Community Shootaround News & Rumors

Kevin Love took part in a full practice for the first time this weekend. He recently mentioned that he is focused on putting his difficult 2014/15 campaign behind him and he is ready to assume a larger role in the team’s offense.

Prior to that, LeBron James also discussed the idea of Love being more of a focal point to the team’s offense, adding weight to that expectation. Love is returning from a dislocated left shoulder injury that he sustained in the first round of the playoffs last season. Love is also coming off of his worst rebounding and scoring per game averages since the 2009/10 season. With Tristan Thompson still unsigned, the Cavs will need Love to post better rebounding numbers.

Thus, today’s topic: What should be expected from Love this season? What do the Cavs need out of him?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. Also, be sure to check back later on, as we’ll be responding to readers throughout the evening. We look forward to what you have to say!

Ricky Rubio, when healthy, is one of the craftiest playmakers in the game and he causes terror for opposing point guards with his perimeter defense. However, he hasn’t been the healthiest player, missing 126 games during his first four seasons in the league, and his jump shot is a work in progress that may never materialize into a weapon that he can use on a regular basis.

Rubio has been the subject of trade rumors on occasion during the offseason, although Rubio and the team have done their best to bat them down. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune knows the situation as well as anyone and he spoke with Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors about the subject earlier today. Zgoda isn’t optimistic about a trade occurring due to a lack of options in Minnesota to immediately replace Rubio, but he speculated that if the Wolves could swing a deal and land someone like Eric Bledsoe, they’d probably pull the trigger.

That leads us to today’s topic: Where does Rubio sit in the league’s point guard ranks? What other point guards are comparable to the 24-year-old?

Back in August, we asked if readers would prefer Bledsoe or Reggie Jackson to lead their team and the majority leaned Bledsoe’s way. Is Rubio a better option to run the point than Bledsoe? Is he better than Jackson? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. Also, be sure to check back later on, as we’ll be responding to readers throughout the evening. We look forward to what you have to say!

Paul George has reportedly voiced some displeasure with the Pacers’ plan to move him to power forward, though he did say that he’s willing to stick with it for the time being. George added that he felt overmatched trying to guard Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis in the team’s first preseason game, but after meeting with coach Frank Vogel and president of basketball operations Larry Bird, George said on Monday afternoon that he would remain in that role. “We’re going to still stick with it, see how it works,”  he told Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star. The fact that George lobbied to scrap the team’s entire offseason plan after one game is “lunacy,” Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel opined. But Vogel told Doyel that he’s not worried about George’s reluctance to play the four. “Well, he’s going to buy in, so I’m not really sure how to answer that,” Vogel said. “We’re going to work together to figure out the best combination of all these things.”

This brings me to the topic/question of the day: What are your thoughts on the Paul George at power forward experiment the Pacers are trying out?

Indiana is essentially moving its best player to an unfamiliar position where he may find himself physically outmatched from time to time. With George still working his way back from the devastating broken leg he suffered last year while playing for Team USA, is this a wise move by the franchise with one of its cornerstone players? How do you think George will fare at the four spot if he remains there for the entire campaign? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

With projected starter Dante Exum likely lost for the entire 2015/16 campaign, Utah will look to 2013 No. 9 overall pick Trey Burke to take over as the team’s primary point guard. While Burke is no stranger to the starting role, having started a total of 111 contests during his first two seasons in the NBA, he hasn’t shown enough for the Jazz to view him as their point guard of the future, which in turn led to the 2014 NBA Draft lottery selection of Exum.

In a recent article, Brad Rock of The Deseret News speculated that this season would likely be the final chance for Burke to establish himself as an NBA starter, and noted that Utah’s playoff hopes in 2015/16 hinged on the play of the 22-year-old playmaker. Burke is certainly a fiery competitor and he has excellent intangibles that don’t show up in the nightly box score, but he also hasn’t shown the ability to shoot consistently since entering the league, with Burke owning a .374 mark from the field for his career. With today’s emphasis on guards who can stretch the floor and make it rain from beyond the arc, this certainly puts Burke at a disadvantage in the eyes of NBA scouts and front offices in regards to his future prospects.

This brings me to today’s topic: Is Trey Burke a viable long-term starting point guard in the NBA?

Do you believe that 2015/16 will be Burke’s breakout season, or is he more likely to disappoint with his play this year? Do you view him as a starting-caliber point guard, or is he better suited to be a reserve? Whichever side of the fence you are on regarding Burke, let’s have your best predictions for his stat line this season. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

According to a report by Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press, the Pistons are closely monitoring Markieff Morris‘ situation in Phoenix, and are interested in acquiring the disgruntled forward. Morris had previously said that he felt disrespected by the way the Suns had handled the July 9th trade of his twin and former teammate, Marcus Morris, to the Pistons, and had made it clear that he wanted out of Phoenix prior to the 2015/16 season commencing.

“One thing for sure, I am not going to be there,” Markieff had said. “If you want to put that out there, you can put that out,” he added. “. . . I am not to going to be there at all.” Those comments to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer essentially confirmed a report from John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 radio that Markieff wanted off the Suns. Morris was fined $10k by the league for making those public statements.

