NBA AM: Time To Shut Down Carmelo Long Term?

Shutting down Carmelo Anthony, long term, may be the right decision for New York Knicks

Things are clearly not going well in the Big Apple. The New York Knicks (5-23) appear to be lottery bound and on the verge of missing the playoffs for the second straight season. To make matters worse, All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony is battling severe left knee soreness which forced him out of Thursday’s matchup versus the Chicago Bulls.

Anthony has mentioned the possibility of taking an extended rest but for now the team is treating it as a game to game basis. But should the Knicks consider shutting down Anthony over the long term? It is a topic that people close to Anthony has at least discussed with the star in recent days.

“I have multiple people say kind of just shut it down,” Anthony said according to Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. “Or just take time off. But at the end of the day, it’s hard for me to just do that right now in the midst of what’s happening with the team and this season. So just trying to be smart about that.

“It gets frustrating. Not knowing what’s going to happen kind of with your body. So for me it’s just taking it as the days come.”

While the thought of making a playoff run isn’t completely inconceivable, the Knicks are after all only seven games from the last Eastern Conference playoff spot, the reality is this season is about finding who fits under the Phil Jackson regime.

The Knicks signed Anthony to a five-year deal worth over $120 million this past summer. Anthony is their prized investment. The team, even in a best case scenario, isn’t going to sniff title contention this season. It would seem to be smart money for the franchise to think long and hard about protecting their most talented asset and giving Anthony’s troublesome knee the rest it needs to heal

Lance Stephenson staying put in Charlotte?

Despite their early season struggles the Charlotte Hornets (6-19) are surprisingly just 4.5 games behind the Brooklyn Nets for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  It is safe to say the Hornets have failed to live up to expectations and capitalize off their momentum from last season where the team made the playoffs.

The Hornets made a splash in free agency this past summer by signing marquee free agent Lance Stephenson away from the Indiana Pacers. The deal, at the time, figured             to elevate the Hornets in the Eastern Conference but Stephenson has struggled to find a consistent rhythm  and hasn’t had the desired impact.

Stephenson then became an easy scapegoat for Charlotte’s struggles. Never mind the fact the Hornets played without starting small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for a large part of the season and the team lost last season’s starting power forward Josh McRoberts in free agency. The low hanging fruit has been blaming Stephenson for the struggles.

So it didn’t come as a surprise when rumors began surfacing about Stephenson potentially being available on the trade market for the right. But after a few weeks of speculation it appears that Charlotte isn’t ready to give up on struggle swingman just yet.

According to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, Charlotte is tabling talks of trading Stephenson.

Underwhelmed by the quality of trade offers they’ve received for Lance Stephenson, the Charlotte Hornets have decided to keep the volatile guard “for now,” according to league sources.

But while sources say as many as seven teams registered interest, including Miami and Brooklyn, no offers intrigued Charlotte and several teams that called did not make trade proposals.

Another factor in the Hornets’ decision to keep Stephenson is their growing belief that a groin injury has hindered him all season and played a significant role in his lack of production. Stephenson is expected to miss the next two games because of the groin and did not travel to Philadelphia for Friday’s game against the 76ers.

Stephenson is averaging 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 25 games this season with the Hornets. It’s important to note the report indicates the Hornets are tabling trade discussions for the guard at the moment, but things around the league can spark up quickly – especially near the February trade deadline.

Rajon Rondo says goodbye to Boston

The last remaining member of the Boston Celtics’ 2008 championship team, four time All-Star guard Rajon Rondo, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday in exchange for Brandan Wright, Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder, a $12.9 million trade exception and first and second round draft picks.

Rondo took to Twitter to show gratitude for Boston’s fans, his teammates and share his excitement of heading to the Mavericks.

My time in Boston has meant so much. I've grown up with this city both as a basketball player and person. The love I have for the most loyal

— Rajon Rondo (@RajonRondo) December 19, 2014

And supportive fans in the league is unmatched. My teammates have shown nothing but heart the last couple of seasons.

— Rajon Rondo (@RajonRondo) December 19, 2014

They are some of the hardest working guys I have played with and I wish them the best. I've experienced my most successful and challenging

— Rajon Rondo (@RajonRondo) December 19, 2014

Years w/ the Celtics, fans and city. The opportunity to play with guys like Dirk, Monta, Tyson and the young talent of Chandler is exciting

— Rajon Rondo (@RajonRondo) December 19, 2014

I look forward to building something special in Dallas.

— Rajon Rondo (@RajonRondo) December 19, 2014