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okc baby :KD going hard on the NBA. Thats what Iam talking about. Greedy bastards. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=672535...

@ okc baby
wow most the talk backers on there are morons, they dont understand anything.

KD going hard on the NBA. Thats what Iam talking about. Greedy bastards.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=672535...

Roster looks better with Salmon, Hickson

Kings look like they are trying to stay

Stick to stats and haterade.

@ okc baby

He's not very athletic, his rebounding is below average even in his cruddy conference, not a great passer, and his offensive game near the rim will be taken away at the pro level due to his lack of athleticism and elite strength. What's with you and VCU players?

Dont know how Jamie Skeen didnt get drafted he ended so many college careers that got drafted before him. The Morris twins, Vucevic, Singleton, J. Johnson. Faried is going to be solid. He has a high motor.

@ justin
What? Why? Maybe Khalid El-amin but not Vin Baker fat. James is a baller he'll be fine.

Greed. I hope NBA owners realize that they could hurt the business. NFL for example. Iam going to be watching more UFL.

(should be in above post "As is")

Players will probably have to give back at least $100 million per year more than they have offered so far or $200 million per year total. Doubt that the owners can get $500 million back even though they want $900 million per year. The give back will probably be between $200-400 million per year over 10 years, but not as backloaded as the owners proposal has now.

It appears the owners current proposal may have total player salaries increasing by an average of about 2.5% for 6 years, but then I think they want 4 years of no increases to scoop up huge gains at the end of their proposed 10 year deal and presumably all future deals beyond that. That as stated in full detail won't fly ever. It is deceptive posturing.

And is the league's constant touting of huge paper losses before deductions for depreciation, interest and owner personal tax savings.

Harden is the most likely to go Vin Baker on us IMO.

Also, in spite of the lockout, I think someone will find a way to give Perk and Harden some nutritional help, perhaps out the kindness of their hearts :)

If I already have a beard, does this mean I have to start shaving?

when the last lockout happend I was a kid and thought the nba was gone forever... it made bird retire and kemp get fat... boo lockout

Spurs had a great system in place and vets

@okc baby
Oh yeah? Well here are the nicknames I've picked up at various YMCA's, church gyms and school playgrounds all across Oklahoma and Logan County: "Steve Nash", "Shot", and "Thunder Moneyball".

The Spurs did win the lockout season with their team work ethic reported by Will Perdue as being continuous workouts together all the way thru the lockout.

@Cpt. C-note
Hehe. I love Thabo, but I couldn't resist.

TempBoy Brandon :@sammasaaron I wouldn’t be able to make any rosters, but I’ll challenge any of you fools to a free throw or 3 point contest. Or Thabo.

Bet, Iam like a poor mans Curry

@ TempBoy Brandon
Nice dig at Thabo there!

@Jax Raging Bile Duct
I suppose. But I still remember when I was one of those fans who hated the NBA because I felt like they were all prima donnas who only played in the final 4 minutes of each game (I still find that true in some cases by the way).

I'll admit, after watching the Thunder play for a few years and learning more about NBA-style ball, I've changed my tune. In fact, it is sometimes hard to watch college ball now. But if I find myself getting into the NCAA season before the Thunder are back on the floor, I might just find myself dismissive of the association until playoff time.

@sammasaaron
I wouldn't be able to make any rosters, but I'll challenge any of you fools to a free throw or 3 point contest. Or Thabo.

On a slightly more positive note, there might be a silver lining for Thunder fans. During the NFL lockout, the Saints have been holding open training camps and even did a raffle to allow fans a chance to participate in a day of training camp. Not all the teams are having organized workouts and some that are keep them closed to the public. Given the Thunder players' connection to the fans, though, they might hold some public camps or something similar. It's a big deal in the NFL because they can't do that at normal training camps; don't know if that's the same for the NBA. Just reaching for a bright side here.

@Thomas
Perk seems dedicated enough to drop some pounds on his own. I seriously doubt our boys slack off all summer. They're all gym rats. And KD has already set the example by working out with Reggie and making him feel welcome.

.... there is probably no better place to go as a rookie. Where else would the best player on the team include you so rapidly?

I think a modest lockout benefits the Thunder v. most other teams. Just think about what all those clowns and headcases in SacTown will be doing with their spare time.....

@Bryan

It will still be the best basketball product when it comes back. I just find that too hard to turn down, even if my principals were offended at a lockout (they're not).

Bummer. I hope they get it figured out soon.

If you need me, I'll be crying in the shower, Stella in hand, singing "Don't Know Whacha Got til it's Gone."

Go Thunder?

