The NBA lockout continues on and threatens to tear apart the 2011-12 NBA season. Negotiations between the players and the owners broke down on Monday at around 10:00 Eastern Time, and the result is the cancellation of the first two weeks of the season by commissioner David Stern.
The two sides could not come to an agreement on issues such as the length of contracts, guaranteed contracts and a hard salary cap. Both sides also did not agree on the revenue split, with the latest pitch settling at a 53-47 split. Some reports indicate that a 50-50 split was gaining attention, but negotiations shifted away from this issue and towards the "system issues" mentioned before.
For the Phoenix Suns, this means the official loss of seven games, including intriguing match-ups against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies. If the NBA lockout were to be lifted in the near future without the loss of any further games, the Suns would play their first game of the season on the road against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 15th.
For now, that possibility looks bleak. Both owners and players will have to come together and compromise in order to lift the lockout, with the possibility of more missed games hanging overhead as a very feasible reality. Games will continue to be cancelled in two-week chunks until the two sides can reach an agreement.
Check out this article for more information about the NBA's recent history with lockout seasons.