By AILENE VOISIN, Sacramento Bee

Jimmer Fredette is a rookie, and he will be a rookie next week and the week after that. So for those wondering why the former Brigham Young University standout has spent the past two games on the bench -- and hello to all you impassioned tweeters from Utah -- that's the short answer.

The long answer is that Fredette walked into a mess.

Nolan Smith remembers very little of this, of course. He was only 8 years old when his father, former Sacramento Kings guard Derek Smith, went into cardiac arrest and died aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic.

Carlos Rogers never quite understood the bum rap about his hands. Or maybe he simply remains in denial, which can be as important to a cornerback as amnesia is to a kicker.

Contrary to public opinion polls in Washington, D.C. -- and a widespread perception during his final season with the Redskins -- he swears his fingers are not attached to bricks or blocks of concrete.

He tried for normal, he really did, but there was no chance for normal. This was the Jimmer, the day after Christmas. This was his NBA debut, six weeks delayed. These were the Los Angeles Lakers.
He was eager, he was nervous.

He was enveloped by fans, bolstered by family.

NBA players are getting restless, and who can blame them? They want to work. They crave routine. The heavy (weight) lifting usually begins in September. Training camps and travel to unusual places dominate October. November is when games begin to matter, except during a labor impasse, when players are locked out of team facilities and left on their own.

For one of the few times in their existence, the little guys are taking it to the big boys. Many of the NBA's small and mid-size franchises are resisting David Stern, outnumbering their colleagues and putting the squeeze on the players who make the league what it is, for better or worse.

Can this marriage be repaired? Can the bulk of the 2011-12 NBA season be salvaged?

Frank Gore is too tough on himself. His work ethic is twice the size (at least) of his ego. He never complains about having a bad day. His career has been disrupted by injuries, the Alex Smith circus and the 49ers' coaching carousel, but other than the occasional request for a few more carries, this is usually the guy who is just glad to have a job.

Sunday was different, though.

An NBA collective bargaining agreement will be reached by the end of this weekend. That's my prediction. That's where I'm putting my beer money. I've already told two friends I would buy the kegs if I'm wrong.

The upbeat mood among NBA types early last week lasted about 72 hours, or until league and union executives resumed negotiations and realized they weren't close to reaching an agreement after all.

The salary cap debate -- soft vs. hard -- remains the most contentious issue.

See what happens when the local team knocks off a heavily favored Pac-12 opponent?