Posts Tagged ‘Isaiah Thomas’

Hot List: Top 10 Restricted Free Agents

May 9, 2013  ·  12:22PM





HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – Unlike their unrestricted free agent peers, this summer won’t be the fresh start some of this summer’s most notable restricted free agents are hoping for.

Their current teams have the right to match any offers they receive, meaning that the lucrative, long-term deal some of these guys are looking for might come with strings attached. Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks plays a marquee position in a market that doesn’t seem to fit his persona or personality.

He turned down a $40 million extension in the fall, making clear his intention to push for a bigger deal or an eventual departure — he could play the 2013-14 season on a qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2014 — from Fear The Deer territory.

As always, Jennings isn’t the only restricted free agent of note this summer. The full list of them can be found on our handy-dandy Free Agent Tracker.

Jennings is the headliner on the Top 10 Restricted Free Agents list, but hardly the only notable name …

Brandon Jennings, G, Milwaukee Bucks

Status on July 1: Restricted free agent
What he’s selling: A first-team All-Rookie pick in 2010, Jennings solidified his credentials as a starting point guard in four seasons with the Bucks. He started 289 of the 291 games he played in and helped guide the Bucks to the playoff twice in his first four seasons. A big time scorer, Jennings has the charisma and personality to help you win games and sell tickets.
What he’s not saying: He’s still barely 170 pounds soaking wet. There are still some front office types who think he’s more of a poor man’s Allen Iverson instead of the young Mike Conley they hoped he might be at this stage of his career.
What he’s worth: Jennings believes he’s worth every penny of a max deal somewhere. Remember, he famously boasted that he was better than Ricky Rubio and has gone about the business of trying to prove as much night in and night out. But a max deal is out of the question in Milwaukee and probably anywhere else. The Bucks aren’t going to bid against themselves for a player who has made it clear that he is interested in playing in a bigger market. He’s already turned down a four-year offer with $40 million, making it clear that he intends to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and let the market set his value.
Likely landing spot(s): The Bucks have the right to match any offers. Any interested teams know that all they have to do is wait this situation out and pursue Jennings in the free-agent summer of 2014.

Jeff Teague, G, Atlanta Hawks

Status on July 1: Restricted free agent
What he’s selling: Teague is coming off of his best season as a pro, having averaged career highs in points (14.6) and assists (7.2) while asserting himself as a true lead guard for a playoff team. He’s only scratched the surface of his potential and, at 24, is still young enough to project major upside in the coming years.
What he’s not saying: Teague is not a great defender at what is easily the deepest position in the league. And his assist numbers (3.0) in 29 career playoff games suggest that he might not be on track to become the elite facilitator a team needs in a point guard.
What he’s worth: The Hawks didn’t do him any favors by not even offering him an extension on his rookie contract before the Halloween deadline. Making that pill even tougher to swallow for Teague is the fact that the two point guards drafted directly ahead of him in 2009, Philadelphia’s Jrue Holiday ($10 million a year) and Ty Lawson ($12 million a year), both agreed to terms on four-year deals at the deadline. If they’ve set the bar — Holiday blossomed into an All-Star this season while Lawson had an equally strong case but missed out in a deep crop of Western Conference point guards — Teague is in a tough negotiating spot with the Hawks.
Likely landing spot(s): Teague needs a team desperate for a young point guard to present an offer sheet that exceeds what the Hawks might be willing to pay (anything near $10 million a year would be a bit of a shock). Utah is still searching for a long-term answer at point guard and could poke around and see if the Hawks will let Teague walk. But the Hawks are likely to keep him on a qualifying offer and he’ll become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Tyreke Evans, G, Sacramento Kings

