NBA Chatter and Odds 09 24 2009

I love it, basketball season is right round the corner, the players are slowing showing up for training camps, ESPN’s NBA rumors page is filling up with who’s happy, who’s not happy and who’s looking for a job. Don’t get me wrong, I love football but I’ve got a basketball jones like you wouldn’t believe.

Basketball never really left the headlines this summer. The biggest story over the summer was the effects of the financial crisis on the NBA. The league expects the salary cap to drop by about 11% based on predicted revenues; therefore, the salary cap will drop from $57 million to about $51 million. The luxury tax will go from $71 million to about $61 million.  The drop will put a damper on the much-hyped 2010 summer free agency. Sure, the players will be available but the teams that expected to have plenty of room under the cap will have $6-7 million less to spend. Things get even more interesting in 2011 when the collective bargaining agreement expires. Expect David Stern to crush the players union, I hope there isn’t a lock out but Stern is worried about the long-term health of the league first so anything is possible.

Another story we’ll be following closely is the lockout of the NBA referees. The NBA wants the refs to do their part to keep league costs in check. The NBA is currently auditioning replacement refs to cover the preseason games and if needed, the regular season and playoffs games.  ARE THEY OUT OF THEIR MINDS!!! The refereeing in the NBA is suspect at best, what are we going to see if we get some second rate scabs calling games. Message to David Stern pay the refs please. The refs have a wildcard, now that the NBA has a franchise in Toronto they have to abide by the Ontario Labor rules. The labor law in Ontario dictates that before an employer can lock out employees they must go through a lengthy mediation process before imposing a lockout. This could result in a few different scenarios 1) The NBA goes through the media process and the refs are still locked out. 2) The Mediation process works and the refs go back to work. 3) The NBA locks out the referees and uses replacements for the US games, leaving the Toronto as the only NBA city to use professional refs. 4) The NBA goes gangster and defies the laws and locks out the refs league wide.  If the refs lockout goes well into the season I predict it will cost Mark Cuban a lot of money and another PR appearance at Dairy Queen.

Finally, this week the New Jersey Nets are being sold to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. Think of Prokhorov as the Russian Mark Cuban. He’s part owner of Russian powerhouse CSKA Moscow of the Euroleague. He’s the perfect new owner for the current environment and we know he won’t think twice about pushing Nets beyond the luxury cap and he’ll do what it takes to build a winner. A friend of the Billionaire tells stories of Prokhorov spending $10 million on a two-week vacation, so spending the midlevel exception for a veteran small forward won’t cause a moment hesitation. My bold prediction concerning the Nets this season is every sports writer in America will use the headline “New Jersey Nyets” at least once in the 2009/10 season.

Here are the latest odds to win the NBA title courtesy of Sportsbook.com
Los Angeles Lakers 9/5
Cleveland Cavaliers 3/1
Boston Celtics 5/1
San Antonio Spurs 8/1
Orlando Magic 12/1
Denver Nuggets 12/1
Portland Blazers 15/1
Utah Jazz 25/1
New Orleans Hornets 40/1
Dallas Mavericks 40/1
Houston Rockets 40/1
Miami Heat 40/1
Washington Wizards 50/1
Phoenix Suns 50/1
Atlanta Hawks 50/1
Philadelphia 76ers 60/1
Chicago Bulls 60/1
Detroit Pistons 60/1
Toronto Raptors 75/1
Minnesota T-Wolves 100/1
Oklahoma City Thunder 100/1
Memphis Grizzlies 100/1
Los Angeles Clippers 100/1
Milwaukee Bucks 100/1
Indiana Pacers 100/1
New Jersey Nets 100/1
Charlotte BobCats 100/1
Golden State Warriors 100/1
Sacramento Kings 100/1
New York Knicks 100/1