A snippet from NBPA economist Kevin Murphy’s interview on the NBA lockout:
NBA.com: Given the numbers that are out there now — the owners offering 50 percent of basketball-related income (BRI), the players seeking 52.5 — it seems like a small gap to close.
KM: Saying that and getting one are two different things. You can sit there and say, ‘We’re only X apart.’ But the other guy can say, ‘Well, it’s only X, why don’t you move?’ And you say, ‘It’s only X, why don’t you move?’
NBA.com: You can “cut the baby in half.”
KM: Sometimes. But people will say, I already cut it in half to get to here. That’s certainly our view of the world. We started from where we were. We didn’t stretch our position in order to give it up. They started from what objectively — I think they would agree — was a massive change in the system and have “given” from there. But if you start 100 miles away and move 50 miles, you can still be outside the range of reasonable. Had they gotten their initial offer, that would have been the most one-sided deal in the history of sports negotiations — by, I think, a fair stretch. It was an enormous ask on their part.
Deron Williams is the Turkish Basketball League’s “Player of the Week,” on the strength of his 24-10 game on Saturday. D-Will plays next tomorrow.
MarShon Brooks, teaching you how to create your own shot on the perimeter.
D-League Slam Dunk Champion L.D. Williams is returning to the Springfield Armor for the 2011-12 season. Here’s what that contest looked like, though I doubt he’ll do any Dee Brown-inspired slams next time.
Thought: if there is an amnesty provision in the new CBA, Travis Outlaw is the obvious favorite, but Johan Petro’s contract is arguably just as egregious. Don’t get me wrong, I’d amnesty Outlaw too, if only for pure dollars — Outlaw’s got $28 million remaining over four years, and Petro’s contract doesn’t even match the savings of one Outlaw season. But you could easily argue that Outlaw just never got in shape following his foot surgery and had an off-year from lack of conditioning (something Avery got on him about last season). I know it’s hard to remember, but Outlaw soared out of the gate for the first 6-10 games before bottoming out for… well, the rest of the season. But he’s still got a snowball’s chance in hell. while Petro is and has always been just a lost cause.