Status on July 1: Restricted free agent
What he’s selling: A Rookie of the Year and at one time considered the future face of the franchise in Sacramento, Evans averaged 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in his first season. A super-sized point guard, he used his size and skill to his advantage in that role with the Kings. He’s most definitely selling the Tyreke Evans we all saw his rookie season.
What he’s not saying: While he didn’t experience the steep statistical drop off in his next three seasons, Evans is fighting the perception that he bottomed out during those three seasons. The Kings certainly seem to have moved on from Evans being a franchise cornerstone during these past three seasons, hence the absence of an extension offer. Isaiah Thomas supplanted him at point guard and Evans has played out of position ever since.
What he’s worth: This is where things get tricky for Evans, because some team with cap space to work with is going to eyeball Evans and remember that he’s a 6-foot-6, 220-pound combo guard with an ability to run a team and calculate the risk of snatching him away from an uncertain situation with the Kings. If Darko Milicic got $20 million from the Minnesota Timberwolves, someone has to be willing to offer Evans a similar deal.
Likely landing spot(s): Dallas and Atlanta are both in full-blown roster-rebuild mode and could use a talent like Evans at a reasonable price to help get things rolling. He could be the steal of the summer if someone makes a play for him and waits to see if the Kings will match the offer or let him walk.

Nikola Pekovic, C, Minnesota Timberwolves

Status on July 1: Restricted free agent
What he’s selling: With the eternal premium on productive big men, Pekovic showed flashes of being an absolute nightmare in the low post for opposing teams. A 7-foot, 300-pound block of granite, Pekovic averaged 16.3 ppg and 8.8 rpg last season and held it down in the Timberwolves’ frontcourt without Kevin Love available for the majority of the season. He’s got a size/skill-set combination that makes him a rarity in a league that treasures big men who can play high impact basketball on both ends of the floor.
What he’s not saying: The only problem with Pekovic is the 174-game sample size teams have to work with in evaluating the upside of a big man who is 26 and perhaps already deeper into his physical prime than you want a third-year player to be.
What he’s worth: The Houston Rockets used a three-year, $25 million offer sheet to pry Omer Asik away from the Chicago Bulls last summer. An offer like that could work similar wonders for someone trying to slip into the Twin Cities and sneak out with a starting center.
Likely landing spot(s): Minnesota can’t afford to let him walk, not with the regime change and whatever other roster changes Flip Saunders and his new crew have in store. Plus, Pekovic has become a cult favorite in Minneapolis.

Tiago Splitter, F/C, San Antonio Spurs

Status on July 1: Restricted free agent.
What he’s selling: A three-year apprenticeship under the great Tim Duncan can’t be a bad place for a big man to start when resume building. Splitter’s third NBA season turned out to be the charm, as he finally showed some signs of being the low-post factor he was billed as when the Spurs made him their top Draft pick in 2007. The Brazilian big man finally earned a regular spot in Gregg Popovich‘s rotation, another sign and seal of approval, averaging career highs in points (10.3), rebounds (6.4) and minutes (24.7). He made 58 starts this season, 52 more than he did in the two previous season combined.
What he’s not saying: Those previous two seasons mentioned were less than stellar. Splitter has ideal size for a NBA big man but didn’t leave a large footprint early on, the transition from Spanish League MVP to NBA regular being much tougher than anyone anticipated for him.
What he’s worth: Like almost every skilled big man, Splitter is going to be worth more than a man half his size with better credentials. That’s just the way things work in this league. He’s due for a significant raise from the $3.9 million he’s earning this season. In fact, he should have no trouble doubling that in a free agent market (for unrestricted and restricted free agents) that is relatively light on centers.
Likely landing spots: The Spurs have the right of first refusal and will exercise that right if the offers come in at the right number. But Dallas and Atlanta have to have him on their short lists, with several other teams focusing in on him early on in the process.

THE NEXT FIVE: Gerald Henderson, Charlotte; Darren Collison, Dallas; Timofey Mozgov, Denver; Tyler Hansbrough, Indiana; Chase Budinger, Minnesota.


