Western Conference Preaseason Rankings

Water is wet. Texas weather is crazy. And the Western Conference is tough. Year in, year out. Part of the reason I put off this post for so long was cause I didn't even want to think about the order. But here goes. 

15. Utah Jazz

They're young and athletic but also lacking in experience. They remind me of the Celtics from last year in that they're going to be somewhat competitive and semi-fun to watch until they lose all their January games. They're another team that's rebuilding and headed in the right direction but they're not quite there yet. I like Alec Burks, I like Gordon Hayward and I liked their rookie Dante Exum. But they're going to lose a lot of games. That's that. 

14. Los Angeles Lakers

Steve Nash is out. Ronnie Price is out. Xavier Henry is out. Their roster is depleted. Kobe is back and so is a lot of last year's roster. They've got a new head coach Byron Scott, former Laker champion, who seems determined to drag them to newfound depths. Scott came in over the summer preaching about the mid-range game and opening up shots for players. Cool. He also said he wants to move away from the 3-point shot almost entirely. Okay... But you can only maximize efficiency that way if you're really good on defense, say for instance THE MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES WHO WERE TOP 3 DEFENSIVE TEAMS IN THE NBA LAST YEAR. 17.1% of the Grizzlies shots were from deep last year but that team's defensive rating with Marc Gasol on the court was phenomenal.

I look at the Lakers current roster and it's filled with people who have reputations for being atrocious on defense. So is Kobe going to play solid defense 35 minutes a night, 82 games this season? Is he going to play 70 games this season? They're not going to be able to defend anybody. I do not think they're going to win 30 games. I really want Bryant to do well individually cause it sucks to see NBA Legends go out the way Nash and him are.

Julius Randle is the bright spot for me in this team. Him and Ed Davis can be developed in that front-court. And at the end of the day Kobe Bryant is worth the price of admission if you're an NBA fan. Enjoy it while it's there. (Even though you don't have a choice cause they're going to be on national TV 29 ****ing times).

13. Sacramento Kings 

I looked at the odds and the over/unders to help write this preview. That involved me looking at the predictions, agreeing with them or scoffing at them but also having to think and explain why... Then placing heavy bets on the under for the Lakers. The Kings are at 30.5 wins and I'm taking the under. I've always liked DeMarcus Cousins. Boogie is good. I like Ben McLemore and I'm impressed that Rudy Gay was able to find himself on this team again. But it's not going to make a difference. The roster sucks. They're going to be bad. I'd be surprised if they won more than 30 games too. It sucks cause I really do like Boogie's game. I think he's going to have a great, breakout season but it's just not going to matter. 

12. Minnesota Timberwolves

Flip Saunders is literally the man. No like seriously, he runs everything on that team. He's the head coach, President of Basketball Operations and still a part-owner. Now he's had success in the league before. He's also sucked really bad. Him and Byron Scott are relics of NBA past. They're those grandparents you have that are all "things were better in the old days without all this fancy-schmancy technology and iPhones". Flip took the Timberwolves to the WCF and the Pistons to a 64-win season. He also coached the Wizards from 2009-2012 with a record of 51-130. So I'm not too sure how coaching is going to help. 

I think this team is really talented. But they fall into the same category as the Jazz and the Celtics. Young, talented guys. But they need to learn how to win. They also need to learn how to play in the NBA. I like Wiggins. I really like Andrew Wiggins's game. This team is going to be my second guilty pleasure to watch in the NBA this year. He's teamed with Anthony Bennett and Zach LaVine (God that kid can fly) and if they all pan out and Ricky Rubio is actually willing to shoot.... This team will be fun to watch. They'll lose games. But they're going to run fast and jump high and dunk really hard. Fun. 

11. New Orleans Pelicans 

I'm putting my money on Anthony Davis being the next superstar in the NBA. I think he'll finish this year as a top-10 player in the league. But I don't know how I feel about this team. Eric Gordon's going to be back but who knows how long that's going to last. John Salmons is playing the 3-position.... (John Salmons is still in the NBA??? #KeepGettingDemChecks). However, Jimmer Fredette is free from Thibs' dungeon, which I like. And Ryan Anderson (whose game I love) is coming back from the severe injury he had last year. They've also got Jrue Holiday at point-guard and I've always been a fan of his game. I can just imagine him run the pick-and-roll with Anthony Davis (AWESOME). Omer Asik can play as center and take some of the pressure of the Brow at the 4-position. He's already great on defense but he'll get better. They can man the interior together as opposed to last year where he took a pounding by himself. There's a lot to be positive about on this team. They were all injured last year. I think I've written myself into believing in them. Yep. All in for over .500. 

