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Exploring Cup stat trends at 1.5-mile tracks ahead of Texas

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Tags: 1.5-mile speedways, AAA Texas 500, nascar, texas motor speedway, Aric Almirola, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr.

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NASCAR America: Short track action is what ‘this sport was built on’ October 31, 2018 7:02 pm Exploring Cup stat trends at 1.5-mile tracks ahead of Texas October 31, 2018 5:30 pm NASCAR America with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN October 31, 2018 4:30 pm Social Roundup: A very NASCAR Halloween October 31, 2018 12:30 pm Tyler Reddick to join Richard Childress Racing in Xfinity in 2019 October 31, 2018 11:22 am NASCAR penalty report from Martinsville Speedway October 31, 2018 10:15 am NASCAR America: Reversal of fortune at Stewart-Haas October 31, 2018 7:00 am NASCAR America: Playoff crew chiefs look back at Martinsville, prepare for Texas October 30, 2018 8:30 pm Who is hot and cold entering the AAA Texas 500 October 30, 2018 6:21 pm NASCAR America at 5 p.m. ET: Reports from shops of playoff teams October 30, 2018 4:33 pm Preliminary entry lists for NASCAR at Texas October 30, 2018 3:51 pm Bump & Run: Is Truex too nice? Was Logano’s move a cheap shot? October 30, 2018 2:15 pm Long: Martin Truex Jr. joins long list of sparring partners for Joey Logano October 30, 2018 11:55 am Goodyear bringing new tire to Texas for Cup, Xfinity teams October 30, 2018 10:16 am Cup playoff grid: Truex, Harvick tied; Bowyer, Almirola in trouble ahead of Texas October 30, 2018 8:00 am NASCAR America: Joey Logano: Roger Penske having his back ‘means the most’ October 29, 2018 8:34 pm NASCAR America at 7 p.m. ET: Martinsville recap, Joey Logano interview October 29, 2018 6:30 pm Ryan: Does NASCAR really want Martin Truex Jr. to be the bad guy? October 29, 2018 5:30 pm NASCAR’s best cage rattling short track finishes October 29, 2018 4:18 pm Denny Hamlin unable to capitalize on last-lap fireworks at Martinsville October 29, 2018 10:00 am Long: Love it or hate it, the finish was what Martinsville is about October 28, 2018 10:02 pm What drivers said after the Cup race at Martinsville October 28, 2018 8:44 pm Martin Truex Jr.’s crew chief has ‘a few choice words’ with Joey Logano’s October 28, 2018 8:20 pm Points after the Cup race at Martinsville October 28, 2018 7:40 pm Results, stats for the Cup race at Martinsville October 28, 2018 7:32 pm Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Petty react to Martinsville finish October 28, 2018 7:31 pm Roger Penske takes exception to Martin Truex Jr.’s comments October 28, 2018 7:18 pm Joey Logano wins at Martinsville after contact with Martin Truex Jr. on last lap October 28, 2018 6:17 pm Hendrick Motorsports reveals Jimmie Johnson’s sponsor for 2019-20 October 28, 2018 1:34 pm Staff picks for today’s Cup race at Martinsville October 28, 2018 1:00 pm Martin Truex Jr. to start at rear at Martinsville October 28, 2018 9:32 am Today’s Cup race at Martinsville: Start time, lineup and more October 28, 2018 6:30 am Kyle Busch qualifies first at Martinsville October 27, 2018 5:02 pm Truck results, points standings after Martinsville October 27, 2018 4:37 pm Johnny Sauter triumphs in truck race at Martinsville October 27, 2018 2:48 pm Ryan Newman paces final Cup practice at Martinsville October 27, 2018 12:45 pm Todd Gilliland captures truck pole at Martinsville October 27, 2018 11:55 am Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus and the pantheon of pro sports partners October 27, 2018 10:00 am Brad Keselowski leads first Cup practice at Martinsville Speedway October 27, 2018 10:00 am NASCAR America: Distractions may get the best of Martin Truex Jr. October 27, 2018 9:00 am

Source: https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2018/10/31/exploring-stat-trends-at-1-5-mile-tracks/

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deskcoin64-blog · 5 years ago

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One year later: Bears' Zach Miller nears recovery milestone

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller still wants to play professional football, but any talk of a return is premature until Miller proves he can perform a task most people take for granted: run.

Exactly one year has passed since Miller suffered a horrific injury during a road game against the New Orleans Saints that nearly cost him his left leg.

• How fates of Koetter, Winston are tied • Ugly numbers behind Giants' offensive woes • How Cooper's presence can help Cowboys • Saints are 'here for all the smoke' • Much works remains for Shanahan, Lynch

Miller’s rehabilitation from the dislocated knee he sustained in Week 8 of last year has been grueling. The veteran underwent nine different surgical procedures to save and then stabilize his leg.