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Kings’ Changes Continue At Point Guard

March 1, 2013  ·  7:38PM

HANG TIME WEST – The latest was Aaron Brooks being released Friday as part of a buyout. But that came after the Kings spent most of the last four months trying to sort through options at point guard among current candidates and a good portion of the last several years scanning the globe for a solution.

Literally scanning the globe. Brooks signed last summer after playing in China, which came after Jimmer Fredette was picked from BYU in the lottery, which came in the same draft Isaiah Thomas was selected in the second round out of Washington, which came after Tyreke Evans was chosen in the lottery via Memphis, which came after Slovenian Beno Udrih was signed and then woefully overpaid to re-sign. Anthony Johnson, Sergio Rodriguez, Luther Head and Pooh Jeter (as in “cheddar,” not as in Derek “Jeter”) were somewhere in there as well. So even Derek Jeter was in there.

How long have the Kings been searching for a replacement for Mike Bibby?

So long that Bibby has played on four different teams – Hawks, Wizards, Heat, Knicks – and has sat all this season without announcing his retirement, while Sacramento has burned through prime draft choices and cap space. And still no answer. Nothing close to answer, in fact.

Three of the so-called solutions are still on the roster, but Evans has been moved to the wing, at shooting guard and small forward, in his own ongoing search for position stability and could be playing his final games for the Kings, before becoming a restricted free agent July 1. Fredette struggled so much last season as the next Point Guard of the Future that management offered the vote of confidence of signing Brooks in what at the time seemed like a smart move, with a reasonable salary and a coach, Keith Smart, who wanted to play fast.

Thomas, while clearly delivering the best return on investment, from No. 60 pick in the 2011 draft to an encouraging start on a long career, is at 25.5 minutes a game heading into Friday’s game, commendable given his path but not exactly taking over the position.

The topic becomes especially relevant as the draft gets closer and Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart continues to track to a potential top-five pick and maybe even the top three. But, though a physical presence at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds with an intense style of play, he’s still learning to be a true point guard instead of a combo guard. His shot is inconsistent. There will be Evans flashbacks.

For now, the roles among the remaining Kings have better definition, with Thomas the starter, after sharing the job at times with Brooks, and Fredette coming off the bench barring a sudden change of direction from Keith Smart. Fredette is shooting better than a season ago, but getting inconsistent minutes and still trying to show he should remain in the conversation for the job in the future.

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Shaqtin’ A Fool: Vol. 2, Episode 10

January 25, 2013  ·  2:23AM


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The JaVale McGee Highlight Hour Shaqtin’ A Fool continues this week with a new batch of ridiculousness. This week, Shaq calls out NBA ref Derek Richardson, Jim Boylan, Isaiah Thomas, Kawhi Leonard, and of course, JaVale! Vote for your favorite Shaqtin’ A Fool moment!

Update:  We know who Isaiah Thomas’ teammate Jason Thompson voted for:

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Cousins Says On-Court Incident With Carter Was Unintentional

January 11, 2013  ·  12:01PM

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HANG TIME SOUTHWEST – “It wasn’t intentional,” DeMarcus Cousins pleaded after his latest recklessness during the Sacramento Kings’ disappointing overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Nothing ever is intentional for Cousins, whose heat-of-the-moment forearm to the face of Vince Carter with 41 seconds left in OT and the Kings down two, was reviewed, elevated to a Flagrant 2 and a subsequent automatic ejection. It was Cousins’ sixth foul anyway and as the 6-foot-11 center dragged 29 points, nine rebounds and four assists to the locker room, his team, which had led by 17 points, was left for dead — again.

Now Cousins will await a predictable fine from the league office, which reviews all flagrant fouls. The league office, of course, is quite familiar with the recurring troublemaker. He’s already been suspended twice this season.

“I’m pretty sure that my reputation will come into play with this decision,” Cousins told reporters afterward, slumped at his locker. “But hopefully they realize that it wasn’t intentional.”

