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Central Notes: Mirotic, Cavs, Rose, Tolliver

October 30th, 2017 at 6:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls power forward Nikola Mirotic will not have surgery on the facial fractures he suffered when teammate Bobby Portis punched him, team vice president of basketball operations John Paxson told George Ofman of WBBMNewsradio (Twitter link). Mirotic will have a light workout at the team’s practice facility on Tuesday, Ofman adds.

Mirotic was expected to miss 4-6 weeks in the aftermath of the altercation, but this development suggests a four-week absence is more likely. There has been speculation that the Bulls’ power forward would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to escape the tense situation but he cannot be traded until January 15.

In other news around the Central Division:

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue believes some of his players are too timid because of LeBron James‘ presence, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com relays. Lue expressed those feelings after an embarrassing loss to the Knicks on Sunday. “Guys have got to understand that LeBron, he’s a giving person, he’s a giving player,” Lue said. “You’ve got to come in and play your game and we’ll adjust. I think a lot of times we defer to LeBron or guys are scared to be aggressive because of that.” Vardon speculates that Lue was referring mainly to former Celtics forward Jae Crowder, who’s averaging 7.3 PPG on 6.6 shots per game.
Lue said that re-inserting Derrick Rose into the starting lineup was an easy one, as he expressed to Vardon and other media members. Rose scored 15 points on Sunday in his return from an ankle injury that cost him four games. “I thought those first two games we were really playing well, and especially defensively,” Lue said. “After that it’s been tough trying to maneuver guys in and out of the point guard position.”
Reserve power forward Anthony Tolliver has carved out a defensive role in the Pistons’ rotation, Rod Beard of the Detroit News notes. Though coach Stan Van Gundy has said publicly that second-year forward Henry Ellenson deserves steady playing time, Van Gundy has turned to Tolliver to guard the Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis and the Clippers’ Blake Griffin in recent games, Beard adds. Tolliver is in his second stint with the team after signing a one-year, $3.3MM free agent contract during the summer.

Central Notes: Shumpert, Wade, Stephenson, Bucks

October 29th, 2017 at 9:08am CST by Arthur Hill

Iman Shumpert, whom the Cavaliers spent most of the summer trying to trade, was in the starting lineup for Saturday’s loss at New Orleans, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. The move was necessitated by injuries, as Derrick Rose continued to be unavailable with a sprained left ankle.

Rose wants to remain in the lineup once he returns, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, and he was concerned he might have to sit out today’s game if he played Saturday. Coach Tyronn Lue recently moved Dwyane Wade and Jae Crowder to the bench and didn’t want to disrupt their new roles, so he called on Shumpert. The Cavaliers have used four different starting lineups in six games.

There’s more this morning from the Central Division:

Cleveland’s reported interest in Suns guard Eric Bledsoe is the latest sign that the addition of Wade isn’t working out, states Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Wade, who asked to be removed from the starting lineup this week, is averaging 8.6 points through five games and is shooting just 43% from the field. Winderman suggests that Wade’s friendship with LeBron James blinded the Cavs to the reality that Wade can’t produce at an elite level anymore.
Pacers swingman Lance Stephenson hasn’t lost confidence despite a terrible start to the new season, relays Mark Montieth of NBA.com. In a reserve role for the high-scoring Pacers, Stephenson is averaging 6.2 points per game and shooting just 27% from the field, 13% from 3-point range and 38.5% from the free throw line. “I’m going to keep shooting,” said Stephenson, who came back to Indiana late last season after spending time with the Hornets, Clippers, Grizzlies, Pelicans and Timberwolves. “My confidence is never going to go down. In practice I don’t miss, so it’s probably just mental. A lot of rushed shots. Just stay poised and don’t get out of it. Bring it every game. I haven’t lost my confidence at all.”
When Myles Turner returns from the concussion that has sidelined him since opening night, Pacers coach Nate McMillan is considering using him together with Domantas Sabonis, Montieth writes in the same story. The move would put the team’s two best rebounders on the court at the same time. “It gives us some size, it gives us some versatility,” McMillan said. “We’re big, but we still have the speed and athleticism to defend and run our sets. “I look forward to getting to that as much as possible.”
Bucks guard Matthew Dellavedova is trying to use his experience to bring chemistry to a young team, notes Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.