At the time of the injury, doctors warned Miller that he might never run again.

But speaking on the one-year anniversary of the injury on Monday, Miller hinted that he’s close to reaching that recovery milestone.

“Stay tuned on that one,” Miller said with a smile.

“I don’t know if we’re medically permitted to talk about that, or I guess on these premises, so ask me on the side. That was a personal goal of mine just to have something to aim for. I haven’t been medically cleared yet to run. And I know my body. I know if I can push the envelope and do things, I think that’s more of a they don’t want me to trip and fall and injure something, but I’ve done that and I’m proud of that so it’s been good. It’s good.”

The Bears signed Miller to a one-year split contract in June, and then promptly placed the veteran on the reserve/PUP list in order for Miller to continue strengthening his leg.

“I don’t know how that’ll play out,” Miller said. “I haven’t been told no [you’ll never play again]. I haven’t been told yes. That’s kind of just a day-to-day thing. I know there’ll be a point where I’ll be able to decide that. I’m not there yet so I just continue to work to it, knowing that if I can get it done, that’d be awesome, and if I can’t I’d be willing to accept that fact, that I gave everything I could to get there.”

Miller’s on-field football career may be on hold, but the 34-year-old has been active behind the scenes for the Bears.

“We [routinely] talk through some ways that he can help out, whether it’s video, film, suggestions, whatever it is, any way he can help,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said. “We just feel like everybody should be a part of this thing and he loves that, he’s good at it, so let’s use him.”

Besides being useful to the Bears, Miller also expressed gratitude that he has recovered to the point where he can spend quality time with his wife and three children.

Zach Miller's career trajectory changed after this fateful play in New Orleans one year ago. Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports

“That was my No. 1 goal as I spoke with all my doctors. As much as I wanted to play football and do want to play football, the main thing was can I enjoy everyday life with my kids?” Miller said. “Can I run around in the backyard, throw the football, and kick a soccer ball? And be able to beat them until they at least get into high school because that's what I'm planning on doing. That was the main thing and, yeah, they're already falling in line. I'm already able to do that, which for me, that's a win. So if I get to be able to do that for a very long time, I'll be happy.”

Miller was rushed to University Medical Center New Orleans on Oct. 29 after he dislocated his left knee while making an over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone during Chicago's game against the Saints.

Miller's leg bent awkwardly on the play and he stayed down for several minutes until he was taken off the field on a cart.

Officials later ruled that Miller did not maintain possession of the ball, negating a touchdown.

Doctors performed emergency vascular surgery that night to repair a damaged artery in Miller's left leg that stemmed from the knee dislocation. Miller was hospitalized in New Orleans for eight days before being transported back to Chicago in a medevac jet.

Miller underwent a total of nine surgeries, but he was spotted walking without a limp recently at the Bears' team facility.

Miller, who has battled injuries for much of his career, was one of Chicago's most consistent offensive performers in the John Fox era, catching 101 passes for 1,161 yards and 11 touchdowns over parts of three seasons.

To this day, Miller remains one of the Bears' most popular figures inside the team facility.

“Zach is one of my favorite people I’ve been around in a long time,” Nagy said. “I absolutely love the kid. He’s somebody we feel very fortunate and lucky to have be a part of this family and this organization. The times that we get together and talk, he’s just such a happy-go-lucky guy, good person. I knew what he was as a player, as a tight end and the things that he could do. I love the guy, I really do, and we’re fortunate -- and I know today is the year anniversary and everything for that happening -- but he just does things the right way and he’s good people.”

Source: http://www.espn.com/blog/chicago-bears/post/_/id/4708610/one-year-later-bears-zach-miller-nears-recovery-milestone

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1 missing, 1 rescued from Lake Michigan in Highland Park

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (WLS) --

Authorities in Highland Park are searching for a woman who went missing in Lake Michigan in Highland Park on Sunday.

At about 10:30 a.m. Sunday, approximately 20-30 people entered Lake Michigan in the area of Park Avenue for an unofficial polar plunge-type event, authorities with the U.S. Coast Guard said. Upon entry to the lake, authorities said several people were struggling to get out of the water, prompting an employee of the North Shore Yacht Club called 911.

One man was pulled out of the water unresponsive and taken to Highland Park Hospital, according to Coast Guard officials. Information on his identity and condition was not available.

The Coast Guard was still looking for a 52-year-old woman.

Lake Michigan had temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s on Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Source: https://abc7chicago.com/1-missing-1-rescued-from-lake-michigan-in-highland-park/4617622/

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Bears mailbag: A 6-3 start, will Adam Shaheen return this week, Jordan Howard’s future and a struggling running game

The Chicago Bears are 6-3 and off to their best start since former head coach Marc Trestman’s first season back in 2013. After a convincing 34-22 win over a division foe in the Detroit Lions, they’ll stay at home to host the Minnesota Vikings on what is the biggest game for this franchise in quite some time.