It never is. When the Kings and Mavs played in Dallas a month ago, Cousins, jockeying for position, swung his fist in a backward motion and landed a direct shot in the groin area of O.J. Mayo. Cousins claimed that, too, was unintentional. Mayo disagreed and said Cousins has “mental issues.” The league disagreed and suspended Cousins for one game.

This time, “Boogie” turned himself into the victim.

“I swear, no matter how hard I try, some type of way it happens,” Cousins said. “It’s frustrating. Like no matter how hard I try, they find a way.”

The answer made little sense in response to a question posed about not allowing this incident to become a setback after he’s put up monster numbers over the last couple of weeks, and just as trade rumors swirl.

This is what the Kings are grappling with on a daily basis, an undeniable talent who is irrevocably immature. It’s darn near getting impossible to live with him, yet life without the potential cornerstone leaves the franchise with what? He’s 22 and he’ll figure it out eventually, right?

A follow-up question came to Cousins: Are you frustrated with yourself?

“I wouldn’t say with myself because I know I’m trying my best,” Cousins said. “I mean I can’t sit here and point the finger at other people, and I know some of these decisions, I got to make better decisions.”

This poor decision came well after the Kings had already imploded in the fourth quarter and were lucky to be in overtime thanks to Isaiah Thomas banking in a game-tying 3 at the buzzer. With a chance to tie late in the OT, the ball went into Cousins in the paint and three Mavs collapsed on him. Cousins was stripped, the ball bounced around, squirted out the side and was recovered by Dallas’ Shawn Marion.

As Cousins rose up — sandwiched between Mayo behind him and Carter in front — he shoved his right forearm into Carter’s chin. As Carter (who might have embellished just a bit) started to fall backward, it was almost as if it clicked inside Cousins’ head that this was not good, and he quickly cradled Carter to the floor as if tucking him into bed.

The foul was then reviewed and upgraded.

“But come on, like, give me a break,” Cousins said. “I just know that wasn’t intentional. Come on, man.”

The officiating crew, after viewing multiple replays, thought otherwise. Just guessing that the league office will, too.

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Kings Take On Dallas… And Seattle

January 11, 2013  ·  2:05AM



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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Kings got back to the basketball portion of their ever-spinning world Thursday night. Kind of.

Yes, they played for the first time since news broke that the owners, the Maloof family, were deep in negotiations to sell to a group that would move the team to Seattle. And, yes, 14,011 showed to Sleep Train Arena to watch, a good crowd for a mid-week game against a bad team, and those fans did bring noise in the continued delicate split of supporting the team while sticking their Maloof voodoo dolls full of pins. DeMarcus Cousins even got ejected, this time for a flagrant foul, and just try finding a greater sign of normalcy.

But Seattle was unavoidably everywhere before and after. Maybe during as well, with the hand-made signs brought in by fans urging the Kings to stay or even for the Maloofs to sell to the citizens of Sacramento a la the Packers in Green Bay. It is one of several ideas that has been mentioned the last couple days as a solution.

Definitely during the 117-112 overtime loss to the Mavericks, actually. It was impossible not to notice the irony that two of the five Kings on the court the final seconds were Tacoma native and University of Washington product Isaiah Thomas and Seattle native Aaron Brooks. Thomas was even the reason the night lasted into an extra period, thanks to a 25-foot bank with 9.1 seconds remaining for a 101-101 game.

The before was a candid Keith Smart. The Kings coach was asked 90 minutes prior to tipoff whether the relocation talk could become a distraction, whether the sale is complete and moving is inevitable or talks on the deal at a reported $500 million linger and the future remains an uncertainty. He did not hesitate.

“It’s going to get there,” Smart said matter-of-factly of the distraction. “I’m going to have it from my side — my family, my kids, everything. We all are going to have it. But we have to, at a moment, block out everything and focus on the task at hand. As soon as we get away from the two hours of practice, hour of shootaround, two hours of game time, then we’re going to go back to reality. And reality is going to ask, ‘What are you hearing?’ and all those things there. We have to answer those questions from our friends, family and everyone because everyone will be a little concerned.