Cavs Notes: LeBron, Nets’ Pick, Rose, Green

October 26th, 2017 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

While the LeBron James rumor mill hasn’t really picked up in earnest yet, there has already been plenty of speculation about where he’ll sign when he becomes a free agent in 2018, and it’s a storyline that figures to pick up steam over the course of the season.

Over at SI.com, Richard Deitsch takes an early look at James’ options, soliciting opinions from basketball writers like Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, Michael Lee of The Vertical, Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post, and more. Asked to predict LeBron’s 2018 landing spot, Beck stresses that no one knows yet where the four-time MVP will play next season, but the group overwhelmingly votes in favor of the Lakers, with the Cavaliers as the runner-up.

Meanwhile, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) also explores the LeBron sweepstakes in a roundabout way, examining which clubs will have the cap flexibility next summer to make a run at a maximum-salary free agent. While teams like the Sixers, Mavericks, Hawks, and Bulls project to have significant cap room, no team will have more room than the Lakers, who could potentially open up two max-salary slots with a little help.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

After losing to the Nets on Wednesday night, James points out to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com that Brooklyn’s 2018 first-rounder – currently held by the Cavs – “might not even be that good of a pick.” Given the Nets’ record over the last couple seasons, their unprotected 2018 first-rounder was considered the crown jewel of the Cavs’ trade with the Celtics this summer, but Brooklyn is off to a good start this season, with a 3-2 record. “We’re running around here worrying about getting the Brooklyn pick, they might want our pick,” said head coach Tyronn Lue.
The Cavaliers are giving Derrick Rose what the Knicks didn’t last season, according to Alex Squadron of The New York Post, who explains that Lue’s offensive system gives the former MVP far more freedom than he ever had in the triangle. “Coach Lue and the team have been doing a great job of letting me play the way that I want to play,” Rose said. “So I can’t complain at all.”
Lue hopes to get Rose – who has been sidelined with an ankle injury – back in the lineup on Saturday, per Ashish Mathur of AmicoHoops.net.
Moves like the Kyrie Irving trade and the Dwyane Wade signing overshadowed the Cavs’ offseason signing of Jeff Green, but the team is relying upon the veteran forward to be a defensive stopper early in the season, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com details.

Central Notes: Pistons, Rose, Wade, Markkanen

October 22nd, 2017 at 3:25pm CST by clarkcrum

Despite a disappointing 2016/17 campaign, in which the Pistons finished 37-45 and missed the playoffs, owner Tom Gores still has confidence in coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy, reports Ansar Khan of MLive.com. “Do I believe in Stan? Absolutely,” Gores said. “He works hard. He told me the other day how hard this team is working. They practice hard. The game is one thing, but practice is important, so Stan really feels good about it … We’re seeing this through, absolutely.”

Gores also touched on the Pistons’ return to Detroit after spending the prior 29 seasons in Auburn Hills. “Back in Detroit. I think that’s a big deal. The city’s worked really hard for this. To tell you the truth, I’m not sure exactly how to express it other than I’m just so happy for you guys, for the community … I feel really fortunate to be here.” Despite last season’s frustration, the Pistons are off to a 2-1 start; enough to place them atop the Central Division in the early going of the 2017/18 season.

Here’s more news from the Central:

Derrick Rose is unconcerned about his left ankle injury that kept him out of the Cavaliers’ 21-point loss against the Magic on Saturday night, relays Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. In fact, Rose seems more concerned about the effect his absence may have on his conditioning level rather than the ankle itself. “It’s a mild sprain, nothing too serious,” Rose said. “Been getting lot of treatment since this morning, actually (Friday) night. They’re staying on top of it. Like I said, I just don’t want to lose my conditioning because I feel like I’m in great shape right now.”
While Rose looks to make his return to the court in the near future, teammate Dwyane Wade is still trying to find his rhythm on the court with the Cavaliers, reports Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Wade is averaging a mere 5.7 PPG on 28% shooting in his first three games with the Cavaliers. “I’m trying to find it, man,” Wade said. “It’s very different, different than I’ve ever played. Just trying to find my way, as we go on, see how I can be best for this team. Everything’s happened so fast.”
In the midst of a rebuilding year and an embarrassing altercation between teammates, the Bulls seem to have found at least one bright spot in rookie Lauri Markkanen, reports Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago. Scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in Saturday night’s loss to the Spurs, Markkanen received high praise from a future Hall-of-Famer, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. “Markkanen is a wonderful player. He’s aggressive, he’s smart and obviously, he can shoot the ball. He’s just going to get better and better as he figures things out.” With both Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic out for the next several games, at least, Markkanen will continue to have an opportunity to showcase his talent against the rest of the league.