Division games have been a problem for the Bears in recent memory, but the hope is that Sunday’s dominating win will provide a spark. That spark is going to be a vital key for any post season aspirations they might have in the coming weeks.

Optimism is at an all-time high, but Sunday night will show football fans all around the country what kind of football team the Bears really are. With optimism and excitement comes questions, and with questions come answers. So without further adieu, let’s dive into Week 11’s mailbag.

I’d say there’s a strong chance that the Bears will activate Shaheen before the 3pm central deadline on Saturday. Last Friday, head coach Matt Nagy disclosed the team had not made a decision on the second-year tight end but it seemed pretty evident, judging by some of Nagy’s comments, that they didn’t think he was quite ready.

This week is a different story. It will be his second week of practice and this is a much bigger game than a week ago. Regardless of what happens with Dion Sims, I would fully expect Shaheen to not only be active but see 15-20 snaps on Sunday night.

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

One thing to keep in mind is that if he returns on Sunday night, they have a very short turn around before they play once again on Thanksgiving morning. Couple that with Shaheen returning to his first game action since late August and you’ll probably see him on some sort of pitch count. With all of that being said, make no mistake about it, he will be a big part of this offense moving forward. That also means we’ll likely see less of Sims.

It will also be interesting to see who they cut because they do have to clear a roster spot to activate Shaheen.

In a perfect world where cap space didn’t matter, absolutely. I think Le’Veon Bell would be a perfect fit in this offense.

In a realistic world? I don’t see them spending $15 million-plus on a running back any time soon, especially when they’ve already got a guy like Khalil Mack on the books for an average of $23.5 million per year and are a few seasons away from having to pay Mitchell Trubisky.

I will say is this on Jordan Howard, though, I think it’s becoming pretty apparent that he’s not a fit for this offense, and I don’t think it’s even really his fault. This offense calls for a running back that needs better athleticism, better pass catching ability, and just an all around better three-down back type of skill-set.

It’ll be interesting to see how they handle it this off-season but I’ll go on record as saying I’d be pretty surprised if Howard is on the 2019 Week 1 roster.

I’ve got two guesses on this matter.

My first would be Daniel Brown. As much as I like Brown, Ben Braunecker is not only the better special teamer, but has seen more snaps in Shaheen’s and now Dion Sims’ absence.

My second guess would be Kevin White. For as much as we’ve all wanted White to work out, his time in Chicago is close to done, if not all the way gone. He’s been a healthy scratch the past two games and it may make sense just to cut bait with him, if they value Brown over him. He’s not in their future plans.

There’s three issues to the Bears running game right now, in my opinion.

Fit - I don’t think Howard fits this offense very well. Whether it’s due to lack of athleticism and ability to make sudden cuts in the backfield, or the fact that his blocking and catching don’t make him a true three-down back.

Scheme change - The past few years, the Bears have been primarily a zone running team. This year, we’re seeing more of a complex plan with new offensive line coach Harry Hiestand. It’s more of a hybrid blocking front and the way it’s meshed with Nagy’s play calling has made things look repetitive and to a certain extent, predictable.

Lack of creativity - Nagy said on Monday that contrary to popular belief, he loves to run the ball. That may be true, but like you pointed out, there hasn’t been a ton of creativity with Howard. He’s always been a better runner out of shotgun but there’s been very little outside runs that Howard has been involved in.

Overall, I don’t know that this is something that is just magically going to fix itself during the season, but it’s a main reason why I believe Howard is playing his final season for the team.

To be completely honest, I haven’t seen much of an influence from Helfrich, and that could be because Nagy has taken small concepts and mixed them in with his version of the West Coast style offense.

It’s worth noting that Andy Reid had plenty of “college concepts” within his offense and has for years now. It’s one of the main reasons he’s regarded as one of the best offensive minds in football. That has obviously translated over to Nagy as well, but in terms of what Helfrich has been able to do, I’m not sure I see much, so it’s hard for me to speak on it.

Whatever they are doing though, it’s working and I’d expect it to continue to get better.

The amount of skepticism the Bears have been met with so far this year has been somewhat surprising but to a certain extent, justified.

In situations like these, I try to put myself on the outside. The first thing Bears fans have to realize is that regardless of what most people say, they aren’t watching each and every game the same way that fans are. I’d say that under 40% of national analysts that have an opinion on the Bears have actually watched every minute of football they’ve played this year. That’s important to remember. While it may be coming from an educated source, it doesn’t mean they are always seeing the entire picture.

Second, the Bears were a 5-11 team a year ago. On top of that, most thought general manager Ryan Pace should have been fired, and most people hated the team trading up for Trubisky last April. The Bears haven’t finished over .500 since 2012 and have been through 3 head coaches and two general managers since that point. Meaning, there’s been plenty of perception built over a long period of time that the Bears are a bad team and a “disaster” of a franchise, as some have put it.

