As the NBA lockout negotiations continue on, Utah Jazz fans are waiting in limbo, hoping to see some basketball played in the near future. But as they wait for a resolution, they really should be rooting for the owners.
Love or hate David Stern and the rest of the billionaire NBA owners, they are looking out for the smaller market teams like the Jazz.
Guess how many smaller market teams have won NBA titles in the last 34 years. One -- the San Antonio Spurs. With the current lack of revenue sharing and the soft salary cap, big market teams with lucrative local TV contracts can afford to go way over the cap and pay big money for players like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant.
Now, the Jazz have gone over the cap before, but they just can't afford to do it anymore in today's economy. Jazz fans should feel lucky the Miller family has spent as much as they have on salaries over the years. One of the main reasons why they traded Deron Williams was because they knew they wouldn't be able to re-sign him.
Unless there is a hard salary cap, or a stiffer luxury tax penalty for going over the cap, the Jazz will never be able to compete with the likes of the Lakers, Heat, Celtics and Mavericks.
The NFL has it right. They have a hard cap and equal revenue sharing. That's why teams like the small market Green Bay Packers can win Super Bowls.
The NBA players are only looking out for themselves, which they should. But the owners, who also want as much money as they can get, want a competitive balance. Jazz fans should be hoping for that as well even if it means wiping out the entire season.
