After today’s announcement that the Pacers will host the 2021 All-Star Game, the Cavaliers have been assured that they will be an all-star host soon afterward, reports Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “Cleveland is a great basketball city with some of the NBA’s most passionate fans and we look forward to holding our week of NBA All-Star events in Cleveland in the near future,” read a statement from NBA Deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, who promised that the game will be coming to Cleveland “in the near future.”
Quicken Loans Arena is going through a $140MM renovation, and the Cavs were hoping to be named All-Star hosts in 2020 or 2021. David Gilbert, chief executive officer for the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, said up to 14 cities were competing for the 2021 game.
There’s more tonight from the Central Division:
- Cavaliers center/forward Channing Frye is making changes to his game to earn more playing time, relays Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Known primarily as a long-distance shooter, Frye has taken the ball to the basket more often this season. “I said, ‘Well, two Finals and I haven’t played a whole lot so I have to evolve something,'” Frye commented. With free agency approaching next summer, Frye is averaging 4.5 points in 13 minutes per game.
- In four games since returning to the Bulls, Nikola Mirotic has shown why he won a starting job during preseason, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Mirotic had 29 points and nine rebounds tonight as Chicago, which was a league-worst 3-20 in his absence, improved to 4-0 with him in the lineup. “He does a lot of little things that don’t show up in the box score,” said coach Fred Hoiberg. “He’s in the right spot defensively, he’s in a stance, he knows where to be, he understands the game plan.”
- Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy is hoping to shake up the team after a seven-game losing streak has brought Detroit back to the middle of the Eastern Conference, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Van Gundy recently replaced Stanley Johnson with Reggie Bullock in the starting lineup, and he indicated more changes are coming tomorrow, although they may not involve personnel. “It won’t be anything like a new offense, but we will shift our priorities a little bit in terms of play-calling — run some things more, run some things less and not run some things,” he said. “Our offensive approach hasn’t been as good as it could be to help these guys. Nothing different defensively; we just have to play it harder and better.”
Tristan Thompson will get Frye’s minutes. Frye wasn’t in the rotation when Thompson was healthy.
If Wade has to stay on the second unit then so does Frye. Chemistry!
Also: GSW. TT should be familiar with the first team in case he’s needed there; but not necessarily starting. GSW rotates their (quite effective) centers and CC should not get worn out there like last year.
I’d think IT starts right away. The only thing that scares me is he didn’t have surgery and this has happened before.
Stephen A. Smith said he sees LeBron staying. I like to see that. I just wonder if Gilbert will fork out cash for LeBron, IT, Jeff Green, and Wade.
They said Tristan is staying on the second unit.
Seriously on the Paul George trade last offseason Gilbert sad what he is so mad about is he thought the trade was agreed upon and had contacted George’s agent to talk to him about an extension.
I wonder if Gilbert will go for him again. He defends the shooting guard well. A guy at tonights game yelled “Hey George, I thought you wanted to be Reggie Miller.”
Mirotic has definitely evolved his game..Before he was primarily just a stand at the 3 point line catch and shoot…or catch, pump fake, and shoot guy lol…
He’s been driving, showing off his passing skills more, rebounding at a higher rate, improving his defensive game, and being the focal point of the Bulls’ offense has suited him very well..
Usually he wait’s until March to start to show off, but he’s definitely going all out this year and playing like a man that has something to prove..
Slowly the Bulls rotation is actually coming together. With the youngish guys like Dunn, Mirotic, Portis, Nwaba, and even Valentine in spurts, the Bulls are starting to show some signs of life…Once they get LaVine back, they could be actually watchable once again…lol…
Also, Nwaba has been an excellent player for the Bulls so far this year. He has definitely improved his game this year. He’s been a high energy, defensive stalwart for this team, and has really stepped up his game thus far.
Also, if Dunn could continue slowly increasing his shooting percentage, then he very well could be in the running for most improved player. Hes already showing he can run an NBA offense more efficiently, while increasing his assist to turnover ratio more and more as the season goes on…Although, ultimately, I believe Oladipo will get it, especially since he’s getting so many shots over there in Indiana…
Not to mention all of that is without Markkanen, who has proven to be a very solid player thus far in his short NBA career…
Well written.
id really rather have the worst record than see 3kola win us games.
Agreed. But this is messing up the tank job. Lol. My guess is they’ll sell high on Mirotic.
I agree with many of the good things about him, but I’ve also saw him play like this for a month stretch, and then stunk it up, in the past.
That’s been the only thing he’s been consistent about in his NBA career…….being inconsistent.
I think he’s the type of player that needs to be “the man” on the team he’s playing on, otherwise he won’t play as hard and basically silently pouts. Just my opinion.
Unfortunately, once Markkanen and Lavine get back, he’ll be far from “the man,” and he will return to his old ways.
“Usually he waits until March to show off”
That was an lol like