You combine those two together with the fact that the Bears (like many teams) haven’t beat a team currently over .500 and you’ll be met with skepticism.

The NFL is a weird thing. When teams stay good or bad for long periods of time, it takes a while for the perception to change but once that perception does chance, recency bias tends to kick in and those same people who called that team bad, now can’t remember those feelings for the years that they had them.

Long story short, all the Bears have to do is keep winning games. They are (6-3) with a chance to get to (7-3) with a win on Sunday night. Big wins in prime time slots seem to change perceptions quite quickly and let’s not forget, the Bears with Trubisky haven’t exactly been good in prime time (where many more people are watching), which leads a lot of casual fans to believe teams are different than they are. If they win these next two games, you’ll see the majority of skeptics buy in.

This was a great question and it took me quite a bit of time to look it up, but thankfully our resident NFL historian is a Pro Football Reference wizard, so he took the lead.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/11/14/18091342/chicago-bears-mailbag-a-6-3-start-will-adam-shaheen-return-this-week-jordan-howard-kevin-white-nfl

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The Bear’s Den, November 29, 2019

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BEARRRSSSS

Joniak’s Journal: Bears’ Chase Daniel Aims To Be ‘Perfectionist’ - 670 The Score - Chase Daniel could start at quarterback again this Sunday.

Emma: Numbers Suggest Bears’ Running Game Will Stay Grounded - 670 The Score - The Bears’ rushing attack has struggled even more with Kyle Long out.

Emma: Bears Safety Eddie Jackson Not Surprised By His Success - 670 The Score - ”I knew that I wanted to come here and dominate,” Eddie Jackson says.

4 Bears Lead At Their Positions In Pro Bowl Voting - 670 The Score - Khalil Mack, Eddie Jackson, Kyle Fuller and Tarik Cohen are on a Pro Bowl path.

Bernstein: Another Chance For Matt Nagy To Prove Himself - 670 The Score - The Bears’ game plan will have to evolve if Chase Daniel starts again.

Ellis: Mitch Trubisky limited in practice, but 'the arrow is up' on injury progress - NBC Sports Chicago - Mitch Trubisky was limited in practice Wednesday, but Bears coach Matt Nagy is still optimistic about the progress of the young quarterback's throwing shoulder.

Ellis: Eddie Jackson named NFC Defensive Player of the Week - NBC Sports Chicago - The safety's star continues to rise.

First and Final Thoughts: Talking ourselves into Chase Daniel again - NBC Sports Chicago - We're almost on to New Jersey York.

Mayer: Bears playing waiting game with Trubisky - ChicagoBears.com - Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky returned to practice Wednesday on a limited basis and remains day-to-day with a right shoulder injury in advance of Sunday’s road game against the Giants.

Mayer: Wednesday weigh-in: Bears prepping for Giants - ChicagoBears.com - Seeking their sixth straight victory, the Bears returned to the practice field Wednesday for the first time in a week to prepare for Sunday’s road game against the New York Giants.

Mayer: 9 questions to test your knowledge of Bears-Giants history - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears will visit the New York Giants Sunday. How much do you know about the two teams? Take this 9-question quiz to test your knowledge.

Chalk Talk: When was Bears’ last perfect November? - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses the last time the Bears went undefeated in November, how close the Bears are to breaking their team record for defensive touchdowns in a season and how the Bears have fared after compiling an 8-3 record.

Medina: The Bears Are Feeling the Love with FOUR Leading Pro Bowl Vote-Getters - Bleacher Nation - Vote early, vote often because it's the Chicago way ... and the Bears have players worthy of your vote.

Medina: Jordan Howard Continues to Receive Reassurances That He'll Be Part of the Offense Moving Forward - Bleacher Nation - Jordan Howard is so excited to be part of a winning team, he has no complaints about his disappointing statistical season.

Wiedman: Bears must take giant step at MetLife Stadium - Our Turf Football OTFB's Wanda Wiedman talks about what the Bears have to do to ensure a victory over the Giants

Biggs: Mitch Trubisky limited in Wednesday's practice as tea leaves point to Chase Daniel starting against Giants - Chicago Tribune - Mitch Trubisky was limited in Wednesday's practice as the Bears quarterback continues to heal from a right shoulder injury. Don't make the mistake of thinking the team will rest Trubisky against the Giants because they're struggling. That said, they're comfortable with Chase Daniel at the helm.

Biggs Bears Q&A: Could a pay raise entice Vic Fangio to stay? What is the trade value of Jordan Howard? Is it time to sign Bryce Callahan? - Chicago Tribune - Brad Biggs answers your Bears questions weekly. Lots of folks are wondering if the team can block Vic Fangio from leaving for a head coaching opportunity after the season. Is it time to sign CB Bryce Callahan? What's the trade value of Jordan Howard? Plus much more.

