2011 NBA Offesason Thread

[ninersdd]

If a smaller amount of games get canceled, then would the NBA try to go 82 games still and have the season go later, or will they settle for say, 70 or 75 games?

[pmoehrin]

If a smaller amount of games get canceled, then would the NBA try to go 82 games still and have the season go later, or will they settle for say, 70 or 75 games?

They'll go up until the end of the year. If they don't have a deal done by the end of December, that's it. Your not going to see a season that doesen't start until February like you did in '99.

I don't know how close or how far the two sides are because nothing gets out with these meetings. I do strongly doubt that the owners are all on the same page. If they were, this deal would be probably be done in five minutes. Pretty the only thing you can ever get all 30 owners to agree on is that the players are making too much money. Beyond that, they don't see eye to eye on anything and that's the way its always been across all four major sports.

[patsox]

Delonte West's job application to furniture store:

[pmoehrin]

Delonte West's job application to furniture store:

I like the available to start work yesterday and the "misunderstanding" on the crime description.

I really hope this is a fake. Didn't even bother to put down any contact info.

[Drew22]

He probably took at picture of it before he put all his info on it. Seems legit.

[Milo Meningocele]

Ooh, Ben Wallace is in trouble...

Ben Wallace arraigned on drunk driving, weapons charge

On top of being a dumbass for not getting a cab and improperly carrying his gun, Big Ben is further f***ed for where he was stopped. He's now got the same notorious hard-ass judge as Jalen Rose had.

[Lights Out]

The most shocking part of the story is that Ben Wallace is still playing in the NBA. Retire already!

[DustDevil61]

Concerning the lockout...it's getting down to crunch time if we want to see a full NBA season. However, people are reporting that if something isn't done over the weekend, David Stern may cancel the entire season. I don't expect even him to do something that big so early (it's likely just scare tactics), but if it does happen, he won't remain NBA commissioner for much longer. Only Gary Bettman and the NHL BoG could dream of such a middle finger to their fans.

If this thing does go on any longer than it should, I think that his days are numbered.

[DustDevil61]

From today's meetings, there seems to have been progress made, in that numerous reports mention that there was a "spirit of cooperation" (though some contention was involved), and that hard-line owners are willing to get off the hard-cap stance.

Also, David Stern backed off his "82-or-bust" threat.

[pmoehrin]

Concerning the lockout...it's getting down to crunch time if we want to see a full NBA season. However, people are reporting that if something isn't done over the weekend, David Stern may cancel the entire season. I don't expect even him to do something that big so early (it's likely just scare tactics), but if it does happen, he won't remain NBA commissioner for much longer. Only Gary Bettman and the NHL BoG could dream of such a middle finger to their fans.

If this thing does go on any longer than it should, I think that his days are numbered.

The fact that your seeing star players going over to Europe means the owners really only have two options. Either get very aggressive in negotiations, or give in to the players demands.

One of the trump cards for owners in the past has been their ability to outlast the players in any prolonged labor strife, but this time the players actually have an option in that department so they can't play that card or at least not to the ability they would like to. So the option to wait the players out really isn't there anymore, which I feel really boxes in the owners in on what they can do.

It all depends on how close/far apart the two sides are in negiotations, which I'm not sure but if I had to guess I would say further apart now then the NFL and the players were at any point. The NBA owners really have nothing to offer in terms of non financial issues like the NFL owners did, and the unlike the NFL players, the NBA players have other options.

If the owners are choosing to be agressive I think the season is over if the players feel they have no reason to give in, and from the looks of it they feel they don't.

[NJTank]

David Stern is coming off as an asshat. This 82 Game or bust stance and this must get a deal done this weekend stance is self destructive. It is one of the big reasons the players don't trust the owners, as Stern becomes more and more of a dictator.

[pmoehrin]

David Stern is coming off as an asshat. This 82 Game or bust stance and this must get a deal done this weekend stance is self destructive. It is one of the big reasons the players don't trust the owners, as Stern becomes more and more of a dictator.

Yeah I really don't know what he was thinking that was going to solve. The players aren't going to cave and have no real reason to. They may even be more willing to take a lost season then some of the owners are. I think the owners are just now beginning to come to terms with that. I think alot of them honestly felt like they could get 18% salary rollbacks with little to no resistance on the part of the players and they very quickly realizing that just isn't the case.

