2011 NBA Offesason Thread

[Lights Out]

Wow, that's embarrassing... the Lynx have officially won a championship before the Timberwolves.

[BigMac12]

Wow, that's embarrassing... the Lynx have officially won a championship before the Timberwolves.

Just like the Mercury got one before the Suns...^^;

[FiddySicks]

And the Monarchs got one before the Kings.

Then folded.

[TFoA]

The Houston Comets won 4 consecutive WNBA titles. The Rockets only won a measly 2 in a row. Come Rockets, are you even trying? The Comets even folded to slow down for you guys to catch up, come onnnnnnnn.

[pmoehrin]

At least the NBA appears to finally be getting the message with the WNBA because I hardly even heard them mentioned this year.

Sad part is the amount they promoted the WNBA probably did the league more harm then good in the long run. Nobody has a problem with women playing basketball. People have a problem with feeling like they are being forced to watch women play basketball. And the reaction has been to laugh at it. If the league is made out to be a joke, nobody is ever going to take it seriously. And its not a joke, nor should it be viewed that way either, but don't try to pass it off as somehow being on the level men's basketball either as the NBA has done in the past.

[Punch]

I'm just glad that we have a professional champion in Minnesota for the first time since 1991.

[rvrdgsfn]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7080905/nba-lockout-sides-meet-11th-hour-attempt-sources-say

Make or break, either that or the first two weeks of the season are gone... Either way this is a joke how both sides are reacting.

[BBTV]

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.

I dunno, wasn't Mick Foley the WWE commissioner at one point? He didn't exactly have a wall full of degrees behind his desk nor "Esq" on his nameplate. Dude could take a bump though.

[pmoehrin]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7080905/nba-lockout-sides-meet-11th-hour-attempt-sources-say

Make or break, either that or the first two weeks of the season are gone... Either way this is a joke how both sides are reacting.

The question isn't whether or not games will be cancelled. The only question is whether or not the season can be saved and right now I'd say its 50/50 at best that we'll see any NBA basketball this year.

[HedleyLamarr]

If the difference in money is only $120 million, I think the NBA will get it done without games being missed.

It's going to feel really petty by both sides if the gap is only that much, yet still can't get an agreement reached.

[DustDevil61]

If the difference in money is only $120 million, I think the NBA will get it done without games being missed.

It's going to feel really petty by both sides if the gap is only that much, yet still can't get an agreement reached.

I, like Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, thinks that the chance of losing the entire season is now 0%. It would be stupidity and ego at their finest for that to happen. I do think we'll miss games, but considering the math and how close the sides are, the cost of losing a significant portion of the season is greater than the BRI gap and something will be worked out. I'm confident that cooler heads will prevail, and it will get done. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday (soon).

However, if there's a place for a clash of egos that trumps logic, this is it, with David Stern on one side, and superstar players on the other. They've always seemed to be on the same side until now, and that may be what's keeping us from an agreement.

I agree that something needs to be worked out to level the playing field, but the owners were asking for too much with the 46% BRI and haven't done as much as the players to close the gap. I'm getting sick of the posturing and saying that the owners won't talk unless the players agree to a 50-50 split along with similar statements. I'm also not a fan of this rollback plan, whatever it is, as it comes across as another clever way to take money from the players that's rightfully theirs.

The players, on the other hand, haven't exactly been cooperative in getting the ball rolling, either, as they're saying that a 50-50 split is the lowest pay for players since the early 1990s and is unfair. It seems like neither side is willing to work out details that can work around any disagreeable BRI split and put this lockout away.

As much as I like him, Kevin Durant (I think) said something to the effect of "I know it's something our fans don't want to hear, but we want a fair deal, and we'll sit until we get it," which came across to me as "We're going to sit until we get paid $4.5 Million instead of $4 Million, even if that means hundreds (if not thousands) of other people having to find new jobs." As with any pro sports labor negotiations, lockouts, etc., the ones most screwed are the fans and the arena employees, as most fans just want to see games played, while employees that get their paychecks from the games (directly or indirectly) often have to find new jobs. Even in the worst deal for the players, the players would still get more money for playing the sport they love for a few seasons than your run-of-the-mill employee will ever sniff in their lifetime. I'd also bet that there are a lot of younger, low-profile players that develop their game and don't really care about 3 percentage points in the BRI.

I think that this superstar mindset that the NBA has advertised and emphasized since the 1990s is what got us here in the first place, as that approach is what gave us the myriad Micheal Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, etc. ad campaigns, and has gotten many high-profile players to think that they deserve almost 60% of the BRI. It's all about Millionaires vs. Billionaires, with the Average Joe tossed to one side and left to deal with the consequences. So, what goes around comes around, as David Stern is learning.

[The_Admiral]

we want a fair deal, and we'll sit until we get it

You're not striking, you're locked out.

[NJTank]

If David Stern stops acting like a dictator it will get done.

[TFoA]

Stern just announced that the 1st two weeks of the season have been cancelled. That was expected. I still think that, at best, we're gonna see a half-season, but even that is looking slim.

...

[NJTank]

David Stern came and expressed his power and the chance of a deal went clank like a shot from a Knicks Guard in the playoffs.

[Lights Out]

Fire Stern, contract two franchises, introduce the NFL model. It's apparent now that the NBA drastically needs to change their ways or risk extinction.

[HedleyLamarr]

Heard the Players' Union offered Marvin Williams to the NBA, but the owners rejected that offer immediately....

[bosrs1]

Hey question about the D-League. Are they still going to be playing even if the NBA is having a lockout like the MiLB teams did during the MLB strike of 94?

[TFoA]

Yep, but the D-League's probably gonna be more unwatchable than usual this year.

[bosrs1]

Yep, but the D-League's probably gonna be more unwatchable than usual this year.

Hey at least they'll be playing. Unwatchable or no it gives one something to watch at least. I remember the benefits of having "unwatchable" Single A baseball around during the MLB strike and despite the lack of actual ability on many players parts it was still fun to have an option to watch.