Morris has since backed off his negative stance and declared “I want to be here” at Phoenix’s media day gathering, which may have been more for damage control after the fine by the league. The former 13th overall pick had also said that he planned not to talk to the Suns front office and to answer coach Jeff Hornacek only with one-word responses until he was dealt, which would certainly not have been an ideal situation for anyone involved.

In addition to a potential attitude problem from Markieff, the twins are also both facing felony aggravated assault charges for their alleged roles in a January brawl at a Phoenix recreation center. The duo would be suspended a minimum of 10 games if they are found guilty of a felony and could also face a suspension if they’re guilty of a misdemeanor. With the offseason addition of Ersan Ilyasova, who was acquired in a trade with the Bucks, Detroit doesn’t have a pressing need for a player with Markieff’s skills, though he would certainly be an asset if healthy and motivated.

This brings me to the topic of the day: Should the Pistons acquire Markieff Morris?

Is adding his talents to the roster worth the potential risk, as well as the cost in assets, which are reportedly quite high, in order to obtain Morris? Who would you give up in a trade if you were Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony shot down speculation that he would eventually become disenchanted with the franchise and ask for a trade, saying “hell no” in response to a reporter’s question to that effect. He also reiterated his faith in team president Phil Jackson, and added that he was bothered all summer by the notion that he wanted to be traded and the idea that he was against the team’s decision to draft Kristaps Porzingis fourth overall.

Anthony’s contract still has four years and more than $101.606MM left on it, and includes a no-trade clause, which means that Melo would need to be a willing participant in any swap. The veteran’s contract also features a 15% trade kicker, which further complicates any potential trade scenario. With the Knicks suffering through a 17-65 campaign in 2014/15, and the team not expected to be a playoff contender this season, the possibility certainly exists that the franchise could look to pull the plug and begin a full rebuild in the near future.

This brings me to the topic/question of the day: Should the Knicks look to deal Carmelo Anthony? If so, would it be in Anthony’s best interest to agree to a trade?

If you think the Knicks should trade Anthony, what team(s) do you think he should waive his no-trade clause for? What sort of return could/should the Knicks receive in return for the aging star? If you are for Anthony remaining in New York, let us know why. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

Cavaliers swingman Iman Shumpert will miss the next 12-14 weeks because of a wrist injury, the team announced on Tuesday. Shumpert, who re-signed with the Cavaliers for four years and $40MM this summer, recently suffered a ruptured extensor carpi ulnaris sheath in his right wrist, according to the team’s statement. The 25-year-old reportedly hit his wrist on the rim during a workout last week but continued to play through it, GM David Griffin said. The injury will force Shumpert out for training camp and the first two months of the regular season.

The Cavs don’t have immediate plans to address the injury with a roster move, Griffin said, according to a report by Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, but he didn’t rule out doing so at some point. “I think we look at this as a very similar situation to what we went through in the playoffs last year: Next man up,” Griffin said. “We have a roster we feel is deep enough to withstand one injury like this, and so we’re going to give people a chance to kind of absorb it from within, but obviously we’ve been paying attention to a lot of opportunities that we may be able to [use] to improve the group. We’ll just play it by ear.”

This brings me to the question/topic for today: Do the Cavaliers need to make a roster move to replace Iman Shumpert?

Will the Cavs be able to weather the storm with J.R. Smith as the starter and Joe Harris and Mo Williams as the backups? Or should the team make a move to fortify the position either via trade or free agency? If you think the team needs to add another wing, who should they target? Take to the comments below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

The injury bug has once again stung Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, who sustained a left orbital fracture after taking an inadvertent elbow to the face during practice. Rose underwent surgery today, and he is expected to miss approximately two weeks of action. While the team and Rose dodged a bullet with the point guard not expected to miss any regular season contests, this is just the latest bit of misfortune for the point guard, who has only appeared in a total of 100 games over the last four NBA seasons courtesy of various maladies.

Rose probably didn’t help his cause with the Chicago media and fans of the team when he indicated during the team’s media day sessions that he was looking forward to hitting free agency. The point guard, who is signed through the 2016/17 campaign, did note that he expects to remain in Chicago for the long term, but Rose added that the allure of an increased salary cap and plenty of teams willing to spend would certainly give him reason to test the market.

This brings me to the question/topic of the day: Would the Bulls be better served if Derrick Rose departs after the 2016/17 season as a free agent? 

The 26-year-old was well on his way to becoming one of the best players in the NBA before injuries began to take their toll on his body and production. A healthy Rose would no doubt be worth the maximum salary, whatever that may be by the time 2016/17 rolls around, but pegging his current (or future) value is certainly a difficult task, and it’s one that will make or break some GM’s career when the time comes. The Bulls are hamstrung by Rose’s current salary of $20,093,064, as well as the perpetual worry about if and when he will next succumb to injury. While his current injury can be chalked up to bad luck, Rose’s knees will always be a source of concern, and as he ages his durability isn’t likely to improve.

If you were the GM of the Bulls, would you want to re-sign Rose? If so, what would be the largest contract you would feel comfortable handing over to him? Or would you decide to cut your losses and allow Rose to depart via free agency? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.