NBA training camps will never be confused with NFL training camps when it comes to the position battles and the number of roster cuts needed, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t important decisions to make when it comes to building basketball rosters. The reality is that all 30 NBA teams have important choices to make and that has a huge impact on fantasy. Here are four training camp battles that fantasy gurus will be keeping a close eye on.
Timberwolves Front Court Rotation
The Minnesota Timberwolves have the luxury of having too much talent up front and while they definitely aren’t used to it, there is no doubt it is a good problem to have. Minnesota drafted center Karl-Anthony Towns with the first overall pick in this year’s draft and he is expected to start from the outset for them. However, the team is pretty deep up front behind Towns with Kevin Garnett, Nikola Pekovic, Adreian Payne, Gorgui Dieng. Shabazz Muhammad and Nemanja Bjelica are also in the mix depending on if the Wolves want to play a bit smaller.
Towns and Dieng are expected to play big minutes this season while Garnett still has the potential to offer a solid 20-25 minutes a night. Pekovic is recovering from an injury but if he can stay healthy, he will be worth of minutes too. Minnesota already cut ties with former first overall pick Anthony Bennett because of their depth up front and while Towns and Dieng are locked in for big minutes, the rest of the frontcourt situation will have to work itself out in camp.
Celtics Power Forward Rotation
The Boston Celtics missed out on Kevin Love in free agency but they did land Amir Johnson and trade for David Lee to bolster their talent up front. Boston also has Perry Jones and rookie Jordan Mickey slotted in the power forward spot while Jared Sullinger, Jae Crowder and Jonas Jerebko will also settle into a rotation on the wing. The obvious favorite to start at power forward is Lee but his defensive shortcomings and injury history could limit how much he plays. Sullinger has been working very hard this offseason to get into the best shape of his life and the Celtics would be smart to play him, but in this rotation, you never know. Lee and Johnson have limited upside; Sullinger would seem to have more. This is going to be one area to keep a close eye on in training camp as you’ll want to own the starter if there’s a clear one or avoid the situation if it’s still muddied.
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Pacers Starting Center Job
With both Roy Hibbert and David West gone, the Indiana Pacers will try Paul George at the power forward spot with George Hill, Monta Ellis and C.J. Miles expected to fill out three of the other four starting spots. However, there will be a battle for the starting center job with no real clear-cut favorite. Ian Mahinmi figures to get the first shot after spending the last three seasons coming off the bench behind Hibbert. But Indiana also added Jordan Hill and has Lavoy Allen in the mix, along with the player they hope will be the long-term solution at the position: rookie first-round pick Myles Turner. The 19-year-old Turner added 20 pounds and has worked hard to make an immediate impact this season. He looked fantastic in Summer League action. It will be interesting to see how big his role is as he fights for playing time with Mahinmi, Allen and Hill. He’s probably the guy you want to own here.
Knicks Power Forward Spot
There has been a lot of talk about how New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher would like to keep Carmelo Anthony on the wing despite the fact that he has put up better numbers at the four. While he can still figure in to the mix at power forward, the team already has plenty of options there. Derrick Williams, Kyle O’Quinn, Kevin Seraphin and rookie Kristaps Porzingis will all get a look at the four and it looks like it will be on those four players to battle it out in camp for playing time. This has the makings of a messy timeshare but maybe someone emerges in training camp.
