"Sam Presti and lieutenant Troy Weaver knocked on Kevin Durant's door at 11:01 p.m. June 30, 2010. They had a deal done by 11:02.

Now, the next Thunder superstar is up for a contract extension, and there will be no doorstep deal for Russell Westbrook.

Don't blame Presti and don't blame Westbrook. Blame circumstances. The NBA lockout, ended by a sudden labor agreement over Thanksgiving weekend, has created a shotgun start to not just training camp or the season, but contract negotiations.

What usually is accomplished gradually over months now is being shoe-horned into a couple of weeks. The season starts in 11 days, and the Hornets, for example, have seven ballplayers on their roster, not counting training-camp invites."