Campbell: Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky limited in Wednesday's practice, could miss Giants game - Chicago Tribune - Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky is not expected to practice Wednesday, coach Matt Nagy said. It creates significant doubt about his availability for Sunday's game against the Giants.

Kane: Can the Bears beat the Giants on Sunday? Check the numbers - Chicago Tribune - Here’s a look at the Bears by the numbers as they prepare to play the Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Kane: Bears safety Eddie Jackson named NFC Defensive Player of the Week - Chicago Tribune - Bears safety Eddie Jackson was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Bears’ 23-16 victory over the Lions on Thursday.

Audio Mailbag: What Should the Bears' Next Touchdown Celebration Be? - Da Bears Brothers Podcast - Da Bears Brothers provide another round of in-depth analysis on questions submitted by the fans in their weekly Audio Mailbag episode.

Stankevitz: Three reasons why the Bears should beat the Giants with Chase Daniel (and not Mitch Trubisky) - NBC Sports Chicago - The Giants are 3-8 and have a particularly sub-optimal defense, meaning if Chase Daniel is the QB on Sunday, the Bears should still win.

Mullin: For Bears, 9-3 a magic 'number' for postseason but little after that - NBC Sports Chicago - A 9-3 record has been good to the Bears, and they can reach that mark with a win in New York on Sunday. Here's how they'll get there.

Cox: Akiem Hicks misses Bears practice Wednesday; Mitchell Trubisky limited - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears are trying to get healthier during their “mini-bye week” but their Thursday game on Thanksgiving did a number on the injury report.

Under Center Podcast: Can the Bears win again with Chase Daniel? - NBC Sports Chicago - JJ Stankevitz, John “Moon” Mullin and Cam Ellis wonder if the Bears can beat the Giants without Mitchell Trubisky, and look at some encouraging trends that should help this team finish the 2018 regular season strong in the final five games

Householder: Chicago vs NY Giants Betting Picks & Analysis - Sports Bet Collective - The Bears travel to New York with their quarterback’s status up in the air again. Many sports books are holding off putting up a line on this game due to Mitchell Trubisky’s shoulder injury. It’s possible that the team holds him out one more week and roll with Chase Daniel. Daniel was effective and efficient but still lacked some of the downfield throws and scrambling ability of Trubisky.

Williams: Mitchell Trubisky officially limited in Wednesday’s practice – ProFootballTalk - Bears coach Matt Nagy said Wednesday morning he wasn't expecting Mitchell Trubisky to practice. As it turned out, the quarterback did something during practice. The team officially listed Trubisky as limited with a right shoulder injury.

Finley: Bears TE Adam Shaheen, OLB Aaron Lynch clear concussion protocol, practice - Chicago Sun-Times - The timing of the injury was particularly cruel for Shaheen, who had been activated from injured reserve the day before the game against the Vikings.

Jahns: Bears backup QB Chase Daniel getting first-team work - Sun Times - Bears backup quarterback Chase Daniel is preparing to start against the Giants.

Morrissey: The Bears should sit Mitch Trubisky against the Giants - Sun Times - It would be much better to have a healthy QB for the rest of the season than expose him to the possibility of discomfort, or worse, down the stretch.

Potash: Bears safety Eddie Jackson ’blessed’ to be in the right place at the right time - Sun Times - I wouldn’t want to be anywhere than here �� with the type of teammates I’ve got. I feel like being on the same team with them makes me better.

Finley: Giants star Saquon Barkley is the Bears' toughest RB challenge to date - Sun Times - Barkley has lived up to the hype — from Bears safety Adrian Amos and those with bigger megaphones — since being drafted second overall.

Finley: Mitch Trubisky injury update: Bears QB remains out with right shoulder injury - Sun Times - The Bears don't expect quarterback Mitch Trubisky to practice later Wednesday, coach Matt Nagy said.

Finley: Bears S Eddie Jackson named NFC Defensive Player of the Week - Sun Times - It marked the third such award for the Bears in as many weeks

Telander: Bears must rein in Mitch Trubisky before he runs himself ragged - Sun Times - It’d be demoralizing to see Trubisky become just an old-school pocket passer. But it would be even worse to see him get badly hurt running.

Kane: Linebacker Aaron Lynch returns to Bears practice, ‘fresh’ and ‘hungry’ to test the Giants offensive line - Chicago Tribune - Bears outside linebacker Aaron Lynch spent his Thanksgiving at home with his family, watching the Bears beat the Lions on TV.

KNOW THY ENEMY

NFC North Rundown: Minnesota Vikings keep playoff hopes alive - Acme Packing Company - While Chicago began to pull away from the rest of the crowd for the divisional title, Minnesota kept its wild card chances alive with a win over the Packers.

