Okay, not every one of these can be [even partially] about Andrew Wiggins.
Not much new has happened on the Love-Wiggins front. Which is a good thing. Everybody assumes that Love for Wiggins is a done deal and only less important details will be discussed between now and August 23, when the trade can be executed. Love has even withdrawn from Team USA and the basketball World Cup, which was reportedly at the request of the Timberwolves. They cannot afford a Love injury that would ruin a favorable-given-the-circumstances trade with the Cavs.
Speaking of that Team USA…
Derrick Rose is back.
Scratch that.
According to reports from today’s practice, Derrick Rose is BACK.
Every basketball fan should hope this is true and Rose returns to his MVP form. Because, you know, it’s more fun with more players of that caliber to watch and appreciate. Rose has been one of my personal favorites since his Memphis season, so I’m paying extra attention to this now-public recovery process from his pair of serious knee injuries and surgeries.
Pushing it forward to the next NBA season — and assuming this Love trade goes through as generally suspected — that Cavs-Bulls rivalry will be IN-TENSE. Joakim Noah is coming off of his best career season; one in which he made First Team All-NBA. The Bulls added Pau Gasol as a third big man. (While Gasol slipped considerably over the past two seasons, the idea of him playing limited minutes in a bench role sounds like an unfair advantage.) The Bulls drafted Doug McBucketsDermott, who seems like he might become one of the greater shooters in the league in a short period of time. They also welcome prized Euro prospect Nikola Mirotic, and bring back gritty defenders Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler.
If Rose is ROSE, the Bulls will be a 60+ win powerhouse and difficult for a Cleveland team — even one with Kyrie, LeBron and K-Love to beat in a playoff series. The coaching in that matchup will be first rate with Tom Thibodeau and David Blatt. In a completely different way than Spurs-Thunder of recent seasons past, that Eastern Conference slugfest could be its own version of basketball porn.
I hope to see it, with Rose playing like old — er, I mean, “young” Rose.
Only 25 more days until Wiggins, folks. Stay patient.
Punch-Drunk Wolves 