10. Phoenix Suns

These guys shocked everyone last year. I don't know if they have what it takes to do it again, cause a lot of that was Gerald Green playing at a phenomenal, unsustainable level. That dude chucked everything. But the back-court of Dragic and Bledsoe is going to be fun to watch. I don't think they have what it takes to make the playoffs but they'll be fighting to get in just like last year. Shoutout to Jeff Hornacek also. He's a great coach. It may not be their time this year, but if this team can grow together, they'll be a force in the West in a few years. 

9. Denver Nuggets 

This team won 36 games last year and they had injuries to every position. This year they're getting JaVale McGee, Nate Robinson, Danilo Gallinari just to name a few. They're going to be a good team. I don't know if they're a playoff team, I'm not sure if they're going to be great. But they're going to be damn good. They can run the ball up and down the court at home on back-to-backs in that high Denver altitude and just run them ragged. All these players back from injury along with Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried is going to make for some more fun basketball. 

8. Memphis Grizzlies

The thing about writing about the playoff teams in the West is that they're all really good teams. You can make arguments for each of them as to why they could be or should be the NBA champions. But it's the Western conference. The Grizzlies are probably going to finish top 3 in defense this year, if not the best. They're going to physically punish teams night in, night out in the Grindhouse. But can they win in the playoffs where it matters? Are they even locked in for a playoff spot? Cause if Marc Gasol stayed injured for an extra two weeks last year, they miss it completely. The lower seeds in the West are just waiting to take that spot from you. 

I like Mike Conley and the Grindfather, Tony Allen on defense. They're going to abuse and frustrate opposing back-courts. Quincy Pondexter is back to help give them some shooting from beyond the arc. And their inside game is still awesome with Marc Gasol and Z-Bo. They're far from a fun team. They're a beat-you-into-the-ground-and-step-on-your-face-and-not-apologize team, as evidenced from their playoff series against the Thunder last year. You may beat them but you're not going to come out looking pretty. 

7. Portland Trailblazers

I like the Trailblazers because they know how to win games. I think they have a fantastic head coach in Terry Stotts. LaMarcus Aldridge has been one of my favorite players in the league since 2009 as him and Dirk continue to defy analytics against the mid-range game. Honestly he may not be that efficient but you can't guard him. I think Lillard is a good, young talent moving in the right direction. He still needs to get better in reading the floor as a point-guard on offense and also work on his defense but he's a great player and he's not scared of taking the big shots. They gained some experience last year, and I look forward to watching them this year as well. 

6. Houston Rockets

I like their team. I like their take on shooting analytics and corner-3s. What they lost in offense in Chandler Parsons, they gained on defense, experience and leadership in Trevor Ariza (and he can still knock down the 3 ball too). 

Now it's easy to make fun of Dwight and his post-game and all that. But that dude is still a physical specimen. I remember watching Dwight in 2009 and thinking that no one had the right to take DPOY from him for the next 10 years. He's finally healthy and call me crazy, but I think he's going to have the bounce-back of bounce-back years. I have him as a sleeper in the MVP race. What he's going to be able to bring to this Rockets team is going to be crazy this year.  James Harden is still the best shooting guard in the league. These guys will be alright this year. 

5. Golden-State Warriors 

All they need is for Steve Kerr to be just as good as Mark Jackson was last year, and quite frankly I think he'll be better (as far as their offense goes anyway). Warriors were 12th in offense last year, and with all the 3-pointers and Splash Brothers memes you'd think they were higher. The offense stalled too much back then but the sets they have right now with Kerr already have them looking more fluid and dangerous. But it's preseason. I'll wait till December. However, they look good. My main worry is their front-court. Can Andrew Bogut and David Lee stay healthy this season? Cause that will be a deciding factor in whether they can make it out of the first round of the playoffs or not. 

