Community Shootaround

Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis has been impressive thus far in 2015/16 and has taken New York by storm. The 20-year-old is averaging 13.7 points and 9.1 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per night over his first 15 contests. While Porzingis’ early season production has turned some heads around the league, questions still remain about what the Latvian’s long-term position will be. He has primarily played power forward for the team thus far, and his ability to hit outside shots certainly makes him valuable as a stretch-four. But New York may look to use Porzingis as a center down the line, though he’ll almost assuredly need to add some bulk onto his 240-pound frame to be effective in the pivot full-time.

This brings me to today’s topic: What position do you think Kristaps Porzingis is best suited for going forward in his career?

Should the Knicks continue to develop Porzingis as a power forward, despite the presence of Carmelo Anthony, who may need to slide over to the four spot as he ages? Or should the Knicks move Porzingis to center, where his athleticism would be an asset but his slender frame could make him a liability on defense? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

The Sixers are off to an 0-15 start, and while the sun may always shine in Philadelphia, this is a franchise clearly in the shade the last few seasons. In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com’s Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton looked at the frontcourt pairing of Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel and concluded that the two play better when not sharing the court. This is certainly a problem for the team and coach Brett Brown, seeing as the two big men are easily the team’s best players, and it is looking more and more like GM Sam Hinkie will need to make a trade in order to change the team’s dynamic and balance out its roster.

This leads me to the topic for today: Should the Sixers trade Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel? If so, then which player should GM Sam Hinkie look to part with?

Okafor is clearly the better offensive player of the two, and he appears to have the higher overall upside as well. Plus, he’s in just the first year of his rookie scale deal, which means a team acquiring him would control his rights longer than Noel’s, who is eligible for restricted free agency in 2017/18. Dealing away Okafor so soon after using the No. 3 overall pick on him would almost certainly upset the team’s fanbase further, as well as cast more doubt on the viability of Hinkie’s build-through-losing strategy. The only tangible benefit to making such a move is that Okafor would likely bring back a higher return if shipped out of town.

What are your thoughts? Should the team trade either Okafor or Noel, or is the sample size too small to judge adequately if the two young big men can coexist alongside one another for the long term? If you believe a move needs to be made, which big man should Hinkie focus on trading and why? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

The Kings have been derailed with injuries, but the team has had some bright spots with the play of Rajon Rondo topping that list. Entering Saturday, no one in the league had more assists per game than the Kentucky product. The point guard also has four triple-doubles in just 13 games, which also leads the NBA.

Rondo signed a one-year, $9.5MM deal with Sacramento after it appeared interest in him was dwindling. His contract is being lauded as one of the best bargains in the NBA in the wake of his hot start, as 17 point guards have a higher salary this season than the 29-year-old Rondo. That includes Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, who both play the point at times, but often share the backcourt as well.

Rondo needs to have a strong 2015/16 season in order to rehabilitate his value after a failing to live up to expectations upon arriving in Dallas via trade last season. He’s trending in the right direction and if he continues his level of production, he will likely see a hefty raise on his current salary.

That leads us to tonight’s topic: What kind of offers will Rondo receive when he hits the open market next summer and do you think he stays with Sacramento or signs a pact with another team?

Take to the comments section below to voice your thoughts and opinions, as well as to provide us with your best predictions. We look forward to what you have to say.

Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, doesn’t appear to be anxious to leave Memphis, but the veteran also isn’t making any promises that he will return to the team next season. “It’s easy to feel obligated; it’s easy to want to stay,” Conley told SI.com’s Chris Mannix recently. “This is where I’ve had my whole career. At the same time I understand this is a business. I have to weigh my options just like Marc Gasol did. Hopefully it will be an easy decision, whatever it is.”

Conley, who is currently slotted No. 3 in our 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings, has been a rock-solid performer for the Grizzlies since being selected with the No. 4 overall pick back in 2007. The 28-year-old is set to earn $9,588,426 this season, a pittance for a player as talented as Conley is, and its hard to imagine him settling for less than the maximum on his next deal, though that is merely my speculation. The Grizzlies possess Conley’s Bird rights, which means that the team can exceed the cap to re-sign him if necessary. With the salary cap set to increase markedly in 2016/17, and Memphis currently committed to $47.657MM in guaranteed salaries, there shouldn’t be much of an issue in bringing Conley back into the fold. Of course, Conley could decide that he’d like to play elsewhere, and if that is indeed the case, he will have no shortage of suitors lining up to bid on him.

So here’s the topic for today: Will Mike Conley re-sign with Memphis next season? If not, where do you see him landing?

Take to the comments section below to voice your thoughts and opinions, as well as to provide us with your best predictions. We look forward to what you have to say.

The Rockets fired coach Kevin McHale on Wednesday and installed J.B Bickerstaff as the interim coach for the remainder of the season. GM Daryl Morey said that he has not lost faith in the team’s ability to contend, and cited the lack of time to dally in the rugged Western Conference as reasoning for making the coaching move at this time. Team owner Leslie Alexander, who purchased the club in July of 1993, ripped the performance of the Rockets, saying the team has never played quite so poorly in his time as owner.

Houston was 4-7 this season under McHale, and though the team did not look particularly well-prepared or motivated this campaign under the former coach, it’s difficult to place the full blame on McHale’s shoulders for the franchise’s subpar start. The roster doesn’t appear to be well-balanced, and the team’s defense was woeful, a by-product of GM Daryl Morey stockpiling offensive-minded players.

This brings me to today’s topic: Who is to blame for the Rockets’ current woes?

Do you feel that Houston will be a better club now that it is out from under McHale’s tutelage? Or are you of the opinion that the players are at fault, and the team would have been better served by making some roster moves instead? How much fault do you place in the lap of Morey, who is the architect of the current roster? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Nuggets small forward Wilson Chandler underwent successful surgery on Tuesday to repair a labral tear in his right hip. Chandler initially suffered the injury during the preseason and he will be out of action for the remainder of the 2015/16 campaign. Despite the swingman missing approximately 133 games since 2011 due to hip injuries, Chandler, who signed a four-year, $46.5MM renegotiation and extension with Denver back in July, recently told Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post that he isn’t contemplating retirement.

The 28-year-old has been a versatile and productive player when his health has allowed, but Chandler is rapidly approaching the age of 30, and his health isn’t likely to improve as time passes. Which brings me to the question/topic of the day: Will Wilson Chandler return to form and reward Denver for extending his deal?

Do you think Chandler is done in the NBA as a productive starter? Or are you more optimistic about his ability to make a full recovery and return to action as a valuable team asset? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

In a recent column, Matt Moore of CBSSports.com opined that the Thunder would be better off as a team if Enes Kanter was utilized as a starter, rather than coming off the bench as he has been. Moore acknowledged that Steven Adams has earned the right to start, but the defensive shortcomings of Kanter would be better masked playing alongside the team’s starters. The CBS scribe also opined that playing Kanter alongside Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant early in games could overwhelm opponents on the offensive end, while still allowing coach Billy Donovan to use Adams, who is an excellent defender, during crunch time.

Now it’s time for the question/topic of the day: Who should the Thunder start at center?

Do you agree with Moore’s assertion that beginning the game with Kanter on the court would improve the Thunder, provided Adams was utilized in the proper spots? Or do you think the team is fine as is, and Adams should remain the one who is jumping for the opening tip? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.