Raiders 2019 NFL draft order after week 12: Acquired picks keep tumbling - Silver And Black Pride - The Raiders have not scored a touchdown in 9 quarters and have been outscored 75-9 over that time.

Former Lions coach explains why Detroit chose Eric Ebron over Aaron Donald in the 2014 NFL Draft - Pride Of Detroit - A behind-the-scenes look at what happened that fateful April evening.

Wednesday Walkthroughs: Who’s your coaching crush for the Packers? - Acme Packing Company - APC Writers share their picks for who should be the next head coach of the Packers. Ken's Note: We hear both Mark Trestman and Dave Wannstedt are available...

Cardinals offense has improved under new OC Byron Leftwich - Acme Packing Company - Seth Cox of SB Nation’s Arizona Cardinals blog Revenge of the Birds answers our questions about new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

Lions again practice in freezing temperatures before an indoor game – ProFootballTalk - Two weeks ago, Lions coach Matt Patricia took some criticism in the media for having his team practice outdoors on a cold day, even though the Lions were preparing to play a game at home, indoors.

Jay Gruden: “We’ll deal with the outcry” on Reuben Foster – ProFootballTalk - Washington knows it will be taking flak for claiming linebacker Reuben Foster on waivers. And the organization seems to be OK with that. "At the end of the day we decided to make the move, and we’ll deal with the outcry, so to speak," coach Jay Gruden told reporters on Wednesday.

Tom Brady is limited again with a knee injury – ProFootballTalk - For the second straight Wednedsay, Tom Brady didn't get a full practice in. The Patriots quarterback was limited with a knee injury. It matches his official status from last week's first official practice in advance of a win over the Jets.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

WhiskeyRanger: Eddie Jackson has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week - Windy City Gridiron - Is Eddie Jackson the best safety in football?

Wiltfong's Chicago Bears Sackwatch 2018: Week 12 vs. Detroit Lions - Windy City Gridiron - Just when the Sackwatch was trending into some rarefied territory, the Chicago Bears give up four sacks to the Detroit Lions. Not having Mitchel Trubisky definitely hurt the sack numbers, but I’m...

Sunderbruch: Sustaining Success - What Do The Bears Still Need Work On? - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears are playing meaningful football in December. That alone is worth celebrating. However, it’s also worth asking what the Bears still need to do in order to sustain their success.

Link's 2018 Chicago Bears Rush Report 2018: Week 12 at the Lions - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears defense was noticeably gassed in this game, and that was to be expected. Coming off a grueling 3-game stretch with games at home against the Lions, the Vikings, and then traveling to...

WhiskeyRanger: OSS - Eddie Jackson is Action Jackson! - Windy City Gridiron - It’s time for "Action"

Leming's Bears mailbag: Mitchell Trubisky’s status, playoff talk, Jordan Howard’s future and much more - Windy City Gridiron - The (8-3) Bears are rolling and optimism as the playoffs approach are high. See if your questions were answered in this week’s mailbag.

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

2 Minute Drill - Website - iTunes - Andrew Link; Steven’s Streaming – Twitch – Steven Schweickert; T-Formation Conversation - Website - iTunes - Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; WCG Radio - Website - iTunes - Robert Zeglinski

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments, FanPosts, usernames or anywhere else in an SB Nation community: Comments, FanPosts or usernames that are intolerant or prejudiced; racial or other offensive epithets; Personal attacks or threats on community members; Gendered insults of any kind; Trolling; Click link for full information.

The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes, and any posts that do this will be deleted and the poster will be admonished. We do not allow comments posted where the apparent attempt is to cause confrontation in the community. We do not allow gender-directed humor or sexual assault jokes. The staff of WCG are the sole arbiters of what constitutes “apparent attempt to cause confrontation”. We do not allow the “calling out” of other members in any way, shape or form. Posts that do this will be deleted on sight. Bottom line, it’s fine to debate about football, but personal jabs and insults are strictly prohibited. Additionally, if you keep beating the same dead horse over and over and fail to heed a moderator’s warning to stop, you will be banned.

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Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/11/28/18117391/chicago-bears-2018-season-news-updates-analysis-game-twelve-new-york-giants-trubisky-daniel-lynch

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deskcoin64-blog · 5 years ago

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Bulls look to establish their offensive plans early at Summer League

Head Coach Jim Boylen is excited to establish his system during Summer League play

There comes Zach whizzing out of the backcourt, Otto and Lauri filling the lanes, Wendell the trailer spotting up high. The ball snaps to the wing, the into the deep corner, baseline skip pass, corner pass to the wing, shot. Three!

The informal dress rehearsal for that presumptive Bulls design begins Friday in Las Vegas when the Bulls open Summer League play against the Los Angeles Lakers 6:30 p.m Central on ESPN.