Central Notes: Bulls, Pistons, Smith

October 12th, 2017 at 4:08pm CST by Austin Kent

The Bulls finally embraced a rebuild this offseason so there will be no shortage of attention paid to how they manage each and every asset from this point forward. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that the club will be particularly patient with injuries to key young players considering that now more than ever the club can afford to lose ball games.

Between the lingering effects of Zach LaVine‘s 2016/17 ACL injury and preseason setbacks to both Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn, the new look Bulls are awfully banged up ahead of the 2017 season opener and may not even see the court together until as late as December.

“I think it’s just about being patient,” Dunn, acquired in the trade that sent Jimmy Butler from the Bulls to Minnesota, said. “Lauri, he was in Finland, so there was a lot of strain on his back from all the games they played [in the EuroBasket tournament]. Zach, with his injury, you try to take it slow with him because he’s a big piece to this team. And me, I’m just slowly trying to get back. So it’s just a slow thing.”

To that effect, Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg has said that his starting lineup when the season begins on Tuesday will consist of Jerian Grant, Justin Holiday, Nikola Mirotic, Paul Zipser and Robin Lopez.

There’s more from the Central Division:

When Derrick Rose signed a minimum contract with the Cavaliers, he did so as a bet on himself. “I get a chance to reintroduce myself back to the league. I get to bet on myself. That was one of the reasons I came here, I get to bet on myself. And I’m from Chicago, I’ve got that hustling side; it’s in me, man,” he told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
While Pistons projects Luke Kennard and Henry Ellenson figure to make an impact on the team eventually, they’ll have to beat out defensive-minded veterans Reggie Bullock and Anthony Tolliver for minutes, Keith Langlois of the team’s official site writes. Both Tolliver and Bullock provide plenty of intangible skill that make life easier for the second unit.
The announcement that Dwyane Wade would be the Cavaliers‘ starting shooting guard didn’t go over well with J.R. Smith. “We talked about it,” Smith told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “It wasn’t the most positive conversation, but we talked about it and we’ll get through it together.“

Bulls Notes: Rose, Wade, Dunn, Lineup

October 10th, 2017 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

With Dwyane Wade poised to start at shooting guard this season for the Cavaliers, he and Derrick Rose will share the backcourt in Cleveland. The pairing is one that the Bulls badly wanted to create themselves back in 2010, and Rose said today that he made an effort to bring Wade – along with LeBron James and Chris Bosh – to Chicago. As Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com details, the former No. 1 overall pick recorded a video to recruit the trio.

“Oh yeah, yeah, I tried,” Rose said, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “People always said that I didn’t recruit. I tried to recruit. I put out the video, but, it wasn’t for me to say that. I felt like it was for the organization to say that.”

Rose, who received some criticism during his time with the Bulls for not making a stronger effort to recruit free agents, said today that he doesn’t know whether Wade, James, and Bosh ever watched the video he recorded.

“(The Bulls) didn’t say anything about it,” Rose said. “They sent it, I don’t know if they really actually looked at it or played the video, but, I made the video, but at the time it really wasn’t for me to say that.”

