It’s starting to feel a little like “Groundhog Day” around here. No matter what we expect, we keep ending up back in the same place.
Again the NBA and its players union met on Thursday, again for more than five hours, and again the meeting ended with little talk of progress. There are no new meetings scheduled until next week.
Multiple reporters on the scene said NBA Commissioner David Stern said nothing about the meetings content but seemed “dour” and his body language did not suggest anything good had happened. His quotes stuck to the “there’s a lot of work for both sides” variety.
Union representatives were equally tight lipped, with union president Derek Fisher saying there was “nothing to report.”
You want good news? It was David Stern’s birthday and both sides had cake. Sorry, that’s ally we got. I mean, if you want to think that since the two sides spoke for more than five hours they made progress but are keeping it close to the vest go ahead, but I don’t see the evidence. And I’ve had five-hour conversations with a date and made no progress, so I can see how that happens.
If there really was no progress, expect an announcement in the next few days cancelling the start of training camps. If the two sides don’t have a handshake agreement by the end of next weeks camps will not open on time, and it almost certainly means regular season games will be postponed or missed.
I suppose anything could happen, this could come together quickly. But I wouldn’t get my hopes up. It’s Groundhog Day.