4. Dallas Mavericks

I did this in the Eastern Conference column with the Hornets and I'm going to do it here with this team. I AM ALL IN ON THE DALLAS MAVERICKS THIS YEAR. DAMN THIS TEAM IS GOOD. I think they are an easy 50-win team this year. Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki BOOM 2-3-4 combo-breaker! I really had to restrain myself from dropping LAC or OKC to 4 so I could put them at the 3-seed. I'm driving this bandwagon and no one can stop me. We've come such a long way from last year's mishap. 

To be fair, I pick the Mavs every year as a sleeper in the West just because I love Dirk so much but think about it. This team took the Spurs to seven games in the playoffs last year. Not because they were a good team no.... They were horrible on defense. But because Rick Carlisle is a damn good coach. One of the best in the league. And he was able to maximize that team's strengths to give the champions a rough time. Can you imagine what he's going to do with this roster? And they got Tyson Chandler back to help on defense? AND J.J. Barea doesn't have to play point guard in Minnesota anymore?! Man they're going to be good on offense and defense this year. They;re going to frustrate teams, because how do you even stop that offense? At the very least they're going to be a hell of a lot of fun to watch. Their first game is against the Spurs so we'll find out soon enough. 

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

I dropped them from 2 because I don't know what adjustments Scott Brooks is going to make to his team after the loss of Durant. I don't think Brooks is a bad coach. I just don't think he's a great coach. And his glasses are stupid. Regardless, I still think this is a great team and that they're going to win as many as 56-58 games even without Durant. Ibaka has improved so much as a 4, and Steven Adams could start as a competent big on almost any team in this league. They've been unlucky the past two years with injuries to Westbrook and Ibaka at playoff time but I'm not sure if that's going to be enough anymore. I was worried that they didn't get anyone in free agency cause I feel for this team to make it back to the NBA Finals and win, they need more production coming from just 1 or 2 players. I need Jeremy Lamb, Anthony Morrow, Reggie Jackson or even Perry Jones III to take it to the next level and ball before I'm a 100% confident in this team again. With Durant out for some time, they'll get the minutes they need to prove themselves. Till then this is Westbrook's team. Depending on the night I'm either going to tweet #LetWestbrookBeWestbrook or #RussGonnaRuss cause you never know what you're going to get with him.

2. Los Angeles Clippers

What a turnaround it's been for this team since they drafted Blake Griffin in 2009. From perennial laughing stocks of the NBA to actual championship contenders. If there was any year that they were going to make it to the Western Conference Finals, this is the year. I think this is the best team they've had since. I believe Blake Griffin is going to be even much better this year and the only thing holding him back from being this year's MVP will be if Chris Paul wins it. These guys are that good. The only weakness they have for me is at the 3-spot but honestly Matt Barnes will be fine and that's just cause all the other players are that good. I think DeAndre Jordan will win DPOY. I liked the addition of Ekpe Udoh to help bolster their front-court. (THANK YOU FOR SAVING HIM FROM MILWAUKEE. I really thought he'd lost all value with that team last year). This is a great team. I think they get 60 wins. They'll also be fun. 

1. San Antonio Spurs

First year ever I'm not buying into the "they're old" narrative. Seriously. Popovich is awesome. The system is awesome. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are still awesome. Tony Parker is the best point-guard in the league in my opinion. They resigned Patty Mills and Point-Center, Boris Diaw.

And they still have this kid.

NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.... Yay. 

The Spurs are going to Spur. Rest players. Destroy teams. Crazy win streaks. The major difference this year is that Manu and Tony actually got to rest this summer so they're coming back refreshed and ready for the season. Easy 60-win team. They're my favorites for the Western Conference Champions. And NBA Champions. Go Spurs Go. 

Eastern Conference Preseason Rankings

Preseason's over. Fall is here. Basketball starts today. This post is late as hell. Twitter is already in mid-season form and the projections, predictions and general fan nonsense are all over the place. I've never actually done a preseason rankings before this one and I realize how hard they are to do and I applaud all the people who take their time out every season to do one of these. Kudos.

Eastern Conference

15. Philadelphia 76ers

They were trash last year. They've decided to be worse this year. Sam Hinkie is ecstatic that the vote for draft lottery reform didn't go through. That's all. They might break the Bobcats record for least wins in a season. Sixers fans are already thinking about the lottery in 2015. You don't believe me?

