2011 NBA Offesason Thread

[dfwabel]

nba.com is the most depressing part of the sports internet right now. David Stern, Walls of Text, & a WNBA player. That is depressing. Not even the NFL's homepage went all the way dark. I knew that this lockout would get ugly, but it got ugly in a hurry.

But then the NFLPA disbanded and put up that shadow front page and did not even want to get out their side of the story.

As for NBA.com. there really is no news but a lockout, so the choice to be realistic is probably the correct one. There really is no real NBA business on tap but this, so try to tell your story to the fans better than the other party.

[Eye]

nba.com is the most depressing part of the sports internet right now. David Stern, Walls of Text, & a WNBA player. That is depressing. Not even the NFL's homepage went all the way dark. I knew that this lockout would get ugly, but it got ugly in a hurry.

"Go home folks. There's nothing more to see here."

Hey, the WNBA MVP race is heating up!

[loogodude90]

nba.com is the most depressing part of the sports internet right now. David Stern, Walls of Text, & a WNBA player. That is depressing. Not even the NFL's homepage went all the way dark. I knew that this lockout would get ugly, but it got ugly in a hurry.

So basically, they're celebrating the lockout by making their website look the way it did back when the last lockout happened.

[DaytonBlue]

They have returned it to "normal", minus any player pics or video.

The team websites have been trimmed down too. On the Grizzlies site, the only mention of players is on the roster link.

[Lights Out]

Also, for some reason, the Clippers have once again revamped their site.

[jhans203]

Also, for some reason, the Clippers have once again revamped their site.

That's probably going to be the most exciting news we'll get for the next several months regarding the NBA.

[pmoehrin]

I'm kind of surprised at how little covering this is getting compared to the NFL lockout. Then again it could be because ESPN has a hard on for the NFL and will report on them no matter what happens (if you watch or listen to Mike & Mike you know exactly what I'm talking about), or that if there's no football come September people may start going on killing sprees (at least according to Ray Lewis) but still, this lockout is going to go on way longer and is going to get much uglier.

The question with the NFL is will they miss some games? The question with the NBA isn't whether or not they'll miss games but how many they'll miss, and whether or not we'll even see a season. Its a forgone conclusion that games are going to be missed at this point.

It wouldn't even shock me if a few teams wound up folding because of the lockout because they're seems to be a huge disparity between those doing well and those not doing well and it just may get to a point where in order for a deal to get down, a couple of teams are going to have to go bye bye because they just can't keep up financially with what the rest of the teams. I'm looking at New Orleans, Memphis, Milwaukee, Indiana, Atlanta, Sacramento and Charlotte as teams that could potentially be in big time trouble. Some obviously worse then others, but nontheless if any of those teams were to fold because of it I can't say I would be shocked. The NFL on the other hand has no such fears.

Not saying this will happen, but I definately feel like its a possibility and the longer this lockout goes the higher the percentage will climb that one or more of the franchises I listed will in fact fold. The players are not going to take 40 cents on the dollar (they make somwhere around 57 cents which adds up to about a 30% pay cut) and from what I'm hearing that's what the NBA is asking them to do. But it may be what those teams need in the CBA contract in order to survive and if they can't get it or know they won't get it, you may in fact see some teams start to close up shop. May in fact be the only way a deal can get done.

[dfwabel]

I'm kind of surprised at how little covering this is getting compared to the NFL lockout. Then again it could be because ESPN has a hard on for the NFL and will report on them no matter what happens (if you watch or listen to Mike & Mike you know exactly what I'm talking about), or that if there's no football come September people may start going on killing sprees (at least according to Ray Lewis) but still, this lockout is going to go on way longer and is going to get much uglier.

The question with the NFL is will they miss some games? The question with the NBA isn't whether or not they'll miss games but how many they'll miss, and whether or not we'll even see a season. Its a forgone conclusion that games are going to be missed at this point.

It wouldn't even shock me if a few teams wound up folding because of the lockout because they're seems to be a huge disparity between those doing well and those not doing well and it just may get to a point where in order for a deal to get down, a couple of teams are going to have to go bye bye because they just can't keep up financially with what the rest of the teams. I'm looking at New Orleans, Memphis, Milwaukee, Indiana, Atlanta, Sacramento and Charlotte as teams that could potentially be in big time trouble. Some obviously worse then others, but nontheless if any of those teams were to fold because of it I can't say I would be shocked. The NFL on the other hand has no such fears.

Not saying this will happen, but I definately feel like its a possibility and the longer this lockout goes the higher the percentage will climb that one or more of the franchises I listed will in fact fold. The players are not going to take 40 cents on the dollar (they make somwhere around 57 cents which adds up to about a 30% pay cut) and from what I'm hearing that's what the NBA is asking them to do. But it may be what those teams need in the CBA contract in order to survive and if they can't get it or know they won't get it, you may in fact see some teams start to close up shop. May in fact be the only way a deal can get done.

It is not that the NBA Lockout is not getting coverage, it is more a sign that the United States is a "football nation" led with our interest in the NFL. The highest rated primetime TV show was NBC's Sunday Night Football. That was the first time that has ever occurred. Greater interest will garner greater coverage. Plus they seem to be closer to an agreement and an average NFL player seems more "relate-able" to the average person than an NBA player who average salary is $5M.

As far as NBA teams folding, that is not going to occur. If it did not occur in the NHL, when teams were (and still are) more dependent on gate receipts than their NBA counterparts, then teams will stay afloat. Teams already have season ticket money for 2011-12 season, so if a team is not paying out $45-90M in player salaries, then they are just earning interest on that money with lesser expenses to take care of.

[Shumway]

Not sure if this is the place to put it, but according to the Suns' facebook, Armon Gilliam died yesterday of a heart attack. Sad to hear.