“What we’ll preach is, ‘Do what you need to do in that time frame, but as we get ourselves back into the environment where we have to practice, workout, stay on top of what it is that you’re supposed to be doing and we’ll deal with all that as it goes day by day.’ It’s definitely going to be a distraction. Obviously yesterday (when news of the potential sale first broke) was. But we’re pros. We’ve got to figure out a way how to separate the two and then get ready to play.”

The after?

Brooks, sitting alone at his locker, trying to find the right words. The Kings in Sacramento would be nice. Playing point guard in his hometown would be nice.

“It’s a lose-lose,” he said. “Somebody’s gotta lose.”

A difficult spot.

“Yeah,” Brooks said. “Very difficult.”

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No Extension For Tyreke Evans?

June 8, 2012  ·  11:26AM





HANG TIME PLAYOFF HEADQUARTERS – Could Tyreke Evans go from Rookie of The Year to not even receiving a contract extension on his rookie deal from the Sacramento Kings?

It appears so. Three years into his career, Evans has shown flashes of All-Star potential, but he’s also been moved from the point guard position he played during his rookie season. A career 18.2-point scorer, Evans saw his job as starting point guard eventually go to rookie Isaiah Thomas this season. Evans did start 61 of 63 games this season, but was in an off-guard position once Thomas took the point guard reins.

Now comes word, via Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee, that Evans will probably not get a contract extension from the franchise this summer when he becomes eligible for one. Once thought to be the future face of the franchise, Evans has ceded that position to DeMarcus Cousins.

With the fifth pick it the Draft, the Kings are expected to take a player that could actually make Evans, and others, expendable:

The team’s leading scorer is guard Marcus Thornton, who has three years left on his contract and is due approximately $24 million.

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Kings At The Crossroads With Evans?

April 23, 2012  ·  8:06AM





HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – As if there wasn’t already enough drama in Sacramento, the Kings have another issue looming in the near future that has nothing to do with a new arena or squabbling between ownership and civic leaders.

Sooner or later they have to decide what to do with the former Rookie of the Year and former prized point guard Tyreke Evans, the former face of the franchise who has been replaced in the starting lineup by another promising rookie, Isaiah Thomas.

There isn’t a more dangerous gamble than giving up too soon on a lottery pick. Teams do it all the time with mixed results — sometimes that picks turns out to be Chauncey Billups, Joe Johnson or Tyson Chandler and sometimes he turns out to be Devin Harris or even Adam Morrison. There is really no crystal ball that allows an organization the luxury of knowing whether they have a championship piece or All-Star, a competent starter or a complete bust.

The jury is still out on Evans, whose skills and size suggest he should be able to determine his own fate based on his performance. But he’s become something of an enigma in Sacramento, where there seems to be a fundamental debate about his best position and whether or not he has the makeup to be a leader for a struggling franchise.

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An Award, And So Much More

March 2, 2012  ·  2:34AM





SACRAMENTO, Calif. – There was no attempt at downplaying it as some insignificant individual honor in the grand team scheme, no try to minimize the moment as meaningless in-season recognition halfway through the marathon. The No. 60 pick in the draft had just been named Western Conference Rookie of the Month. Everything about it was significant.

Isaiah Thomas went from the last player chosen in June to making the Kings to forcing his way in the rotation to cracking the opening lineup to 19.2 points, 6.8 assists and 50.7 percent from the field the first five starts to being named the best first-year player in his conference for February. In an especially noteworthy contrast, the East winner was Kyrie Irving, the first selection.

This was a big deal when Thomas learned of the announcement Thursday, primarily because of the perspective. February in the West was no typical pick by the league office. Most teams had passed on him in the draft over concerns of a 5-foot-9 player making, some looking elsewhere two or three times, and it took until the second full month of the season for Thomas to be recognized as a standout rookie.

