So there likely will be no visit to New Jersey by world champion Dallas’ Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki. Or Minnesota’s Kevin Love. And Kevin Durant is not going to the Garden with Oklahoma City.
Well, maybe not.
With the NBA canceling the first two weeks of the 2011-12 season starting with the Nov. 1 opening night because of continuing labor problems, the league will need to, essentially, throw out the original schedule and start from scratch because canceling from Nov. 1 to Nov. 14 has created unbalanced schedules.
Given the nature of the labor situation, unbalanced schedules are the least of the leagues worries. But what was set up before simply won’t work.
The Knicks lose seven games, the Nets six with the Nov. 1-14 wipeout. But the Lakers are down eight, the Mavs are out seven and Miami has lost six. And don’t even begin to try to figure a balanced home and away schedule. Of the Nets’ six lost games, four are at home. The Knicks would lose three home games, including what was their season opener, Wednesday, Nov. 2 against LeBron James and the Heat.
Shortly after the NBA announced the cancellation of the first two weeks, teams took down the cancelled games from their website schedules. Now the schedules begin with games originally planned for either Nov. 15 or 16.
Although the league called the move a “cancellation” and not a postponement, games eventually could be shifted or re-arranged. As The Post has reported, the league has contingency plans for various scenarios, including schedules calling for 75, 70 or 60 games. The last lockout caused the season to start in February 1999, with a Munchkin-sized 50-game season that included numerous back-to-backs and three games in three nights.
Assuming the wipe-out of the first two weeks stands and the Nets lose those six games, road matchups at Washington on opening night Nov. 2 and at Eastern champ Miami Friday, Nov. 11 would be affected. The Nets tentatively begin a 3-game road trip at Oklahoma City Nov. 16, which could become their opening night if the original schedule comes into play. Commissioner David Stern cautioned that there would be more reductions as the impasse continues. But the schedule undoubtedly will be juggled as the Nets, losing those six, then would play 37 home and 39 road games. The Knicks now have 38 home games, 37 away.
Aren’t labor issues in sports swell?
Again, if the cancellations stand and teams begin playing on the 15th, then the Knicks would open their season Wednesday, Nov. 16 in Denver. The home opener would not arrive until Monday, Nov. 28 vs. Washington.
Again, lost games could be re-worked into the schedule at later dates. But as of today, the Knicks also would lose games on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Milwaukee; Sunday, Nov. 6 at Detroit; Tuesday, Nov. 8 at home against Oklahoma City; Wednesday, Nov. 9 at Atlanta; Saturday, Nov. 12 at home against Indiana and Monday, Nov. 14 in Utah.
The Nets’ games at Prudential Center that tentatively would be affected are the planned home opener which would was supposed to be the final opener in New Jersey on Saturday, Nov. 5 against Detroit and former Net coach Lawrence Frank; Monday, Nov. 7 against Milwaukee; Wednesday Nov. 9 against the champion Mavs and Sunday, Nov. 13 against the Timberwolves under new coach Rick Adelman.
If the original schedule stands and picks up after a two-week washout, the Nets’ final home opener is tentatively set for Monday, Nov. 21 against Golden State and the Warriors’ new coach, Mark Jackson.