NBA/NETS ~ Two Weeks and the Foul

From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

NJ/BKN NETS and the NBA

Commissioner Stern Dunks First Two Weeks of Season!

That's right Ladies and Gentlemen, and NBA Fans of all ages, No Basketball For You! -- At least not on-time anyway.  The first two weeks of the 2011-2012 regular season went POOF! just like Mr. Stern said they would if a deal wasn't struck by last Monday.


Hello Thursday morning.  Percentages of the Pie; Hard Caps; Luxury Taxes; Length of Contracts Pertaining to the Bird Rule and Free Agency; Guarantees; Pay Increases; Rates of Pay Increases; - Basically, who gets what when, how much and why, are all still on the table. 


Either both sides hired the law firm of Do We, Cheat'em, and How, or this just tells me these guys aren't even close.  And if they have to, I believe the Owners will attempt to do what the NHL Owners wound up doing which was cancelling a season to get what they want.  I don't know exactly how many owners are on board with that.  But it's no well hidden secret this is a battle for small market teams.  Or should we really call them Small Capital Teams?


What we have here is a not a failure to communicate. This is a clash of philosophies. We have a group of Capitalists (Owners), asking another group of Capitalists (Players) to accept a Socialist system.


Between players singing overseas and stateside All-Star exhibitions, or barnstormers if you will, and even recently Amare Stoudemire floating the idea about it possibly being the right time to form a new league, I'll say this much for the players - They've been quite creative so far with their methods of self-management.  How much of all this is born from a real need for steady income is not known.  But there's a large population of thinkers who believe the Players will cave like an igloo in South Beach    when they start suffering withdrawal because their accounts aren't receiving it's regular jolt of cash.


Both parties realize their relationship is symbiotic.  But it still boils down to who's will, will dominate the other; just like a marriage or a game of chicken.  There's a correlation in there somewhere.


All I'm saying is...., get a deal done by the 2012-2013 season!   That is all.

Barclays Center; October 2011

 

 

Mike.BTB