[NBA] #21 - Where the lockout happens..

Was er ook bij in Leiden, trouwens Francisco Elson was er ook he! Ook nog even een foto momentje genomen met hem

http://nos.nl/video/31204(...)ossing-conflict.html

We hebben gelukkig altijd College Ball nog.

Aircraft Carrier Classic:

Ik las vannacht allemaal details van een agreement op Twitter. Is er nu één?

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Op zaterdag 12 november 2011 11:32 schreef Dos37 het volgende:
Ik las vannacht allemaal details van een agreement op Twitter. Is er nu één?

Stern heeft een laatste voorstel gedaan, 51-49.

Als de spelers dit niet accepteren gaan ze weer terug naar 53-47. En volgens mij gaan de spelers hoer een stemming over houden, wat goed is(denk ik)omdat iedereen toch wel wil spelen.

NBA season could depend on coming days


Posted Nov 11 2011 8:31PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- The time for talk in the NBA is over.

David Stern made that clear Thursday, saying the league is done negotiating. The next time he hears from the players' association, he expects an answer: Yes, players will accept the league's latest proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement, or no they won't.

If they do, the NBA will commence with a 72-game season on Dec. 15.

And if no? Then the next time LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and the rest of the NBA's biggest stars are in uniform, it might be in London during next summer's Olympics.

Rest is van de blabla is hier te vinden: http://www.nba.com/2011/news/11/11/labor-season.ap/index.html

Gaat hem niet worden lees ik overal. No season at all

Ik begin wel een beetje mijn sympathie voor de spelers aan het verliezen.

Alsof ik en mijn collega's wel het recht hebben op de helft van de winsten van ons bedrijf (terwijl wij al het werk doen).

*Zucht*

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/216503/Source_Players_Would_Approve_Owners_Latest_Proposal

Ziet er goed uit.

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Op zaterdag 12 november 2011 16:10 schreef Zwansen het volgende:
Ik begin wel een beetje mijn sympathie voor de spelers aan het verliezen.

Alsof ik en mijn collega's wel het recht hebben op de helft van de winsten van ons bedrijf (terwijl wij al het werk doen).

Ik vind dat echt bullshit altijd. Eigenaren zeggen dat ze verlies maken, daar wil ik al 2 opmerkingen over maken; 1. Vele schijnen dingen (inkomsten) achter te houden, zodat het 'lijkt' alsof ze verlies maken maar dat helemaal niet doen. 2. Het is 9 van de 10 keer hun eigen schuld, omdat ze spelers als Eddy Curry of Jerome James 5-jarige contracten ter waarde van 80-miljoen geven. Die spelers gaan geen nee zeggen daartegen hoor.. Als je kijkt hoeveel slechte contracten er in de NBA zijn of zijn geweest, valt je broek af. Die eigenaren zouden zich daar ook eens mee bezig moet houden, en niet alleen hun GM er naar laten kijken..

Daarnaast hadden de spelers bij de vorige deal 57% (1% is 400 miljoen dollar), en om dan opeens 7-10% achteruit te moeten (3-4 miljard dollar, dat is nogal wat..) lijkt mij redelijk vreemd.

Het gaat niet alleen om het komende seizoen, zo'n CBA is voor de komende 10, 11, 12 seizoenen. Als je nu een slechte deal krijgt zit je daar de komende decenium aan vast.

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Op zaterdag 12 november 2011 17:47 schreef Sasman het volgende:
*Zucht*

Als ze dat geld toch eens beter zouden gebruiken he...

It's do-or-die-time vandaag, de kogel gaat zeer waarschijnlijk vandaag door de kerk!

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Op maandag 14 november 2011 10:54 schreef TheGOAT het volgende:
It's do-or-die-time vandaag, de kogel gaat zeer waarschijnlijk vandaag door de kerk!

Lets hope....

Voor de zoveelste keer fingers crossed. Al is het vandaag wel echt alles of niets als we de berichten mogen geloven.

Of we beginnen 15 december. Of er komt helemaal geen seizoen.

http://www.nba.com/home/live1/

Live persconferentie nu met de decision. Spannend, maar vrees voor no season at all....

BYE BYE SEASON

Zucht....

Helaas..

Maar ja wat nu, ik neem aan dat de spelers over een jaar ook deze deal niet gaan accepteren. ze kunnen hun geld gewoon in europa of china blijven verdienen.

