Consequences of the Entire 2011-12 NBA Season Being Cancelled

NBPA executive director Billy Hunter is fearful that the entire 2011-12 season will be canceled.

According to an ESPN report, Hunter believes that the season will likely be canceled because commissioner David Stern's negotiating power is "in danger of being undermined by a group of hard-line owners."

The two sides are more than $800 million apart per season currently, and with neither side angling to negotiate in good faith heretofore, it's going to be an uphill battle to save the season.

No Fantasy Basketball

Some NBA fans might not like to get it on through a virtual platform, but fantasy hoops fans are going to be awfully upset if they can’t engage in the game.

Fantasy basketball has become increasingly popular over the last few seasons, and it’s really going to take the wind out of the sails of a lot of enthusiastic fans around the NBA.

With all of the hype surrounding players like Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James after last season, fantasy hoops was on the right path to reach an all-time high in terms of popularity.

Pursuit of Record Put on Hold

Kobe Bryant currently sits at eighth on the all-time scoring list with 27,868 points, but if he’s forced to miss a full season, it’s going to be even more unlikely that he’ll ever reach Kareem’s historic mark.

A lost season would also mean that Dwight Howard couldn’t win his fourth straight Defensive Player of the Year nor could Kevin Durant attempt to claim the scoring crown for the third straight campaign.

No 2012 NBA Finals

The 2011 NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat not only drew significant television ratings, but it really put the NBA back on the map for a mainstream audience.

With the competitive balance getting stronger in the league, fans want to see the improving teams continue to get better and watch the exciting play that the league has to offer.

Without a season, the future of promising teams like Oklahoma City and Chicago will have to wait a little longer.

NBA Players Will Still Play Elsewhere

The biggest fatal flaw in the NBA’s potential cancellation of the 2011-12 season is that it won’t prevent its players from playing elsewhere.

We’ve already seen multiple NBA stars at the Drew League, others have been appearing regularly at the Goodman League and others have already begun the exodus to international waters.

With FIBA providing clearance for players to sign with teams overseas so long as there is an out clause for their return to the NBA when the lockout subsides, players simply won’t be sitting at home on the couch wishing and waiting.

Instead, they’ll be hooping.

Players Fall out of Shape

As with the lockout that just concluded in the NFL, there’s little doubt that some players will struggle to stay in shape in the event of a lost season.

Guys that struggled to stay in shape even when they were employed (a la Eddy Curry) will have an even tougher time without the benefits of a regulated workout pattern from a team.

While a fair amount of athletes have been working out individually and participating in some forms of organized basketball, it’s simply not the same as going through the normal motions with their squad.

Rookies Suffer Immensely

Jared Sullinger took a lot of heat from some people for staying in school rather than declaring for the draft, but it’s looking like he made the right decision.

While the top picks were right to come out when they did regardless of the lockout, second-round picks and undrafted free agents suddenly find themselves in quite the bind as they try to figure out what to do next.

We’ve already seen some picks like Jon Scheyer (Maccabi Tel Aviv) sign internationally, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a fair amount follow suit with no resolution in sight right now.

Early Retirement

If the season is lost entirely, some players that are pondering retirement after the season may decide to hang ‘em up earlier rather than later if they’re forced to train on their own.

It’s been speculated that two of the best power forward to ever lace it up in Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett could both retire after the upcoming season, but without one to be played, it’s very possible that they walk away as a result.

Lost Jobs

We’ve all heard about how some players are exploring international waters and playing in pro-am games around the globe, but they’re not going to be the only ones without a job if the season is canceled.

All of the people that normally find employment in an arena from the concession stands to the ticket takers will undoubtedly be adversely impacted, and we’ve already experienced several front offices cutting back on staff in preparation for financial cuts.

Small-Market Teams Continue To Hurt

Without revenue sharing in the NBA, the large-market teams will continue to dwarf the smaller ones as they simply have more financial resources available.

While teams like Memphis have put out a good product, they’re going to have a tough time competing with markets like Los Angeles and New York in a small market.

The NBA reported that 22 out of the 30 teams lost money last season, but that number has been widely disputed and challenged.

Through accounting tricks like depreciation, it’s easy to spin a profit of $25-$30 million as a loss on the books.

For those that are interested in gaining further insight into how the NBA may be slightly skewing their financial claims, Nate Silver of the New York Times expresses it brilliantly in his piece. 

Fans Losing Interest

Should the lockout force a canceled season, the momentum of the league would greatly suffer.

Despite the 2011 NBA draft class being one of the weakest in recent memory, it was the most-watched draft in the last 15 years of the sport.

Additionally, the 2011 NBA Finals ratings were absolutely through the roof as a result of the Miami Heat being involved, and the mainstream attention paid to the NBA might not recover so quickly.

Fans were very quick to re-embrace the NFL once the lockout subsided, but we certainly can’t say the same with the NBA.