The NBA playoffs will be held with no fans. That is a huge impact because the fans affect the tempo and mood of the game. The league plans to use crowd noise and effects from the video game NBA 2K2O. That artificial noise while not great is better than complete silence. Complete silence would make each playoff game just feel like a really competitive pick up game.
Home court is one of the biggest advantages in the playoffs. To play in an arena that you’re familiar with in front of fans that are sharing your colors and chanting your name really helps motivate you and give you confidence and without that, the dynamic of each game will change heavily. Certain players are microwave players and rely on hot streaks and energy from the crowd to continue to play well.
Without fans and other staff members to make noise, players will have to watch what they say as the referees and other teams will be able to hear everything and I expect a big rise in technical fouls and ejections.
Overall, having no fans in the seats will be a complete game changer. Having the energy of the fans can really affect how a player performs and now the playoffs will be an intense pick up game atmosphere. It will be very fun to watch how this whole dynamic plays out.