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Op maandag 14 november 2011 20:11 schreef RemcoOcelot het volgende:
Maar ja wat nu, ik neem aan dat de spelers over een jaar ook deze deal niet gaan accepteren. ze kunnen hun geld gewoon in europa of china blijven verdienen.

Als ik het goed begrijp gaat een rechter nu bepalen wat een faire deal zou zijn en dat moeten beide partijen dan maar accepteren. Maar dat duurt meerdere maanden.

Nooooooooooo....Kun je eindelijk eens NBA wedstrijden zien met telenet sport. Gaan die tamme zakken niet spelen.

Pff...

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Op maandag 14 november 2011 20:12 schreef Greetings het volgende:

[..]

Als ik het goed begrijp gaat een rechter nu bepalen wat een faire deal zou zijn en dat moeten beide partijen dan maar accepteren. Maar dat duurt meerdere maanden.

Helaas ik heb nog het meeste medelijden met de mensen die hun brood verdienen en afhankelijk zijn van de sport

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Op maandag 14 november 2011 20:17 schreef RemcoOcelot het volgende:

[..]

Helaas ik heb nog het meeste medelijden met de mensen die hun brood verdienen en afhankelijk zijn van de sport

Dit idd ja..

Ongelofelijk en dat na één van de leukste seizoenen in jaren vooral de finals.

Fuck

Echt zonde dat deze multimilionairs al zo zwaar worden betaald en het nu verpesten voor de mensen die de sport zo groot maken, de toeschouwers, over geld !

Triest dit, erg triest.

Las het eind van de middag al op ESPN, totally crushed

Ai slecht nieuws. Las gisteren al het een en ander op twitter.
Erg jammer dit...

Voor al die mensen die inderdaad hun banen kwijt raken in de service sector in en om de zalen is het het meest verschrikkelijk...

Dit is niet goed voor de NBA.
En wat een ramp voor de lokale economieën.
Zoveel mensen die inkomensafhankelijk zijn van de nba en de wedstrijden.
Ik vind het dieptriest dat de spelers (die echt niet voor een minimumloon hoeven te spelen) dit zover laten komen.

Diep triest, maar je kan niet dit niet alleen op de spelers afschuiven. De eigenaren zijn er net zo goed debet aan.

Ach, ik kan de spelers goed begrijpen, je moet je ook niet laten gebruiken door een stelletje geldwolven.

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Op dinsdag 15 november 2011 21:27 schreef PackerNation het volgende:
Ach, ik kan de spelers goed begrijpen, je moet je ook niet laten gebruiken door een stelletje geldwolven.

Het is echt de fout van de eigenaren hoor, wie wil er nou 10% op z'n salaris achteruitgaan (bonussen, whatever.) Als jou baas naar je toekomt, en zegt, ik draai verlies omdat ik slechte investeringen doe, dus jij krijgt 10% minder. Dan zeg je ik snap dat ik in moet leveren, 5 of 6% vind ik zeer redelijk. De baas vind dat belachelijk en zegt, als je nu geen 7% inlevert worden het er hierna 10.

Is het echt de schuld van de spelers? Uiteindelijk zijn het toch de spelers die het spel maken, niet de eigenaren, die vaak geen enkel benul van de sport hebben

http://www.complex.com/sp(...)superstar-lost-today

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LOS ANGELES - De spelersvakbond van de Amerikaanse profbasketballers heeft dinsdagavond (lokale tijd) de NBA aangeklaagd.

Beide partijen hebben al maanden een arbeidsconflict. De NBA heeft de geplande competitiestart uit moeten stellen tot 15 december. Waarschijnlijk zal die startdatum nog verder opgerekt worden.

De spelers claimen dat de NBA ze het recht ontzegt om te werken. De aanklacht is gebaseerd op de antitrustwetgeving.

Ze beschuldigen de eigenaren van de teams van het maken van prijsafspraken en het opzettelijk verstoren van de onderhandelingen.

© ANP/NUsport

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De raadsman van de spelers denkt dat het proces maanden kan duren. Boies hoopt er een flinke schadevergoeding uit te slepen voor de spelers. De profs willen drie keer het bedrag dat ze zouden hebben verdiend in een seizoen. Dat komt neer op bijna 4,5 miljard euro.

Drie keer het bedrag? Leuk die geldwolven.

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Op woensdag 16 november 2011 11:07 schreef DonnieDarko1979 het volgende:

[..]