“Any award in the NBA, I’ll take it,” he said. “It’s a blessing for guys. It’s something nice. I don’t know who wouldn’t want it. It’s something that a lot of people didn’t think I could get. To myself, I felt like if I had the opportunity that I’m given right now that I could get awards like this. It was unexpected, though. I did not think I was going to get it. I wasn’t even thinking about it.”

Kings coach Keith Smart, looking for a sign of blood flow in the offense, changed the starting lineup in the latest expanded role for the point guard from Washington, moving Tyreke Evans to small forward in place of John Salmons and pairing Thomas with Marcus Thornton in the backcourt. Thomas has put up big numbers ever since while providing exactly the speed Smart wanted.

Thomas is the fourth King to be named Rookie of the Month, joining eventual Rookie of the Year Evans (October/November 2009, December 2009), Brian Grant (January 1995) and Lionel Simmons (December 1990, February 1991).

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Rick’s Tips: Waiver Watching

February 20, 2012  ·  4:26PM





Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to All-Star week!

Think back to the five-month lockout for a second and realize that we were very, VERY close to A) Not having a season, and B) Not having All-Star weekend. Not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate the fact that we are now covering basketball instead of the business of basketball.

So enjoy All-Star weekend from Or-LIN-do and be sure to check out all the coverage on NBA TV, TNT and NBA.com.

Before we dive into the waiver wire, I have to tell y’all about a blockbuster trade I just pulled off in League Freak (12-team, 8-cat, head-to-head). I traded Danny Granger, Paul George and Serge Ibaka for Rajon Rondo and Andre Iguodala.

I have been desperately searching for a second guard all season, running through Chauncey Billups, Jameer Nelson, Brandon Knight, Paul George and Jeff Teague. All of those guys have had their moments, but none of them is the final piece to a championship puzzle. To wit, through eight weeks my squad is 33-31, good enough for fifth place. Not good enough.

My new starting lineup is: C Marc Gasol, F Josh Smith, F Andre Iguodala, G Rajon Rondo, G Stephen Curry, and sixth man Ryan Anderson.

While I like Granger, George and Ibaka, Granger’s 39 percent from the field is killing me, George is firing only 9.5 shots per game and Ibaka … and Ibaka … OK, I didn’t want to trade Ibaka, but you have to give to get in fantasy trades.

Sadly, I am not starting Rondo this week because I fear a one- or two-game suspension for tossing the ball at an official in Sunday’s loss to the Pistons. That said, Rondo is going to be fresh and frisky, and playing with a Boston-sized chip on his shoulder in the second half.

Rondo + chip = GOODIES!

I’ve always been a big fan of Iguodala and he’s having a strong all-around season, ranking 41st on the 8-cat chart with 12.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.1 threes, and 0.5 blocks. Bolstered by his first All-Star experience, and inspired by the 76ers’ push for home-court advantage in the first round, I see even bigger numbers from Iguodala in the second half.

Tell me what you think about this trade @NBATVRICK on twitter. But first, it’s time to hit the waiver wire…

Nicolas Batum

Hopefully you were watching NBA TV last Tuesday when Batum got the start over Wesley Matthews and went off for 33 points. Batum is averaging 22.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 threes in four games since getting the starting job.

Given the poor seasons from Matthews and Raymond Felton, and with Father Time creeping up on Gerald Wallace, the Blazers desperately need Batum’s offense and activity. And when you consider the fact that Batum is in a contract year … giddy up!

Nikola Pekovic

If you haven’t seen the NBA’s second-best revelation this year (behind Jeremy Lin), then you don’t know about his incredible size and strength, you don’t know he can beat most centers up and down the court, you don’t know about his soft hands and sweet feet, and you don’t know about his consistency. Allow me to break it down for you.

Pek is the Wolves’ new starting center and barring injury, there is no way Darko Milicic is getting his gig back. Last week in four games, Pek averaged 21 points on 58 percent shooting, 11.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. In 11 starts this year, Pek is averaging 16.3 points (61 percent from the field / 72 percent from the line), 10 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 31 minutes.

