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Lockout Could Spell Doom For The Hawks

Authored by Patrick J. Austin - May 19, 2005 - 7:05 pm

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I’m starting to believe the Hawks are cursed. I mean really cursed. Chicago Cubs-like cursed. Apparently, negotiations between the NBA players association and owners on a new collective bargaining agreement have come to a screeching halt. This leads many to believe that a lockout could be on the horizon. If this comes to fruition, our franchise could be irrevocably damaged.

A lockout, even if it only lasted through the summer (or a portion of the summer) is the worst possible scenario for the Hawks. Let’s remember, we’ve been planning for this offseason since 2003. That’s why I think someone cursed us, maybe a Voodoo-practicing fan who’s still angry over Dominique being traded.

We tore apart our team dealing talent for expiring contracts. Why? Because we wanted to make a splash in the ‘05 free agent market; now look at what might happen. If this lockout occurs, all that we sacrificed could be for nothing.

An obvious detriment to a lockout is the inability to sign free agents, but what concerns me the most is how it would affect our new ownership group. They made a significant investment in this franchise and we’re not talking about a bunch of billionaires. There’s no Mark Cuban in the Atlanta Spirit, LLC. The franchise is already losing money and a lockout could make them even more hesitant to sign any big free agent talent. We could potentially become the Clippers East; a team with plenty of room under the cap but ownership that decides not to use it.

This is supposed to be a franchise-altering offseason for the Hawks; the time when we use all that cap space to add major talent and return to respectability. As it looks right now, it could still be a franchise-altering offseason, but in a way that sets us back for years.

To conclude, I just want to say how disappointed I am in both the players association and ownership. The current system in place is working well and the league is prospering. Bickering over the length of contracts and an age limit is so unnecessary. Sure, there are a few changes that could be made, but both sides need to realize that a lockout is the absolute last avenue to take. Even if there were a brief work stoppage, the image of the league would be tarnished. We’d be lumped into the same category as the NHL debacle. A lockout hurts both sides. There are no winners. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that something can be worked out sooner rather than later, for both the Hawks sake and the leagues sake.