Dat zou echt alles slaan! Niet gaan spelen en vervolgens nog meer verdienen dan als ze wel hadden gespeeld

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Op woensdag 16 november 2011 13:26 schreef Tompsen het volgende:

[..]

Dat zou echt alles slaan! Niet gaan spelen en vervolgens nog meer verdienen dan als ze wel hadden gespeeld

Als de rechter hiermee akkoord gaat, is dit een harde klap in het gezicht van de basketbalfans...

En ondertussen nog even ´bijklussen´ in Europa

As I watched the Mavs in game 5 vs. the Heat and game 4 vs. the Thunder, I started thinking about what key wins those 2 were.

I remember going into the play-offs, there were 3, maybe 4 clear favourites. Of course the Heat and the Bulls, the Lakers and Celtics could be favourites too (although Lakers had their chemistry issues, that bad stretch to close out the season, but didn't they win 17 out of 18 after the all-star break? The Celtics struggled after the Green/Perkins trade but they too, looked very, very good against the Knicks in the first round, and with Garnett, Pierce and Allen, you're always going to contend)

Anyway, I don't think any of us thought the Mavs were real contenders. They had a good regular season, but didn't they have a good one for the last 11 years? Didn't they have 11 50+ win seasons in a row? Didn't they always choke? Wasn't Dirk soft?

They lost 6 or 7 straight games during the season at one point, the worst losing streak since 10 or 11 years? Butler went down with an injury, Dirk struggled with injuries, they lost to the Lakers by 30 a few weeks before the end of the season, they were just flat out punked.

I can say I never, NEVER considered them to get to the Finals, let alone win it all. And 98% of all basketball fans would've felt the same way. Maybe those close to the team, or die-hard fans though they'd have a chance, but maybe they just hoped to win it, finally. They finished 57-25. There was nothing special about this team.

The first round vs. the Blazers, I saw game 1. They won by 8, 89-81. I remember Aldridge playing well, Gerald Wallace struggling, and Dirk being Dirk. But it wasn't a great game, and not a single indication of making a deep run.

Then, holding a 2-1 lead, they were up 64-41 against the Blazers deep in the 3rd. They eventually found a way to lose that game, a pivotal game 4, on behalf of Brandon Roy, the washed up, former franchise players, playing with no knees. The Mavs were better than the Blazers, I already though that in game 1, and of course many people though that, so they ended up winning games 5 and 6.

But wasn't this typical Mavs fashion? They had a few comeback games during the regular season, but what does that mean, 11 straight seasons of 50+-wins, nothing is really gonna get you a lot of attention.

I remember checking game 4, and smiling too myself, thinking, lol, this Dallas Mavericks team, it's never gonna win a title, same story, good old days all over again, choking Dirk, etc.

But then came the Lakers series. Game 1 could've been a fluke to me, because the Lakers lost game 1 to the Hornets as well (the great, great Chris Paul game). Lakers were up 3 with 1:20 to go, just bad execution by them last couple possessions, winning by just 2. But in game 2 the Mavs showed they were bigger and tougher than the Lakers, the 2-time defending champs. The dirk spin-one-legged-fadeaway with 2:30 to go and the foul was the clincher, and were those Mavs for real? They won the first 2 games in LA, was this really happening? They shot the life out of the Lakers, and Dirk was phenomal.
You started looking ahead, and would they win this series, the Thunder or Grizzlies awaited in the WCF, so could they make it back to the Finals?
Game 3, in a close, close game, once again Dirk stepped up, but even after those 3 games, it wasn't clear if the Mavs were REALLY better than the Lakers. Maybe they had just luck, Kobe rimming out a game-winner in game 2, things like that. Dirk, Peja, Terry were all knocking down 3's, didn't they just have a good stretch going? Game 4 was obviously, and the Mavs swept the Lakers. But it left you feeling, they weren't THAT good to sweep the 2-time defending champs right?

Western Conference Finals vs the Thunder. Game 1, Dirk was phenomanal with 48 on 15 shots. Durant had 40, a great game. Game 2, besides Dirk, nobody played well and they lose the game. All of a sudden the Thunder had the homecourt-advantage.
Game 3. The Mavs win a wire-to-wire game in dominating fashion. They played great on the road all year long, even more in the play-offs. Closing out the Blazers at Portland in game 6, winning 2 straight in LA, and now 4 consecutive after that game 3 in Thunder. But the Thunder played bad, really, really bad. Every team has a game like that in the playoffs right?