14. Orlando Magic

It sucks that the Magic are here. They're still in the process of rebuilding after Dwight's departure. They've made some good draft picks. I liked Victor Oladipo last year, but he's currently out for a month which is going to put a lot of pressure on Elfrid Payton. They made the right move in giving Nikola Vucecic a contract extension. But this team is still bad for now. They'll get there eventually. But not this season.

13. Milwaukee Bucks

They made some terrible roster moves. Gave a lot of people undeserved money. OJ Mayo showed up looking like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Larry Sanders missed a lot of time after breaking his hand in a bar fight. Like.. The Bucks were a mess. But hey it's a new year. I feel like this team is going to be my guilty pleasure to watch this year. Say what you want about Jason Kidd but I don't think he's a bad coach. They'll be better this year (which isn't saying much). But man Jabari Parker is going to be a lot of fun in the NBA.

12. Boston Celtics

Wyc Grousbeck talked about fireworks for the offseason and they signed Evan Turner. Yeah this team isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Rondo is going to be the big story this season. Personally, I don't think he's going anywhere. He's been in trade talks since 2009 and it still hasn't happened. And at this point, Ainge isn't trading him unless he can get a great package in the deal, otherwise it's pointless. I also say that cause I don't think he's leaving in free agency. I may be wrong. Horribly wrong. But I doubt it. (In case that's familiar).

This team will be competitive night in, night out. They're in the conversation for best defensive back-court in the league with Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart. Kelly Olynyk has shown himself to be a good inside-passer. Maybe Jeff Green will find himself this year. They're going to lose a lot of close games due to inexperience and just having a roster of players that don't know how to win games. I'll be happy if they finish with 30 wins.

11. Indiana Pacers

They lost their two best perimeter defenders in Lance Stephenson and Paul George. Lance was also their leader in assists and rebounds last year. As much as I like David West, him and Roy Hibbert are not going to be enough. They don't have the depth on their bench. They won't be making the playoffs this year based off their own will. On the bright side, Paul George is rehabbing well and talking about playing this season, but there's really no need to rush.

10. Detroit Pistons

Andre Drummond needs a nickname. Bold prediction: Drummond is going to lead the NBA in rebounds this year. They're gonna be a team that kinda fights for the playoffs but I don't think they're going to get there. At the very least, it'll be fun to watch Josh Smith try NOT to shoot 3s this year. Also I think Brandon Jennings will be good this year.

9. New York Knicks

In all seriousness, I like Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher taking the reins here. I like that they added Calderon as a PG. I like that they're learning the triangle offense which is going to open up Carmelo's game greatly. Quincy Acy was a good addition to their front-court. And I feel like Amar'e is going to be really good as long as he's healthy. But they're the Knicks. Google "J.R Smith Triangle Offense". They're going to do Knicks things like not disappoint their fans. It's going to be a long season when you're relying on Samuel Dalembert for inside rim-protection all season long.

8. Brooklyn Nets

How well this team will do this season completely relies on the health of their aging players. I don't think Deron Williams will ever be the Deron Williams we remembered from Utah. I was ready to buy into this team though, regardless of their point-guard. Then Brook Lopez picked up a minor injury in preaseason and I was like "yeah... I'm not doing this." Joe Johnson is going to be the same and if they can get 65+ games of Kirilenko, Lopez, Garnett and Deron then they'll be just fine. 

However, I have them this low because I don't think they can. They're not winning a championship. But they should be a lock for the playoffs. I'm also very interested in what the relationship between Lionel Hollins and Brook Lopez is going to be like, cause that's going to be funny.

7. Atlanta Hawks

I really like Head Coach Budenholzer. I think he's top 5 in the league. Last year before Horford's injury they were 3rd in the East. Now I know that's a small sample size but still, they looked really good last year. Al Horford, Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague are going to be good for this team. Look to Pero Antic to stretch the floor for them. I'm a little low on them. I think they can be better. But I'd prefer to wait and see.

6. Miami Heat

Losing the best player in the NBA is definitely going to hurt your roster, but trust Pat Riley to apply some superglue and scotch-tape to try and hold this team together. Spoelstra is a good coach. They still have Hall-of-Fame players in Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Mario Chalmers is competent. I liked the addition of McBob. They'll make the playoffs comfortably. Can Wade stay healthy though? Cause a lot of that weight's going to fall on his shoulders this year. So I'm not expecting much from them come playoff time.