Zach and Lauri and Otto and the guys won't be there. But top draft pick Coby White and second rounder Daniel Gafford will be there along with the likes of holdover guard Shaquille Harrison and newly signed two-way guard Adam Mokoka from France.

Sure, the Bulls would like to get a first look at point guard White and rim runner Gafford during the next step up in competition. But it's also an opportunity for a preliminary glimpse at the style of play coach Jim Boylen plans to implement this season.

"I don't want to put too many expectations on them," Boylen said Thursday after a week long mini-camp for the rookies and free agents. "I'd like them to just get a comfort level with our staff, with what we are trying to do. Compete and play hard and help us to continue to establish our multi-ball handler system, our ability to drive the ball and get middle.

"We'd like to push the ball with the summer team with Coby dictating the break," Boylen said. "We'd like high outlets. We'd like guys running hard to the corners. We just want to be better at what we do while incorporating them."

While the Summer League games are something of a semi formal for the NBA's debuting dribbling debutantes, for the Bulls and Boylen facing his first full training camp as Bulls head coach it also will be something of a test run for the system of play the Bulls want to incorporate with their new, developing roster. Assistant Nate Loenser will coach the Summer League team.

"I also use Summer League for experimentation, the things I want to do and want to try," said Boylen. "One thing we haven't tried before, which the analytics say is something to do, is the corner crash, meaning we will send a guy to the boards we haven't sent before. We'll take a look at that this summer.

"I want a recognition system instead of an execution system. I want guys to read and react, like the old Bulls. That's what we are building here. So the practice plans are prepared to do that."

Head Coach Jim Boylen

"But the main thing is I want to teach our guys to read and react and play," said Boylen in channeling the best of Phil Jackson.

When Jackson took over as Bulls coach in 1989, he began incorporating the triple post, triangle offense. Though Boylen is not talking about using the triangle, the offense that was shaped by Hall of Fame coach Tex Winter features a read and reach philosophy. Jackson, of course, made references and comparisons to tai chi, the Chinese martial art that features defensive movements.

Boylen's concept of a read and react ideology, similar to Jackson's philosophy, is to limit the set plays so the defense cannot prepare for the play or action. In theory, that should give the offense more time for a shot or movement. Even with veterans like the Bulls had in the late 1980's, it took awhile to master. Boylen isn't looking so much for an instant system as much as encouraging players to react to their instincts in a coordinated manner.

"I want a recognition system instead of an execution system," Boylen said. "I want guys to read and react, like the old Bulls. That's what we are building here. So the practice plans are prepared to do that.

"When you take over halfway through the year like I did, you are just trying to survive," Boylen noted about his shaky debut last December "We stripped it down, threw the ball to the post and drove the ball. That's all we did. Now we're going to start learning how to play the way we want going forward and what we want to do within that."

For the next week or so, it will start with White, who is one of the highest 2019 draft picks expected to play in Las Vegas. The Bulls are scheduled to face New Orleans and No. 1 pick Zion Williamson in their third preliminary game, 8:30 p.m. Central Monday on NBA-TV. Point guards Ja Morant and Darius Garland are not expected to participate after surgeries, making White the highest drafted rookie point guard for the Summer League games.

The Bulls got a sneak peak this week during scrimmages. Now they get the opportunity to see White against professional competition.

"Coby is really a willing passer," Boylen said about his observation from this week's sessions. "We want him to be aggressive. He needs to improve his decisions, when to shoot, when to pass, his pass timing and quality. But he really is a willing passer. And he is really, really fast."

So watch carefully.

Source: https://www.nba.com/bulls/gameday/bulls-look-establish-their-offensive-plans-early-summer-league

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deskcoin64-blog · 5 years ago

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Bears blast Jets 24-10 to improve to 4-3

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The Bears came up short against AFC East teams in their last two games, but they enjoyed a better result against the Jets on Sunday.

Mitchell Trubisky threw two touchdowns and playing without linebacker Khalil Mack did nothing to lessen the effectiveness of the defense in a 24-10 win. That pushes the Bears to 4-3 with the final game of their four-game tour of the AFC East on tap when they head to Buffalo next weekend.

Trubisky was shaky as a passer in the first half, but made plays in the second half. He was 11-of-16 for 104 yards after the break and ran six times for 51 yards to keep things moving when he couldn’t get things going through the air. Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen combined for 121 more rushing yards and the Bears offense put up 17 points in the second half to put the game out of reach.

The last of those points came after the most successful Jets drive of the day cut the Bears’ lead to seven points and saw the Bears slice through the Jets defense for an easy eight-play drive capped by a Howard touchdown run. That response from the Bears was exactly what you’d hope to see from an offense that’s trying to find consistent success and exactly what the Jets didn’t want from a defense that had played fairly well until that point.

