There are still NBA games up on your favorite team’s Web site. Log on and you will see most of the approved schedule, every game from Nov. 14 on is listed. It gives you a sense of hope.
But know that whenever we have an NBA season, your team’s schedule will look nothing like that.
Whatever schedule there is — 70 games, 60 games, 50 games — will be totally new, according to the New York Times. Which ties in to the lack of an announcement by the league about the cancellation of the second two weeks of the season, something expected this week (at least before the sides were scheduled to meet) but has yet to happen.Whenever the lockout is resolved, the N.B.A. will build a new schedule from scratch, using all arena dates that are still reserved, according to people who are aware of the league’s plans. N.B.A. officials declined to discuss the issue Tuesday.
Thus, the decision to formally announce cancellations is an academic exercise, and perhaps a bit of political theater. The announcements serve as a warning shot to the league’s 430-plus players, a reminder that they are losing hundreds of millions of dollars.
While there have been no announcements of more games lost, basically all of November’s games are toast. From the time the two sides reach a handshake agreement, it will take roughly a month for regular season games to start (there as to be training camps and some free agent period). Even if the two sides reached a deal Wednesday (which is not going to happen) there would be no games until about Dec. 1.
And whatever comes on Dec. 1 — or whenever the season does start — will look nothing like what the league previously announced.