Then came the turning point for the Mavericks I believe. Game 4 vs. the Thunder.
After winning game 3, the Mavs came out bad, really bad. The Thunder looked all energy, young, fresh, athelthic, jumped all over the Mavs. Durant hit his first 4 shots, Westbrook was playing within himself (after that ridiculous shot-chucking game 4 in Denver), everything was clicking. Yet the Mavs seemed to hang in there, only down 5 at the half. Then in the 3rd and 4th, the Thunder made the final push. With 4 minutes left, they were up 15. Even though Harden fouled out, they were gonna tie this thing up 2-2 and head to Dallas for a pivotal game 5. After scoring 22 in the first half, Dirk Nowitzki only had 4 points in the second half and when it mattered most with the Thunder making their push, he didn't hit shots, he wasn't there. Classic Dirk. You just expected it. And it happened.

But this time, Dirk showed the world again what he had been doing all play-offs long. Scoring in the 4th quarter, in a variety of ways. Going to the line, drawing fouls, hitting jumpers, getting lay-ups, one-legged fade-away's. He scored 9 points in the last 1 minute and 20 seconds. He personally tied up the game. From the line, ice cold. He hit a few rediculous shots with Collison (the best defender he faced during the play-offs) all over him.
In overtime, Kidd hits a humoungus 3 of a Dirk Nowitzki assist and the Mavs win game 4, and clinch the Western Conference at home in game 5. All of a sudden, they're back in the Finals, against the Miami Heat, just like 2006.

Dirk Nowitzki was amazing during those first 3 rounds. He was clutch, and he never before had been known for his clutch shooting. He had a few game-winners in the regular season, but he was soft, a choker, and seemed to miss free throws when it mattered most (what was it, game... 4? in Miami, missed the game-tying free throws).

Nobody gave the Mavs a shot against the Heat, including myself. They didn't have a chance.

Game 1 was ugly, from both sides. Stil, the Heat were in control for much of the game and won it, with that Wade-to-LeBron with 40 tics to go to highlight it.

Game 2, it was the same way. With 6 minutes to go, the Heat got up 15 with that Wade 3. 15 points, with just 6 minutes to go.

Once again, a defining moment for the Mavs. It really was do-or-die-time. They came back behind a brilliant Dirk Nowitzki, but a brilliant team effort. I will get to that later. Nowitzki did score the last 9 for the Mavs.

Ooh, and he had that splint on his finger. Had they lost, of course attention would've gone to that (questions asked to him if it bothered him, which inevitably would) and it would've been another choking job. I already expected that, and it had all the right to be.

All momentum seemed to be there for the Mavs, yet they lose game 3 right back at home, and Nowitzki missed a potential game-tying jumper at the buzzer.

Game 4, Dirk has the flu. For the first time this year, the Mavs have their backs against the wall. Lose this game, and it's over. 102 degrees fever. Dirk had just 11 points after 3 quarters. Once again, clutch as hell in the 4th, as he had 10 points including a driving lay-up to take the lead from 1 to 3 with 12 tics to go. Big-time performance.

Game 5, the Mavs were hot. Dirk was of course, but Kidd and Terry hit huuuuge 3-pointers to win it.

Game 6, LeBron came out hot, but the Mavs kept striking back, hitting 3 after 3. Even though Dirk struggled with his shot (lot of shots going in-and-out, finished the game 9-27), they won the game. Dirk hit 2 huge jumpers with 3 and 2 minutes left, to stop Miami's run twice, and then finished the game with a lay-up with half a minute to go. When he needed to be there, he was there, ultimately, every single time.

Dirk was amazing, all play-offs longs. Hitting those amazing jumpshots, being automatic from the line, being clutch. But don't forget his teammates.

Jason Kidd was a washed-up veteran, 38-years old, who could never hit a jumper. Ason Kidd, because he doesn't have a J, right? As I rooted for the Lakers, I was glad they left him alone time and time again, but he proved me wrong hitting them, and he finally became a good spot-up shooter. Scored them when it mattered most, game 4 against the Thunder the go-ahead 3 in OT with 40 seconds to go, game 2, the comeback game, hits a 3 to take the lead from 9 to 6. Game 5 of the Finals, to clinch it. Great defense against Wade and LeBron. So smart, so savvy. But he stepped it up bigtime this playoffs.