Again, if you haven’t seen him, you’re probably thinking those numbers have to come back to earth. But take it from a Wolves’ fan who watches every game — Pek is already one of the best centers in the NBA and the 26-year-old from Montenegro gets better with every game.

Corey Brewer

Injuries have opened up an opportunity for Brewer, who has finally found a home in Denver. Over the last five games, Brew is playing 32.8 minutes and turning the PT into 14.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 1.2 threes. Enjoy it while it lasts, however, because Brewer’s going back to the bench once Danilo Gallinari is healthy.

Isaiah Thomas

Can you tell the Kings are desperate? They are now starting the 60th pick in the 2011 Draft at point guard. But I’m not mad at Thomas, who rocked the No. 1 pick in the 2011 Draft (Kyrie Irving) to the tune of 23-8-11 in 43 minutes on Sunday. Word on the street is that Thomas is going to keep the gig, so pick him up and see if he can keep it up.

Gustavo Ayon

Not too many people know about Ayon, so strike while the iron is hot — and under the radar. Ayon is a 26-year-old rookie from Mexico with double-doubles in his last two games. At 6-10, 250 pounds, Ayon has legit NBA size and his hustle is leading to fantasy goodies. With Carl Landry and Emeka Okafor out with knee injuries and Chris Kaman likely to be traded before the deadline, Ayon is good to go for at least the foreseeable future.

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In The Aftermath Of Doomsday …

October 11, 2011  ·  10:34AM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – The frayed emotions and exhausted looks on the faces of basketball lovers worldwide should be impossible to hide this morning.

Now that the doomsday fears have been realized, and the first two weeks of the NBA’s regular season have been canceled, we’re all left with the uneasy feeling of what faces the chopping block next as the lockout digs deeper into the fall.

We can dispense with all of the pleasantries now and get down to brass tacks. Forget about when the season starts. Most fans are wondering this morning if there will be a season. The unthinkable a few weeks ago has become our new reality …

Something To Salvage?

Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated: Can the season be saved? The answer is yes, so long as the NBA owners are willing to negotiate into January, as they did to resolve their previous lockout in 1999.

Understand that two weeks of NBA games have been wiped away, and that more cancellations are to come. Nothing important is likely to change over the next two weeks that will enable basketball to be played in late November or early December.

On and on it will go, with both sides looking back to the salvation of the ’99 lockout. That resolution a dozen years ago may have influenced these extended talks that failed Monday night in New York. As much anxiety as both sides were feeling to reach an agreement this week, they weren’t experiencing the ultimate pressure that will be felt later this winter when the entire season is at risk. “The problem,” said a former league official who was involved in the negotiations that shortened the 1998-99 season to 50 games, “is that people tend to look at early January as the drop-dead date.”

He was worrying that the absolute final offer from either side may not emerge for another 12 weeks. Not until the final days of this calendar year will the owners fully understand the consequences of losing a full season during a recession, while more than 400 players find themselves confronted with the likelihood of a full year without an NBA paycheck.

In many ways these entire negotiations have gone according to form. It is not the formula anyone would have desired, but it has been entirely predictable. The owners lock out the players July 1, with little negotiating done for most of July and August, followed by sudden urgency to make a deal that can save the full season.

Lost Games Part Of The Plan?

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com: On the sidewalk out on 63rd Street, sirens wailing and knucklehead cameramen jostling for position and cursing each other, here was Billy Hunter living in his own movie. Regular-season games lost on his watch, and on David Stern‘s, just as they’d discussed two years ago.

“It goes back to a comment that David said to me several years ago, when he said this is what my owners have to have,” Hunter said Monday night, after the first two weeks of the 2011-12 NBA regular season were canceled. “And I said, ‘Well, the only way you’re going to get that is, you prepare to lock us out for a year or two.’ And he’s indicated to me that they’re willing to do it. So my belief and contention is that everything that he’s done has demonstrated that he’s following that script.”

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