Here’s more from out of Chicago:

There are no hard feelings between the Bulls’ young players and Wade, despite an incident last season in which the veteran guard – along with Jimmy Butler – questioned his teammates’ desire to win. “We never had any conflict with Dwyane,” Nikola Mirotic said, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Just after that game, they had some tough declarations, Jimmy and D-Wade. But that was all. It’s a part of the game. They were hot. There was disappointment about the game. We all understand. But inside the locker room and in the practices, they were terrific with us. So there’s nothing to complain about.”
Bulls reporter Sean Highkin (Twitter link) hears that the Bulls expect point guard Kris Dunn to be sidelined for two to four weeks due to a dislocated finger.
While it hasn’t been set in stone yet, all signs are pointing toward the Bulls opening the season with Jerian Grant, Justin Holiday, Paul Zipser, Mirotic, and Robin Lopez in their starting lineup. K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune has the details.

Central Notes: Rose, Love, Robinson, Holiday

September 30th, 2017 at 7:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

Enjoying a fresh start in Cleveland, Derrick Rose admits to being in “a dark place” last season with the Knicks, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Rose missed part of training camp because of a civil suit involving sexual battery allegations, then had a much-publicized disappearance in January when he missed a game without permission. His season ended early as New York shut him down in April with a torn meniscus in his left knee that required surgery. “By a dark place, I mean, I was playing, like, revenge basketball, and that wasn’t my way of playing basketball,” Rose explained.

Rose didn’t get the free agent offers he anticipated and wound up signing a one-year minimum-salary deal with Cleveland. It’s a big step down for a former Most Valuable Player, but Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue sees it as a sign of character. “A guy who has been MVP, who started his whole career and to come here for the minimum knowing and thinking that Kyrie [Irving] is going to be here with him being the backup, it just shows he wants to win,” Lue said. “And that’s who he is as a person. You can see it every single day. He wants to be a winner. He wants to win. He works that way. So it’s just great to have him here.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The pickup of Jae Crowder in the Irving trade may prompt Lue to use a smaller starting lineup, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Heading into camp, Lue said he intended to keep Tristan Thompson as his starting center. But Crowder’s ability to stretch the court as a power forward may make entice Lue to use Kevin Love in the middle and make Thompson a reserve. “We did a lot of that last training camp, but as far as how the sets are put together right now throughout training camp I am seeing a pretty significant amount of time there,” Love said. “Depends on — now with so many guys on the team and so many lineups that we can throw out there it will probably change.”
Glenn Robinson III will miss two months with a severely sprained ankle, but the Pacers forward is relieved it wasn’t worse, according to Jim Ayello of The Indianapolis Star. Robinson and his teammates were concerned that he might have ended his season when he fell hard at practice Friday. “I’m young,” said Robinson, who was in a walking boot today at practice. “Hopefully I can heal a little faster.”
The Bulls appear headed for a high lottery pick, but that’s not how they’re approaching camp, relays Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Regardless of what people might think or say, we’re here to win,’’ said Justin Holiday, who came back to Chicago this summer after spending one season in New York. “We’re not on this NBA team just to be here, just to hang out. We’re here to win games.”

Cavaliers Hope To Have Isaiah Thomas Back By Christmas

September 25th, 2017 at 12:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers are optimistic that Isaiah Thomas can recover from injuries to his right hip in time for their Christmas game with Golden State, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.

The two-time All-Star has reportedly made “real progress” in rehab since joining the team in late August. Thomas was part of the package that Cleveland received from Boston in return for Kyrie Irving, and a dispute over Thomas’ medical condition help up the deal for about a week.

Cavaliers officials refused to answer questions about Thomas’ hip in a press conference after the deal was completed and offered no timetable for a possible return. Today’s news is the first indication of when he might be ready to play again.

Thomas suffered a torn labrum during the season and aggravated the injury in the Eastern Conference Finals, forcing him to miss the end of the series. It has been reported that he also has a loss of cartilage and some arthritis, which has slowed the recovery process.

Thomas has used a multi-faceted rehab plan to try to get back on the court, Vardon writes. In addition to weightlifting and stretching, he has been running in a pool and on a weightless treadmill and taking stationary shots on the court.

Thomas’ condition affects more than just the Cavaliers’ season. He is hoping for a max contract in free agency next summer after making about $6.3MM this year.

