When the new NBA schedule was revealed yesterday, fans were left with mixed feelings. On the one hand it was a relief to get a break from the constant lockout discussion and return to talk of MVPs and championship contenders. On the other, it was hard to generate excitement for a 2011/12 schedule that may never be played.
Whether you are on the side of the owners or the players, the lockout is growing more painful by the day. With interest in the league back at an all-time high after a thrilling year, the thought of a shortened, or even lost, season is terrible news for the NBA moving forward.
And so the schedule comes with a huge asterisk, given that the current consensus is that a full 82-game season is very unlikely, with the owners and players still far apart on some of the key points for the new collective bargaining agreement.
Should the two parties find a way to wrap things up quickly, fans will be treated to a Dallas Mavericks-Chicago Bulls clash to tip off the season on November 1, with Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs raising their championship banner, followed by the LA Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder squaring off later that same night. LeBron James and the Miami Heat would start their championship assault against Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks on November 2.
Other highlights include a Christmas Day line-up that includes the Knicks against the Boston Celtics, a Heat-Mavs Finals rematch and the Lakers facing Derrick Rose and the Bulls.
On paper, it all sounds great. But the sad reality is that this schedule is unlikely to be played. Smart money is on a shortened season with the league issuing a revised schedule at that time.
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