If the NBA lockout comes to an end soon, there’s a good chance the league will try to play an 82-game season even though it has canceled the first two weeks and needs four weeks from the moment a labor deal is agreed upon before the first tipoff. First, games are likely to be squeezed in wherever possible. Open dates exist for every team, even those that share arenas with NHL teams. It could mean a longer road trip or additional back-to-backs. The league will have to decide whether quantity is worth more than quality and injuries.
Second, the regular season could be pushed back into the first round of the playoffs, which would be squeezed down from its usual interminable length. Actually, that would be awesome.
The finals could be pushed later into June, though limitations exist because of arena schedules and, ultimately, the Summer Olympics in July.
Of course, time is running out. If the regular season starts any more than a month behind schedule, the bigger likelihood is a reduced slate of games.
– Craig Stouffer
