ESPN’s Shaun Powell reports on Twitter:
Source told me if full membership votes on the owner’s deal, NBA would open for business by Wednesday.Sat Nov 12 17:11:26 via web
Shaun Powell
powellshaun
This is much akin to “Unicorns may cure cancer, if they exist.” The primary problem is that unicorns don’t exist. Similarly, the rank-and-file NBA players that would vote for such a deal don’t have a voice. Those that don’t want to accept any concessions have a voice, that of the agents and the players those agents rep. Those that don’t want this deal but want to keep talking have a voice, the NBPA leadership. But there isn’t anyone to speak up for those players, no powerful voice, no strong element of leadership to say “Look, before we go all half-cocked and start chasing a victory on the wings of the decertification hippogriff, maybe we should vote on the measure to see how close we really are to it.” That player would look weak, would look like a scab, would look to be sniffing at the owners’ boots, despite the fact no one on the players’ side wants this deal, it benefits no one, and a vote simply gauges where they’re at.
So instead, we’ll just have rabble rousing and decertification and a hefty “unified” no on Monday, an opt for the courts and the loss of the 2011-2012 season. Unless someone powerful steps up to say this deal needs to get done it won’t be. The silent majority has no power if it remains silent.