[CubsFanBudMan]

I'm kind of surprised at how little covering this is getting compared to the NFL lockout. Then again it could be because ESPN has a hard on for the NFL and will report on them no matter what happens ...

I don't watch ESPN anymore except for live games. Three straight seasons of Favre fests while a baseball season was going on sealed it for me, but Vs., CSN Chicago, Big Ten Network were my only sports TV alternatives. Maybe a little TWIB and a little too much 670 The Score sports radio.

However, a couple months back I got DirecTV, and now I don't bother to even roll the dice on ESPN. It's been MLB Network and NBATV all the time for sports, the latter not so much since the season ended. Even check the NHL Network before ESPN. And if I really, really want advance knowledge of a 16-game season that might not even happen, I'd go to NFL Network. ESPN was making me hate the NFL, but I think I will (potentially) enjoy this season more now that I can mute the overkill and administer my own, proper doses. It just is not a year-round sport that needs to be covered that way by anyone but the NFL Network.

Honestly, the last time I clicked on ESPN late at night to catch some SportsCenter highlights, NFL Live rerun was on. In June. Haven't gone back unless the Scoreguide tells me a game is on.

Sorry for the rant. The NBA lockout is a serious deal, but honestly I won't pay attention to reports on either because there's too much misinformation out there. When the schedules say there's a game and there isn't, then I'll care. In the meantime, there's baseball.

[pmoehrin]

Sorry for the rant. The NBA lockout is a serious deal, but honestly I won't pay attention to reports on either because there's too much misinformation out there. When the schedules say there's a game and there isn't, then I'll care. In the meantime, there's baseball.

With any kind of labor strifes its no so much misinformation as it is lack of information.

I know with the last lockout one of the player reps was a rat for the owners and the only reason I know this is because I talked to one of the people who represented the players. The player simply had more of a financial incentive to help his club's owner then he did the union. It never got out in the media because it would have put this particular player in a very different light then how the public viewed him which would hut the owners as well because it makes the league look bad. So nothing got said about it. The player in question was simply not allowed to attend anymore meetings and that was it.

I would say anywhere between 2% to 10% of what goes on behind closed doors gets out in the media.

[NJTank]

Its July the NFL is reaching crunch time, if there is no deal in the next week, training camp and pre-season will be effected.

The NBA wont reach this point until September.

[TFoA]

Deron Williams & Zaza Pachulia have both agreed to play for Besiktas in Turkey while the lockout is going on. Of course, this is very risky considering that despite the fact that they are both free to go since all NBA contracts are on hold during the lockout, they could both risk nullifying their NBA contracts should they get injured in Turkey. So of course, there are agents saying that there's a small chance that those guys actually go over there...but either way, the door's open for them. And if they go, the floodgates are probably gonna open.

I predicted that we'd see a good number of NBA players in Europe while the lockout is going on. Basketball in Europe damn sure isn't the NBA, but it's still competitive & decent quality. It'd be better for them to stay active in a competitive environment in Europe than have glorified pick-up games here in the States while waiting out the lockout.

[ninersdd]

Here's a shocker: Michael Beasley busted for weed again according to ESPN.

[Drakonius26]

Deron Williams & Zaza Pachulia have both agreed to play for Besiktas in Turkey while the lockout is going on. Of course, this is very risky considering that despite the fact that they are both free to go since all NBA contracts are on hold during the lockout, they could both risk nullifying their NBA contracts should they get injured in Turkey. So of course, there are agents saying that there's a small chance that those guys actually go over there...but either way, the door's open for them. And if they go, the floodgates are probably gonna open.

I predicted that we'd see a good number of NBA players in Europe while the lockout is going on. Basketball in Europe damn sure isn't the NBA, but it's still competitive & decent quality. It'd be better for them to stay active in a competitive environment in Europe than have glorified pick-up games here in the States while waiting out the lockout.

I wouldn't be so sure.

You might see a few players leave to go to Europe, but I don't see it being a mass exodus, because sooner or later, the money they want and need is going to be in the NBA. I'm sure the players who go might be vilified by some of public and media, so of course, in won't help them in terms of public support, but it'll be fascinating nonetheless. I'm interested to watch this train wreck and see if a possible multi-year lockout affects the viability of the teams and league as a whole, David Stern's future, and of course how far of a step back does the NBA take when it's all said and done. Do they recover soon, or does it take 5 to 10 years to get back those record ratings?

[BBTV]

Well the Sixers sale is done. I can't understand why anyone would buy the team under these circumstances. Comcast Spectacor (Ed Snider, AKA "The Flyers") controls the broadcast rights forever, so there's nothing to sell there, they own the arena and keep everything that's sold there, so there's nothing to be made there. Hell - the new Sixers owners don't even get parking revenue from what I'm hearing. The only reason for anyone to buy this team would be to use as a play toy, AKA Mark Cuban style. Don't know nuthin' about this Joshua Harris character.

[BBTV]

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20110714_Wharton_grad_ready_to_take_over_as_Sixers_owner.html

[StillS]

The only reason for anyone to buy this team would be to use as a play toy, AKA Mark Cuban style. Don't know nuthin' about this Joshua Harris character.

I hope it's someone like Cuban, sixers could really use someone that gives a damn.

[YessSir32]

Here's a shocker: Michael Beasley busted for weed again according to ESPN.

No surprise. I can see a few others getting in trouble during the lockout.

[dfwabel]

NBA cuts over 10% of the league office workforce, but claims it is not related to the lockout.

NBA spokesperson Mike Bass:

The layoffs are not a direct result of the lockout but rather a response to the same underlying issue; that is, the league?s expenses far outpace our revenues. The roughly 11% reduction in headcount from the league office is part of larger cost-cutting measures to reduce our costs by $50 million across all areas of our business.