Jason Terry, I always thought he had a big mouth, had that trophy tattooed on his arm before the season, always that JET thing, and to me, he was a choker as well. Never made big plays, was bad defensively, was streaky. But he was so deadly on his jumper all play-offs long. He too, hit big shots, had big games.

Shawn Marion was a beast defensively, handling Kevin Durant and LeBron Jams, and bothering them. For all of the guys on the Mavs team, personally I'm the happiest for Shawn. He's such a great, unique guy. Underappreciated, but sometimes wasn't there when he needed to. Can defend all 5 positions, so athlethic, but so sensitive. Made the big block on Durant's 3 in that game 4, had big deflections, big buckets, against the Blazers, Lakers game 2, and so on.

Tyson Chandler, he brought that defensive presence to the Mavs. Was great for them, took them defensively to another level. Outplayed the Lakers frontline.

Deshawn Steveson. A guy who you love to hate, who is way too cocky. Does his waving even after banking in a 3 vs. the Lakers. But he was on fire from 3 as well, especially in the Finals. Played good minutes, gave them good minutes, was good defensively as well. His shooting made the difference though.

JJ Barea. Tore apart the Lakers with his driving. Shot was off in the Finals, but a slasher, energy guy, had incredible lay-ups.

Peja Stojakovic. Washed-up, too, but he knocked down bigtime 3's in the Blazers and Lakers series. Too weak defensively to play in the WCF and in the Finals (matching up with KD and LeBron) but his stroke was on.

Brandon Haywood and Brian Cardinal played not many minutes, but were solid.
Beaubois and Butler were out with injury, yet they still won it all.

After all, the whole team clicked. Dirk Nowitzki was out of this world, but his numbers aren't better than other years. His rebounding is even down, as are his ppg. His FG% is around even, his ft shooting was up a bit. Nothing too special. But he was there in the 4th quarter, time and time again. The most clutch guy by far this play-offs. And he was never known for it, contrary, he was a choker. But not anymore.

The Mavs were resilient, and they never were. They folded big time, they always did. When things got hard, when they fell behind, they would lose, they wouldn't fight. Now they did.

They were a team, defensively, offensively. Knowing their roles, trying to win it all, all pieces fell together.

Now here is my point. When a team becomes a champion, it always feels like things fall together. When the 2008 Boston Celtics won the title, they had James Posey, the glue guy. Eddie House. Leon Powe, who won game 2? for them with 22 points. They struggled early on in the play-offs, needing 7 to defeat a 37-45 Hawks team, then once again needing 7 agains the Cavs, in that famous Pierce-James duel (another defining game). But both rounds, they won game 5. In the Finals, they had that come-back game against the Lakers. They went up 3-1, and clinched game 6 in laughable fashion. You look at other champions from the past decade, and they always have games like this. They seem to be on the ropes, yet they find a way to win an important game, and swing it around.

All champions have those things in common;

-Glue guys, those Robert Horry's, guys like Horace Grant, James Posey. Shawn Marion, Lamar Odom.
-Unexpected hero's. Guys who hit a big shot for them, while nobody expected them to win it. Derek Fisher. Jason Kidd this year. Ron Artest with that kiss of death 3 in game 6, that big game 6 in all. A big deflection by your 9th or 10th guy.
-The whole team finally coming together. Things are clicking. Glue guys coming up big.
-A defining game (I keep coming back to that term). A game in which they overcome so much adversity. When they could easily fold, but yet still find a way to win it. Think about the Lakers in 2009, that game 4, when they were down 5 with 25 seconds to go. Derek Fisher hits that 3 to send it into overtime. The Mavs had this game 4, the Celtics that game 4, and all champions have games like these. The Spurs had game 5 in the Finals in 2005 (Horry's 3). The Lakers had game 5 against the Suns last year, that Artest buzzer-beater lay-up. In 2009, remember that game 3, Kobe Bryant hits a huuuuge 3 to win game 3 in Denver to get homecourt back)
-Luck. In the end, everything can go your way, things come together.

I have a great what-if for Bill Simmons. What if Dwyane Wade's half-court shot, at the end of the NBA Finals, game numbers 2, is 3 inches more to the front. He hits a buzzerbeating, game-winning 3-pointer from half court to make it 2-0, instead of 1-1. Dallas would be DEAD after coming back so hard, and Miami would win the title. A few inches (and I truly believe this) meant the difference between winning a title, being called champions and clutch, or being losers once again, and choking. Sometimes, you need that little push, that angel. What if Courtney Lee hits that alley-oop lay-up in 2009 game 2? Or Dwight knocks down his free-throws in game 4? The series would be tied 2-2 with a pivotal game 5 in Orlando.