At this point like I said earlier I feel it comes down to just how aggressive the owners want to be. They're not going to get what they want in terms of the players taking that kind of a paycut, so they need to figure out another way of doing things and the answer is what they are doing now which is pretty much rebuilding the league's financial system from the ground up. Its either that or contract more then one team. The Hornets are obviously not doing so good, but I could very easily see the Bucks, Pacers, Kings, Hawks, Bobcats and Grizzlies all being in similar positions. Maybe even another team or two in there that you may not think of such as Portland or Minnesota. Good luck gettting any real info on those teams finances.

The NBA says all their owners are on the same page, but I don't see how. Too many conflicts of interest between big and small market clubs for there to even be a remote possibility of that being true.

[Punch]

For those looking for professional basketball to pass the time, the Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream play tonight in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on ESPN. (or you could watch Sunday Night Football or the Phillies/Cardinals game )

[pmoehrin]

For those looking for professional basketball to pass the time, the Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream play tonight in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on ESPN. (or you could watch Sunday Night Football or the Phillies/Cardinals game )

At least the NBA's backed off on trying to shove it down everyone's throat this year as they did in year's past. A few years ago that game would have been on ABC and not ESPN.

[rvrdgsfn]

Things aren't looking good for the season to start on time if a deal isn't reached by Monday according to ESPN. It was mentioned that the first 2 weeks would be cancelled.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7059973/nba-labor-first-two-weeks-season-canceled-no-deal-monday-david-stern-says

Update: The players response from Tuesday

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/chris_mannix/10/05/npba.letter/index.html?sct=hp_t2_a3&eref=sihp

[oaklandhusker]

this thread neads to be renamed. There is no season. Face it.

[NJTank]

The NBA needs to shake it and wake up.

This summer people wereanxious over the NFL labor situation, though it was 90% there would be a season, fans still worried.

NOBODY is talking about the NBA and that should have the league and the players scared shotless. Nobody is mad, nobody is sad and not many people miss it. Now the NFL season is under way and the MLB Postseason is in high gear with the NHL dropping first puck tomorrow, but the NBA Labor Deal is getting nothing.

If fans were mad or sad it does not matter any type of emotion will be good for the leagu, but a lost season with this ammount of apathy and the NBA could be damaged far worse than the NHL was in 2005.

If both sides know what is best they will make a deal and get the league going, becase this league is in trouble, because NCAA Basketball is more exciting and fans who want basketball will surely turn into that.

Secondly David Stern after he gets a deal needs to retire for the good of the league. He was a great Comish he helped make basketball a global sport, but 28 years at the helm is far too long for anyone. He has turned into a dictator and the league needs some one with a better relationship with the players and fans, and has a good sense of how to take the league into the future and keep the traditions of the past. Larry Bird comes to mind right away. Was a player is now and exec he could help bridge teh gap and help the league get back to where it once was.

[The_Admiral]

Does Larry Bird have a law degree or any experience in labor relations? This is like people saying Brett Hull should be the commissioner. It's an actual job, not some sort of Sports Dude Emeritus post.

[DustDevil61]

Aside from lockout news, the Utah Jazz have hired Sidney Lowe as an assistant coach. His NBA coaching career has been bad, but to his credit, he was an assistant when the Timberwolves went to the playoffs in 1999-2000 and was an assistant for the #1-seeded Detroit Pistons in 2005-06. I just wonder if or when the Jazz pick up a big-guy coach, or what.

[pmoehrin]

Does Larry Bird have a law degree or any experience in labor relations? This is like people saying Brett Hull should be the commissioner. It's an actual job, not some sort of Sports Dude Emeritus post.

No chance a former player becomes Commisoner in any of the four sports. There's owners that make it a point never to pick up a basketball whenever they visit practice. Your on this side, I'm on this side. That message is very clear.

The leading candidate if Stern were to ever leave would be Adam Silver. Historically Commisoner picks have always been very conservative in terms of how far of a departure they are from the previous Commisoner and very pro owner. Those that haven't been pro owner tend not to last too long. I'd say see Happy Chandler and Fay Vincent for more info. One was fired for integrating the game, the other for trying to prevent the '94 baseball strike by simply saying the players may have a point.