In other news out of Cleveland today:

Coach Tyronn Lue says free agent addition Derrick Rose will be the starting point guard until Thomas returns, Vardon tweets. The former MVP agreed to a one-year, minimum salary deal with Cleveland in July after spending one year with the Knicks.
The team has named Bernie Bickerstaff senior advisor of basketball operations, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

Community Shootaround: The Importance Of Derrick Rose

September 2nd, 2017 at 10:57am CST by marksuleymanov

Isaiah Thomas‘ hip injury has cast doubts on when he will be able to contribute to the Cavaliers this upcoming season. LeBron James and head coach Tyronn Lue reportedly “cooled” on the acquisition of Thomas after learning that he may miss the start of the regular season and possibly be out until after the All-Star break, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.

Thomas himself has a more positive outlook. Speaking to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski before the Celtics and Cavaliers completed their blockbuster trade, Thomas proclaimed he is “not damaged” and promised he would return to last year’s form — where he averaged an Eastern Conference-best 28.9 PPG.

“There’s never been an indication that I wouldn’t be back, and there’s never been an indication that this is something messing up my career,” he said. “Maybe I am not going to be back as soon this season as everyone wants me to be, but I’m going to be back, and I’m going to be the same player again. No doctor has told me anything different than that.”

If Thomas misses that much time, Cleveland’s signing of former NBA Most Valuable Player, Derrick Rose, becomes that much more important. Rose, 28, spent 2016/17 with the Knicks and while off court issues plagued most of his season, he was a productive asset, averaging 18.0 PPG and 4.4 APG. Hindered by injury for most of his career, Rose underwent surgery for a torn meniscus — his fourth knee surgery — in April but is expected to be ready for training camp.

Cleveland signed Rose to a one-year, $2.1MM deal — the veteran’s minimum. The same player who spent the last two years saying he will seek a maximum contract (which would have been worth approximately $150MM) will make less in 2017/18 than Ron Baker — his backup in New York last season. Yet, much like his new teammate Thomas, Rose is confident about what he will do in a Cavs uniform.

“When I get on a good team and I’m still hooping the same way, what are you going to say then?” Rose said to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. “The only thing that you’ll can say is that I can still play.”

If Rose can still play at the level of last season, Cleveland will have a more than adequate stopgap if Thomas is not ready to begin the year. Conversely, unless Rose somehow recaptures his 2011 MVP form, he will be a significant downgrade from the departed Kyrie Irving.

Either way, Rose will have the opportunity to prove with his play that he’s worth more than the undrafted rookie who was his backup in free agency.

With all of that said: Do you think Rose will be a key part of the Cavaliers next season? If he plays well in Thomas’ absence, should he retain the starters role? Will his body be able to hold up? Will Thomas come back healthy and keep Rose on the bench?

Cavs Notes: Shumpert, Arena Renovations, Rose

August 29th, 2017 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

As we noted on Monday, the Cavaliers are still interested in trading Iman Shumpert, even as they consider whether to complete the Kyrie Irving trade with the Celtics as is. Shumpert has been linked to a handful of teams this offseason, having nearly been sent to the Rockets in July. The Timberwolves are also among the clubs that has spoken to the Cavs about the veteran swingman, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).

Sources tell Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net that while several teams have shown interest in Shumpert, that interest hinges on the Cavs’ willingness to attach a draft pick to him. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders makes a similar point in his latest piece, noting that if the Cavs are seeking an extra draft pick from the Celtics in the Irving mega-deal, Cleveland could flip that pick in a Shumpert trade in order to move him.

Here’s more on the Cavs as they consider their options with Irving and Shumpert:

Within the article linked above, Kyler notes that moving Shumpert without taking back significant salary might also make the Cavaliers more comfortable about taking on Isaiah Thomas‘ contract, even if they have concern about his hip, since dealing Shumpert would further reduce their projected tax bill.
With funding from the city of Cleveland uncertain, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has nixed a proposed $140MM renovation to Quicken Loans Arena, as Karen Farkas of Cleveland.com details. Community groups had opposed spending taxpayer money on the project, which was announced by the Cavs eight months ago.
Speaking to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, new Cavaliers point guard Derrick Rose opens up about his time with the Knicks, his motivation going forward, and a handful of other topics.