NBA Players Must Use Their Time Off Wisely

The NBA lockout is mostly a business story. Time is money, money is time, and the longer it lasts, the more business interests have to adjust their outlooks. But time is also a commodity by itself, and that’s where it actually starts to affect the quality of play before and after the lockout comes to an end—whenever that is.

For every story about NBA players (possibly) taking their talents overseas, or reminder that athletes are not exactly known for their sound money habits (and thus always run the risk of losing leverage), there's the unavoidable, and largely vacant, passage of time. More than anything in the CBA, its passage could have the most lasting consequences for the next few years of league-wide story lines.

Older is wiser, but older is also less young. That paradox informs pretty much any encounter between a veteran and time ticking away. For older players and teams, the loss of games could go in any number of directions. Let’s start by acknowledging that more experienced squads, like the Lakers, Spurs and Celtics, have, in recent seasons, focused primarily on conserving energy for the playoffs—or, with far more mixed results, simply turning it on when the postseason calls. For teams working with this mindset, missing action is neither here nor there.

If the first 82 are a chore, an inconvenience and maybe even a potential disaster, there’s good reason to welcome a decreased schedule. It would mean less wear and tear on old bodies; less mileage logged by players who just don't recover like they used to. Suppose the season starts around the All-Star break. Teams that won't need time to get in rhythm or figure out rotations will be sitting pretty. Expect them to throw on their jerseys, nod at familiar systems and play ball. That’s what professionals do. Really, no one else has any business eyeing a title in a highly irregular season. Sure, the Knicks made the 1999 Finals, but the Spurs walked away with their first title.

More time off means more rest, and as long as they stay in shape—something vets on championship contenders usually don't need reminding about—the hiatus might actually serve teams well who are worried about fading. “Turning it on” still has to contend with the season beforehand, if only as an annoyance. Imagine a shorter season with an extended vacation at one end.

Things get tricky though, if the whole 2011-12 campaign gets canceled. By the time the NBA gets rolling for (gulp) 2012-13, a dude like Paul Pierce will be a year older. There's a fine line between rejuvenation and decay, and an entire season lost definitely crosses it. If Pierce risks falling into decline, what does that mean for Jason Kidd of the defending Mavs? Kidd was key in the playoffs, albeit in a very specific role—one he probably won't be suited for in September 2012. Sometimes, the difference between a star and valued support is that split-second of reaction time. Fatigue is the enemy, but at some point time takes its toll, regardless of how much rest or rehab a body gets in.

Younger teams, either those on the rise or a team like the Thunder looking to solidify its place among the elite, could also be at a disadvantage if there's missed time. The Thunder's 2010-11 season was a process, leading up to their appearance in the Western Conference Finals. Make no mistake, there's still plenty of work to be done. No amount of individual work can take the place of a team practicing and playing together as a unit. There's also the question of coaching, since ideally he's guiding and shaping the team.

A truncated season likely robs such teams of the chance to make midseason moves, or at least observe their assets enough to make that judgement. A missed season probably means treading water, development-wise, and yet with contracts ticking away, it's important time lost. The Thunder need to figure out Durant and Westbrook. Westbrook has the chance to become a restricted free agent.

Certainly, though, players can do important individual work in the offseason—the kind of intensive or focused training that doesn't necessarily have a place during the team-oriented season. Kobe Bryant has famously added a new move to his arsenal every summer, and while his knees may not be what they once were, he'll probably take advantage of any extra time to hone his game. He may even emerge on the other side of the lockout with his late-period game fully refined.

Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook spent a lot of last summer going head-to-head and working on their weaknesses. We all saw how that paid dividends. Dwight Howard has a totally respectable offensive game now; the result of private sessions with Hakeem Olajuwon. Kevin Love did not make this season’s All-Star-ish leap by sitting around and counting on a change. Working hard on vacation is one thing; working in a targeted, resourceful way is the next level of devotion.The jury is out on Love's volleyball pursuits this summer.

If LeBron James is looking for an opportunity to refine his post game, well, this is it. The 2008 Olympics were great for America, but almost as importantly, they allowed players to interact, talk shop and trade industry secrets. They brought us the Super Heat, sure; that's one read on the solidarity that took root in Beijing. Buried in this narrative though, are the supreme seasons that Wade and James had immediately following their gold medal romp, which included plenty of Kobe Bryant's tutelage.

That's why, in a way, players going overseas might be the least productive use of this hiatus. Playing with strange teammates, in an unfamiliar context, may keep their conditioning up. They will stay sharp. But it won't push them or allow them to grow in meaningful ways. The European game also remains different enough from the NBA that, in some ways, working there is a professional diversion. Deron Williams will have no problem fitting in with Turkish squad Besiktas, but that has a lot to do with the role he learned in Jerry Sloan's prehistoric offense.

Forward progress only really comes from going up against, or at least working with, NBA-style pros—hence, the interest in more exhibition games or even the Vegas league that's been discussed—or training, alone or with others. Going overseas really only makes sense if players need money, or as a way of saying to the owners that they don't need them. It's realism and idealism rolled into one, but sadly, it's not going to do anything to make basketball better whenever it is that the NBA does come back around.