The Calendar of Dread now takes front and center position on the NetsDaily Deadlines and Commitments list. Expect the NBA will cancel another round of preseason games sometime in the early part of the week, perhaps after Monday's round of talks.
Meanwhile, Over There, Nets players will finally be playing for real. Preseason is over and teams are playing in various leagues: the Euroleague, EuroCup, EuroChallenge, Turkish League, Adriatic League, Israeli League, Georgian SuperLeague. We're relying on Eurobasket.com and Sportando.net and hoping for the best.
October 4 - Besiktas plays Dexia Mons-Hainaut at the Mons Arena (capacity 3,700) in Belgium. Deron Williams first away game.
October 7 - October 9 - Turkish Cup Tournament in Istanbul. Williams plays for Besiktas, Bogdanovic plays for Fenerbahce Ulker; ex-Net Sasha Vujacic plays for Efes. D-Will's first chance to examine Bogdanovic's game.
October 9 - October 10 - "Kim's Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event" on E! Two hours, Two nights. Too much.
October 10 - Maccabi Tel Aviv plays in Israel's Chance Cup. Jordan Farmar becoming among Israel's most popular players.
October 15 - Basic drop-dead date for losing regular season games. In 1998 lockout, the league canceled the first two weeks of the regular season on October 13.
October 15 - Opening Night of Turkish League. Williams plays for Besiktas vs. Bandirma Kir, Bogdanovic plays for Fenerbahce Ulker vs. Trabzonspor; Vujacic plays for Efes Anadolu vs. Erdemir. None of the three go up against one another for another three weeks.
October 16 - Opening Night of the Israeli League. Farmar's Maccabi Tel Aviv plays Gilboa/Galil Elion in Tel Aviv.
October 18 - With October 13 game in Trenton, already canceled, this is the first preseason game, vs. New York, still on the schedule. After that, the home games are October 20 vs. Philadelphia, and October 24 vs. Boston. The Nets would also visit the Celtics on October 26 and the Knicks on October 28.
October 20 - Euroleague opens this weekend. Farmar plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. Armani Milano of Italy; Bogdanovic plays for Fenerbache vs. Caja Laboral of Spain. Vujacic plays for Efes Anadolu vs. Partizan.
October 31 - Sundiata Gaines and B.C. Armia open their defense the Georgia SuperLeague title.
November 1 - If lockout is over and Nets are preparing for a November 2 opening night, this is the day the Nets have to decide on extending Stephen Graham's contract.
November 1 - Likely date for D-League Draft (which is done by conference call). Armor have no first round pick, having traded it last year for Scottie Reynolds.
November 2 - If no lockout, Nets open season, their last in New Jersey, with a road game in Washington.
November 5 - If no lockout, Nets' home opener, vs. Pistons at Prudential Center. If there's a lockout, Williams will plays against Bogdanovic, the Nets second round pick as Besiktas takes on Fenerbahce Ulker in Istanbul.
November 8 - B.C. Armia of Georgia opens its EuroChallenge season in Gottingen, Germany, with Gaines at the point.
November 15 - First missed paycheck for most NBA players. Most players are paid bi-weekly and their contracts run basically on the same schedule as the season. Some players get paid in a lump sum, others on an annual basis, meaning their last paycheck with July 1.
November 25 - Springfield Armor Opening Night, at home...Armor vs. Maine Red Claws.
December 30 - Efes Anadolu plays Besiktas in the Turkish League. Vujacic vs. D-Will...if the lockout is still on.
January 7 - If no agreement by this date, expect the entire 2011-12 season will be canceled.