STAPLES Center - Homecourt Advantage or Disadvantage?

How will the Vipers react to playing in front of almost no one?

The Los Angeles D-Fenders are last in the NBA Development League in attendance at 217.2 per game. That number dips to 134 at STAPLES Center, the site of today's game. The D-Fenders don't sell tickets to games like this. Anyone who buys a Lakers ticket can come early to watch the D-Fenders play for free. As you see, very few do. The disparity in attendance comes from games played at the D-Fenders' practice facility, the Toyota Sports Center. They sell tickets for those games, and, not surprisingly, draw bigger crowds to the significantly smaller arena.

Keep in mind the Vipers lead the league in attendance (4235.3 per game) and are 6-0 at home. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The crowd is a huge factor. Where will the Vipers draw their energy from? The Vipers are 0-2 at Tulsa so far while playing in front of small (not this small) crowds at a spacious Tulsa Convention Center. Is that the reason for 0-2? No, but you can't tell me it didn't play some kind of role, even if it's a small one.

Of course, It's not like LA has faired THAT well at home where it's that big of an advantage for them. You'd figure it would be, but the D-Fenders are just 5-4 at home and 4-3 at STAPLES Center. For an upper echelon team (LA is in second place in the Western Conference, 1.5 games back of the Vipers), that's not very good.  The D-Fenders have only played two games on the road so far, close wins at Albuquerque and Reno.

They've squeaked by Bakersfield twice at home. Squeaked by the second worst team in the league?

Reno won by 22 at STAPLES Center.

Excuse me while I throw up the caution flag that perhaps this LA team isn't as good as the second place ranking might suggest.

They don't have a lot of strength inside. Diamon Simpson is it, and Joey Dorsey shouldn't have too much trouble containing him. LA can't shoot the three (.279), but their opponents can (.350). Ryan Forehand-Kelly is the only deep threat, but you figure Antonio Anderson will earn that assignment, so, again, no problem.

So will the lack of fans in the stands at today's game make a difference? Doubtful. Both teams have to deal with it, and it's tougher for the home team to have deal with the fact they have no fan support.

STAPLES Center - Homecourt Disadvantage