Another double-dip of articles on the NBA lockout, as we look to the Philadelphia Daily News' John Smallwood talk about the players' attitude on what will happen in the end. Smallwood makes some valid points, but basically says that the players need to be prepared to lose.
That's not really news, since the players lost last time the owners locked them out too. But, that time, the players hadn't built up war chests like Billy Hunter had been telling them to do for the past two years. They were caught off-guard (as much as they could be) and started feeling the financial pressure much sooner than they will this time. That means this season is more in jeopardy than I originally anticipated.
Secondly, Henry Abbott fisks an article by Nate Silver in the New York Times. You'll be shocked to find out that the owners and the NBA executives may have been exaggerating when they claimed to lose $370 million last season. Pulling together financial information for all the independent sources he could find, Silver's best guess is that the NBA made a little money last season.
But, there's no question that belt-tightening is underway. As Abbott points out, the league office is not trimming down by not filling vacancies, eliminating positions with the NBA TV network and online at NBA.com, as it transitions over to the Turner group. Also, the NBA draft is moving to a smaller location than in the past, which also suggest money trouble.
This dance will continue for awhile, but looking at both of these articles together, it's easy to see a wide gulf that won't get collectively bargained away in a small amount of time.