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HCA only comes into play if a series goes 7 games. The Jazz didn't play any Game 7's in either of their Finals runs. Maybe they would've beaten Seattle in 1996, I don't know. But those are rare occurrences. Like, can you think of any series in recent history where your opinion is - "The inferior team won this series because they got to play Game 7 at home"?
The largest benefit of a high seed isn't HCA, it's that you generally have an easier overall path to the Finals.
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This is such a fallacy, though, especially the deeper you go into the playoffs.
Your argument is that you can't think of any time the Jazz would have benefited from home court. That's absolutely irrelevant. Why? Because the Jazz has not been positioned to win a series where home court was absolutely a necessity in many years because they've been slotted in the four/five match-up or worse for a majority of their playoff runs. That means one thing: they're either opening against the top seed (or second-seeded team) in the first-round (Kings in 2002 and 2003, when they were the 1st and 2nd seed respectively, Lakers in 2009, when they were the 1st seed and the Spurs in 2012 when they were the 1st seed) or they face the top-seed in the semifinals (which has happened in 2008, 2010, 2017 and 2018).
In fact, I'd wager the Jazz PROBABLY beat the Nuggets had there actually been a legitimate home court last season and not a glorified summer league atmosphere. That right there blows your whole argument out of the water.
But like I said, had the Jazz not had home court in 2007 against the Warriors, that series absolutely plays out different. Why? Because home court is more than just a seventh game. It's about setting the tone of the series. Yes, there are examples of franchises coming down from 0-2 in the playoffs to win, as the Jazz saw last season in their summer league series against the Nuggets. But it's often rare. In fact, 94% of teams that go up 2-0 in a playoff series will win that series.
THAT is where home court comes into play, and it's exactly what aided Utah in 2007. Those two first games against Golden State were tough - with the Jazz winning game one 116-112 (four points) and game two in overtime (by ten, but it was also a game the Jazz trailed by five with 53 seconds left to go). Both those games could have been losses and very well would have been losses at Golden State.
The entire dynamic of a series shifts because of those two first games. The road team has to HOPE to get a split or, as odds show, they're very unlikely going to win the series, even if they're equals.
Sure, again, there are examples, but they are the exception that proves the rule.
Any fan who believes home court is overrated probably cheers for a team that rarely ever gets it and that's how they talk themselves into believing their team has a chance. Which fits perfectly for the Jazz.
If we really, truly believe this year's Jazz team is capable of winning the west, then it's absurd to say home court won't come into play. It's not overrated and I know it's not because if you had your choice between opening a series against the Lakers in Salt Lake or Los Angeles, every fan who hasn't suffered a brain injury would pick the former. And they'd be absolutely right doing so.