5. Toronto Raptors

We all liked the Raptors last year right? They won the Atlantic Division after dragging the rear for so many years. Masai Ujiri's put together a nice young team here. However, there's a lot they're relying on with this roster. It's the same roster from last year, and they're coming in with big expectations for the year. Pretty much all these players have to play at the same or higher levels than they did last year. The naysayer in me asks how sustainable that is. Kyle Lowry is a good, aggressive and angry. Good combination. Cause this team is going to count on him.

4. Washington Wizards

I'd have the Wizards higher if not for the injury to Bradley Beal. He's a young, tough kid with a great shooting stroke and that's going to hurt them, but only a little. The Wizards are good. John Wall has quickly become one of the best PGs in the league. He's grown as a player and is finally able to control his speed and use it to make good point-guard plays.  The addition of Paul Pierce is going to give them even more experience in the locker room. They've got some real NBA vets on there that are going to help them in late game situations where they struggled last year.

I was under the impression that Wittman would lose his job before the end of last season but obviously making it to the second round of the playoffs past the Bulls put a hold on that. I still don't think he's a good coach but we'll see this season.

3. Charlotte Hornets

I AM ALL IN ON CHARLOTTE AND I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT! Yes I think this team is good. I'm excited for Kemba and Big Al offense. I think Lance Stephenson was a good addition for that back-court. I like Cody Zeller as a backup and if Vonleh can get minutes, I think he's going to be good. Yeah I like this team. Maybe I'm just oversold on the Lance addition and I know the loss of McRoberts is going to hurt a little on defense but I'll wait and see. I'm expecting this team to have a great regular season.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

#TheLand. Lebron James is back and he brought the whole crew with him, fans and all. Every time I remember Kevin Love and Lebron James are on the same thing, all I can think about are the Sportscenter highlights with the outlet passes and the fast breaks. I've been saying that since the summer but this is just the start.

But temper your expectations. Lebron is going to be 30 in December and this year is the first time I've ever heard him complain about physical ailments. There's talk of him pulling a Popovich and sitting quite a few games this season. Also this is this team's first season together. Remember the Heat had a rough start in 2010 too. For this team it's all about the playoffs. The regular season doesn't matter.

1. Chicago Bulls.

The Return Part 2. Derrick Rose is back. They have, arguably, the best front-court in the league with the addition of Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic. They have the depth. They have a top-3 coach in the league. Everything looks good. But I need to see Derrick Rose play 70+ games this year. I just need to. And he needs to look good doing it too. He's been off the court for 2 years, let's be real. I liked the fact that he came off the bench for Team USA cause that was a chance to play some semi-real, competitive basketball and you can tell it helped cause he's looked a lot better this preaseason as opposed to this time last year. If he can hold up, I have this team locked as Eastern Conference Champions.

NBA 2015 - SHOW ME THE MONEY!

Man the year flew by didn't it? It's already October! I feel like I was just watching the NBA Finals a week ago (week ago). The long summer season we as sports fans (especially those who don't watch baseball) has been over for a while. The NFL has been in play for a few weeks now. Soccer for even longer. But it all comes together when the NBA season finally kicks off on October 28th and all these sports are rolling together in full swing. 

Yes I know, not everyone watches as much basketball as I do. Some people think the season starts after the Superbowl. Then there are the fans like me who watch at least 4 games a night, every night. The ones that pay attention to NBA Free Agency all summer and watch the preseason like they have nothing better to do. Which is why I'm sitting here at 4 AM typing this up when I should be looking at Thermodynamics. The NBA is electrifying. Media day was last week and it just felt like the first day back at school when all your friends are back from holiday. You're just happy to see everyone back and want to catch up and hear about their breaks. The NBA is a family unlike any other professional sports league and that permeates through every level; from owners like Mark Cuban, to the GMs, to the coaches, players and most importantly the fans. 

So here we are once again. Last year hardcore and casual fans alike were excited to see the new season start, mainly because there were so many narratives in place. Could the Heat win a third championship in a row... Would the Spurs be able to carry their aging roster back to the NBA finals even though the previous year took so much out of them... We were eager for the returns of Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant #TheReturn, #SeasonOfLegends (Boy those didn't turn out well). Not to talk of all the other teams that we're out there trying to make themselves heard during the season. Now we're back again and a lot has happened over the summer. Let's start with the Cavaliers free-agency adventures. 

