On the sales front, Philip Miller, the current boss of Saks, argues that Proffitt's cash flow and real-estate portfolio will speed Saks's plans to open stores, pay for more renovations and help take Saks's name into new countries and new retail formats such as the Internet.
In the aftermath of its 2004-05 lockout, the league implemented a host of rules changes intended to open up the flow of play and cultivate more offense.