@ gr8ball83
Part of the problem is that owners like Cuban have no problem losing money to field a winning team. The Mavs have been a money sink for a long time, but that's a conscious decision by Cuban. He's fine with losing his own money to see his team win. There aren't a lot of other owners like that, though, which feeds in to the parity discussion.

The flip side is what part of the lack of profitability and competitiveness is the players' problem. There's a really good article that explains the financial arguments by Larry Coon: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?column....

correction: The league proposal, would keep around total salaries $2 "billion" for 6-10 seasons.

What about Perk's rehab. The team was going to hire a nuitritionist to work with him and everything. Now that's down the tubes.

okc baby :Can the team practice together during that time? We would be pretty good with the system we had but Id like to see it evolved

If it's similar to the NFL situation, the team can get together on their own, but they can't use team facilities and they can't have any contact with the coaches and front office. Basically they can continue to practice together and work out, but they have to do it somewhere else without the benefit of the coaching staff, training staff, etc.

@ Beast
I dunno, I mean owning an NBA team is definitely not a typical business, but it is still a business, and these are all business people, so I'm sure they don't own teams to lose money either. I'm not siding with either the owners or the players, just saying both sides can make points, and both sides need to fix it.

Mohammed's new deal is at about the same salary level as Splitter, Joel Anthony and Haslem. I guess that is close enough to fair.

The league proposal, as I understand it, would keep total salaries paid basically unchanged or only very very modestly increased from current $2 million for 6-10 seasons.

"Stern and Adam Silver ripping union proposal today, saying it would increase player salaries from $5M average to $7M in year six of deal."

How does the union proposal produce such an increase? I haven't seen that proposal or any reporting on it yet but it seems like it could be produced by assuming the current player share of basketball related income and league revenue growth of about 5.5% compounded over time or a modest decline in player share as the player's previous proposal was said to make and 6-7% league revenue growth.

By contrast the league wants to lower the player share radically. Not sure what league revenue growth estimate they used but their proposal I believe would reduce the player share regardless and perhaps even more so if their league revenue growth estimates were exceeded.

Booooo. But we all knew it was coming. But I think for the same reason that the lockout is happening is the same as why it won't last long. (Knock on wood?)Greed. It has so many in this country under its stranglehold. And everyone knows the NBA is booming as far as popularity (as measured by the metrics -- TV Ratings, Merchandise, Tix sales), right? Can't see the owners wanting to pass on all that $$$. And why are the owners being so greedy? You don't own a team to MAKE money. Sorry if I'm subjecting my personal views here -- But these fools gotta make some deals. They're both losers if there is no basketball, regardless of terms.

And like that all the league's carefully scripted P.R. goes down the crapper. Yes, the NBA does in fact care...about itself.

IT HAS BEGUN!! Dammit...

@Jax Raging Bile Duct
If the NBA makes me miss 20 games. I might lose interest altogether and go back to college ball. I'm sure the lure of KD's silky jumpshot could draw me back in, but I don't think I'd be ponying up for league pass or buying as many tickets.

Can the team practice together during that time? We would be pretty good with the system we had but Id like to see it evolved

@WojYahooNBA
Adrian Wojnarowski
Stern and Adam Silver ripping union proposal today, saying it would increase player salaries from $5M average to $7M in year six of deal.

Of course it will be worked out. As fans, the most we'll miss out on is summer league and preseason - and if worse comes to worse - maybe 20 games or so.

The NBA will be playing games by Christmas at the latest, rather than Halloween. That's about as bad as it's going to get.

It could be worse... Wait...Nope, I was wrong, Its bad. This is the bottom for the NBA that we all have grown to love.

As poor fans, we are the losers. We are the customers now being denied our drug. The rich owners and players are set for life anyways if they choose to be. Its just a broken system dominated by the love of money. Sounds like a lot of systems in this world. Here is for hoping it gets worked out so we can get our Thunder Fix on.

I've never seen so much whining on my twitter feed before today.

okc baby :Hope this doesnt turn into the NFL and pubics

I'm hopeful, there's been less catty media exchanges and as far as I know the NBA players aren't planning to sue the league like the football players have. Also, there are actually problems to fix with the NBA CBA, whereas the NFL owners were just looking for a more favorable deal. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing for the NBA lockout, though.

Baseball, tennis and Golf. AWESOME!

Hope this doesnt turn into the NFL and pubics

I started growing my lockout beard early as a sign of my pessimism...

Maaaaannnnnn.... bastards.

Hate summer sports bad enough as it is. And they had already taken away summer league. Do they have take away trade speculation, FA season and training camp too? ARRRGH!