The biggest narrative for the season thus far is going to be the Cleveland's redemption thanks to Lebron James. The best basketball player on the planet is back home and he took some of his old teammates and all his fans back with him. Man don't you just hate the Cavaliers? How do you run a team so incompetently and still have all this goodwill fall in your lap? Either way, the Cavs became automatic contenders with the addition of Lebron and Kevin Love and made some smart moves picking up veteran role players along the way. It's not going to be a cakewalk but I'll get into that in another post later this week. On the surface though, the Eastern Conference is looking a lot more competitive (and yes I know I said that last year too but now I have proof).

• Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol make the Bulls stronger. 
• The Nets get Brook Lopez back. 
• The Wizards have a great, young back-court that took them to the 2nd round of the playoffs last year. They're only going to get better and added some experience in Paul Pierce.
• The Raptors brought their whole team back together and are hoping to win the Atlantic Division again. 
• The Knicks will never prosper (but Phil Jackson made some pretty decent moves in the draft and trade-wise too). 
• And don't forget about the Miami Heat. They went to the finals four years in a row and Pat Riley managed to keep Wade and Bosh around. Don't count them out yet. 

Long story short, the East isn't as wide open as it was last year. 

NBA free agency is always a fun topic to keep fans busy over the summer because we get to overreact to the team-building and the contracts that are signed. "What do you need him for?!" "They're paying him what???" and so on. Jodie Meeks set the playing field for other players who were free agents by signing with the Pistons for 3 years, $19 mil. So all summer long, agents got to raise the value of their players in contract negotiations. A lot of people cashed out this summer and it was definitely going to make next year's contract negotiations even more entertaining to watch. That is, until we were hit with the new TV deal. 

$24 billion. Twenty-four billion dollars over the next nine years. That's $2.67 billion per year. That's the value of the deal the NBA just signed with ESPN and Turner Sports. It's no secret that the NBA has gained so much popularity over the past 7 years, because the product is good and the owners are determined to cash in on it. The NBA is the best sports-internet product. More people talk about the NBA over the Internet than the NFL, MLB or NHL. "No sports league anywhere benefits as much as the NBA in this Age of (Too Much) Information. That cannot be debated." This deal allows the league to make that product better and more accessible to its fans worldwide. Flex scheduling will be available (FINALLY THANK GOD!), more nationally televised games and better streaming options for those without access to cable. This deal means more money for the teams. Which should also mean more money for the players right? Eh... 

"The whole thing that went on with the last negotiation process was the owners are losing money. There's no way they can sit in front of us and tell us that right now. As we continue to see teams selling for billions of dollars, being purchased for $200 million, selling for $550 million, $750 million, and now $2 billion ... so that will not fly with us this time." - Lebron James.

All that money really puts a lot of things in perspective. The $2 billion price tag on the LA Clippers seems reasonable now. $534 million for the Sacramento Kings seems cheap. Contract negotiations over the past summer seem petty. I say all that because it puts players who are going to be free agents next year in a weird position. For example, Klay Thompson. The Warriors passed up on trading Klay for Kevin Love and not signing anyone else. This gave Klay and his agent leverage because now the Warriors can't afford to lose him as a free agent next season and the only way they were going to do that was to sign him to a max contract. The next CBA negotiation is going to be 2017. Whereas before, the Warriors would have been hesitant to make that deal, I can see them now saying "Eh... I think you deserve this max contract. Here take all these monies" because it's not gonna mean much after the new caps have been set in 2017. Or everyone could do what James did and sign one-year contracts and wait for the CBA to be dealt with. Bring on the super-duper max contracts.

There's talks that things will be smoothed out between the NBPA and the owners and that we won't have a lockout but I don't see how that works personally. I also don't know that much about how those negotiations work so who knows, but I see a lockout coming. Just to be clear, a lockout also doesn't mean that games have to be missed either. There have been 4 lockouts in NBA history and only two of them have resulted in missed games. As a hardcore fan, watching October and November come and go without any basketball games is frustrating. You have to occupy yourself with things like chores or going outside, and wait till the weekend before you can get any meaningful sports action. Nobody wants that right? Please owners. Please give these guys the money they deserve. Thanks.

P.S.
Go Celtics!