference | |
| Atlantic Division | |
| Boston Celtics | |
| Brooklyn Nets | |
| New York Knicks | |
| Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Toronto Raptors | |
| Southeast Division | |
| Atlanta Hawks | |
| Charlotte Hornets | |
| Miami Heat | |
| Orlando Magic | |
| Washington Wizards | |
| Central Division | |
| Chicago Bulls | |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Detroit Pistons | |
| Indiana Pacers | |
| Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Western Conference | |
| Northwest Division | |
| Denver Nuggets | |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Utah Jazz | |
| Southwest Division | |
| Dallas Mavericks | |
| Houston Rockets | |
| Memphis Grizzlies | |
| New Orleans Pelicans | |
| San Antonio Spurs | |
| Pacific Division | |
| Golden State Warriors | |
| Los Angeles Clippers | |
| Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Phoenix Suns | |
| Sacramento Kings |
Things You Need To Know
So, what are the basics you need to know about this if you are totally new to it?
Well, there is always a roster for each team, this means the players on the team. You can have a maximum of 17 players in a team, and only 8 per game. This means you basically have a whole backup team in case somehow all your players get injured in one game.
There will only be 5 players on the court at any given time as well. It might seem strange to have so many players on a team when you can only have 5 on a court, but it is something that works very well.
The game will last a total of 48 minutes. There are 12-minute quarters to the game, a 24-minute half, and 24 seconds on the shot clock.
The basics of playing are that the two teams will be trying to shoot through the hoop on the opposite end of the court, i.e. the opponent’s hoop. If a team does this and succeeds then the opposition will take possession of the ball.
However, if a team is unsuccessful in this then the ball will be available for either team to take.
How Does The Game Work?
The game has 5 positions, which is why there are only ever 5 players on the court at any particular time. You will have a point guard, a small forward, shooting guard, power forward, and a center.
The game will usually begin with the centers, where the ref will throw the ball and the players have to get hold of the ball.
The player will win by getting the ball to a teammate, thus gaining possession of the ball and the game starts.
Once a team has the ball in hand, they have a total of 24 seconds to score the basket, or hit the rim of the basket.
If they manage to shoot and miss but get the rebound, they get another 24 seconds to score again. Once a basket is made their opponent will gain the ball, and they will have the opportunity to take the ball away for their own possession.
This will go on for 48 minutes until a winner is determined.
How Does Scoring Work?
A team can score 1, 2, or 3 points in the game. Here is how.
- A player can score 1 point if they make a free throw, which is something that can be awarded for a foul while a player is shooting. This can also be the case if their team has a bonus, or if there is a technical foul. It varies.
- A player can score 2 points for any point that they shoot from inside the ‘3-point line’. This is an exact 23.75” from the basket. So for anything in this range, they will get 2 points.
- 3 points will be awarded for a shot made outside of the 3-point line. So, inside is 2 points, outside is 3-points!
To add to the excitement of the NBA playoffs, consider running an NBA bracket pool for your friends or co-workers. The Bracket Maker at OfficePoolStop is free to use and lets you run a full bracket tournament. You can either run a traditional 16-team bracket, or run an NBA rankem pool where players put a weight on each team before the start of the playoffs and score points equal to the weight applied each time the team wins a series.