Another what-if; what if Jason Kidd never gets traded for Devin Harris? (Bill Simmons wrote this about it, in his 'book of basketball'. About Kidd probably accepting the Spurs contract in 2003 and not re-signing Tony Parker (page 170); ... 'From 2006 to 2009, you would much rather have spent $40 million on Tony Parker than twice as much on a decling Jason Kidd. Well, unless you're Mark Cuban - he gave up two number ones and $11 million for the right to pay Kidd three times as much as Devin Harris (a 2009 all-Star). Harris became a big-time ballhog, Kidd an valuable veteran, and a champion. I'm sure if Simmons writes a next book, this one should be in it. If this trade doesn't go down, Dirk and Kidd doesn't become champions. Dirk would be considered a loser, much like Karl Malone or Charles Barkley is. Dirk would forever have a label soft and choker on him. Forever he'd be reminded of those 2 Finals losses vs. the Heat. Dirk wouldn't crack the all-time top 50, while now he maybe is top 30. That one trade completely changed the Mavs franchise and Dirk's legacy (as well as Kidd's).

I should write a f*cking book, spent 1,5 hours on this, but loved every minute of it. Watched a lot of footage from last year's play-offs, and I just loved watching the Mavs play, they're so much a team, Dirk was so great, they came up big time and time again, they were resilient. Comment on whatever you want, just don't hate.

In the end, we all love this game, we all love basketball. It's one love.

From the heart, peace and love.

^leuk stuk

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Op dinsdag 15 november 2011 23:30 schreef TheGOAT het volgende:
Het is echt de fout van de eigenaren hoor, wie wil er nou 10% op z'n salaris achteruitgaan (bonussen, whatever.) Als jou baas naar je toekomt, en zegt, ik draai verlies omdat ik slechte investeringen doe, dus jij krijgt 10% minder. Dan zeg je ik snap dat ik in moet leveren, 5 of 6% vind ik zeer redelijk. De baas vind dat belachelijk en zegt, als je nu geen 7% inlevert worden het er hierna 10.

Is het echt de schuld van de spelers? Uiteindelijk zijn het toch de spelers die het spel maken, niet de eigenaren, die vaak geen enkel benul van de sport hebben

Prima. Maar dat geldt toch voor heel veel bedrijven? Ik werk bij een consultantybureau en daar doen de consultants ook al het uitvoerende werk. Kunnen wij dan ook eisen dat we 50% van alle inkomsten krijgen? Ik dacht het niet...S

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Op zaterdag 19 november 2011 12:20 schreef Zwansen het volgende:

[..]

Prima. Maar dat geldt toch voor heel veel bedrijven? Ik werk bij een consultantybureau en daar doen de consultants ook al het uitvoerende werk. Kunnen wij dan ook eisen dat we 50% van alle inkomsten krijgen? Ik dacht het niet...S

Ik snap je redenering, maar het gaat hier sowieso om heeeeeeel veel geld, om die 10% naar beneden, om de eigenaren die schijnen te liegen over hun verlies maken (waardoor ze claimen meer BRI nodig te hebben), etc. Natuurlijk heeft David Stern de league groot gemaakt, is de beste commish van de 4 grote sporten in Amerika. Credit where credit is due. Punt is dat eigenaren zo ontzettend vaak verkeerde beslissingen maken, en ze hierdoor niet diegenen zijn die daarvoor betalen, maar de spelers. Ik snap heel goed dat mensen de spelers greedy vinden, maar ik ben het daar gewoon niet mee eens.

Deron Williams met 50 punten gister, 17/23, 7/10 3'tjes, zo slick is-ie, including 10 points in the last 2 minutes.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that NBA labor talks resumed on Tuesday "to try and end the lockout before the cancellation of Christmas games."
These latest discussions (per David Aldridge) are lawsuit settlement talks, which have to happen before the actual CBA negotiations can resume. Those talks continued on Wednesday, with Wojnarowski's source saying "We should know more by later this evening." We've been down this optimistic road before only to have our hopes dashed, but the fact that both sides are talking again has to be considered a somewhat positive development. Meanwhile, Howard Beck of the New York Times reports that the NBA would play 66 games if it can begin the season on Christmas, which would mean a very crowded slate. But at this point, that's a problem we would be thrilled to have.

Here we go again!