NBA Lockout: Why There's Still Hope Fans Will Get at Least a Limited Season

The inevitable has occurred and the NBA is still locked out, which has forced commissioner David Stern to cancel the first two weeks of the season. Now the fear sets in on all NBA fans as they wonder if the next move is killing the entire season. 

However, there is no need to worry because the players and owners will come to an agreement at some time before the year is over. There is too much at stake and so much will be lost if they cancel the entire season.  

Fans may only get a limited season, but to me that makes it a little more exciting. Yes, it would be great to have a full season, but with so many games cut out, teams will have to start strong from the start and fight hard to guarantee they get a playoff spot. 

Could they extend the season and postseason further into the summer? It's a possibility, but the NBA would more than likely just take the hit this year and move on from it. 

After such an amazing season a year ago that was filled with drama, controversy, excitement and first-time champions, it's easy to see why the NBA has to get a deal done.

The popularity of the sport is increasing because of the big-time stars, and after how well the playoffs did last year the NBA would be very stupid to cancel the whole season. TNT's playoff coverage yielded the best ratings in cable history last year.

That's something to build from if you're the NBA, but instead, it's dealing with this dreaded lockout. 

The die-hard NBA fans out there are of course livid that the first two weeks are cancelled, but most of the public couldn't care less. 

That's what happens when you begin the year in the heart of football season. 

Stern told reporters that the reason a deal didn't get done on Monday was because the two sides were just too far apart. "We think that we made very fair proposals. I'm sure the players think the same thing," Stern said. "But the gap is so significant that we just can't bridge it at this time."

Eventually, one side is going to cave. I get that both the players and owners want to hold firm, but at some point, somebody is going to quit being so stubborn and just give in. 

You could argue that one side is being more greedy than the other (the owners), but honestly they both are. 

With the first two weeks of the season already gone, they need to come to their senses and hash this deal out. After all, why ruin this good thing they've got going? 

The threat of a missed season helped the NFL, and it will more than likely do the same for the NBA. With fewer games, fans will be more into the NBA once they start playing because they know there is less of it.

In the end, there is too much to lose by canceling the entire NBA season, which is why the two sides will come to an agreement before you know it.