Sam Darnold hit Chris Herndon for a third touchdown in as many weeks, but the rest of the day was dismal for an injury-depleted unit. Darnold was 14-of-29 for 153 yards and 24 rushing attempts resulted in 57 yards as nothing worked against the Bears defense. That’s two bad weeks in a row for the Jets offense and the team has to hope better health around the unit can help lead to progress for the rookie quarterback in the second half of the season.

For now they are 3-5 and headed to Miami in hopes of avoiding their second three-game losing streak of the year.

Source: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/10/28/bears-blast-jets-24-10-to-improve-to-4-3/

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deskcoin64-blog · 5 years ago

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As he returns to the floor, Lauri Markkanen takes his place as most important piece of Bulls rebuild

As he returns to the floor, Lauri Markkanen takes his place as most important piece of Bulls rebuild originally appeared on nbcsportschicago.com

Lauri Markkanen is growing up.

Though he just turned 21 years old in May, he couldn't be more different from the rookie who sat at the Advocate Center podium with Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine and the Bulls front office on June 27, 2017. Between that time and now the Finnish forward added 16 pounds of muscle, became a father, and most recently took an active stance through his social media channels on the dangers of global warming.

He also suffered his first long-term injury. Markkanen said last week in practice that sitting on the sidelines, as it so often does for injured players, gave him a different perspective on the game and how he'd eventually be able to help when he returned to the court.

In the smaller sense, that time has come. Markkanen is set to make his season debut Saturday night against the Houston Rockets, nine weeks and two days after suffering an elbow sprain on Sept. 28.

In a larger sense, another time has come. The Bulls are only in Year 2 of their rebuild, and their core has still only played 12 games together due to myriad injuries. Pieces will be added, and even more will be subtracted. There's plenty of time to iron out the details of who will be around when the Bulls are again playing in May, and potentially June.

But at its very core, the fate of the Bulls' rebuild, whether it succeeds and makes them contenders or has them mired in NBA purgatory, will fall on the shoulders of the 21-year-old Finnish forward.

He won't be asked to do it alone. He isn't LeBron James and this roster isn't the 2006-2007 Cleveland Cavaliers.

Zach LaVine looks to be worth every bit of the four-year, $78 million contract he signed in July and will grow either into the Bulls' primary scorer or secondary scorer behind Markkanen.

Wendell Carter Jr., who we wrote about in June as being the perfect complement to Markkanen, is entirely capable of being the defensive foundation every competing team needs. Any offense he can add, whether he becomes a rim runner like Clint Capela or is able to create on his own like a Jusuf Nurkic, will be an added bonus.

Questions remain on Kris Dunn – is he a starter or Marcus Smart 2.0? – and Bobby Portis – how much can the Bulls play a backup forward? It's too early to tell what Chandler Hutchison will provide, but the Bulls have four years of a rookie scale contract to find out.

They'll also add pieces in the coming drafts. Though they currently own the NBA's third worst record, getting Markkanen, Dunn and Portis back will push them closer toward the No. 7 spot they've been the last two seasons than the top-3. Remember, they won't be actively tanking like they were a year ago when Cristiano Felicio and Cameron Payne each averaged 23 minutes per game after the All-Star break.

But it's not suddenly time to start expecting wins and playoff appearances simply because Markkanen is back in the fold. Even when they're back to full-strength with Dunn and Portis, this is a team ranked dead last in offensive efficiency and whose five wins have come against teams with a combined record of 31-80; none are above .500. Basketball Reference has the Bulls' 2019 playoff chances at 0.1 percent, and even that seems high.

Remember, the Bulls' rebuild is exactly where it's supposed to be 527 days after trading Butler.

Where it goes from here will be in large part up to Markkanen.

He is today's NBA. Pardon the clichés and basketball buzzwords, but they all fit. The versatility Markkanen will provide for Fred Hoiberg's (or [insert your future head coach preference here]'s) offense will be unlike any other player's in the league.

When he takes the floor Saturday in Houston he'll be the 39th 7-footer to play in a game this season, per Basketball Reference's database. Just one of those 38 players, Milwaukee's Brook Lopez, has averaged more than the 2.1 3-pointers Markkanen made as a rookie. Markkanen's numbers will only improve as he continues to progress. In a league that is making and taking more 3-pointers than ever before, the Bulls have one of the most unique shooters in the game. And he's 21 years old

The 16 pounds of muscle he added – and it was legitimate gain, not just a #MuscleWatch storyline over the summer – should do wonders for his interior game, where he struggled as a rookie playing at 225 pounds. He's now closer to 240 and the difference is noticeable. And as the famous Al McGuire once said: "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores." The baby face and peach fuzz facial hair appear to be here for the short-term, but from the neck down he's transforming before our eyes.

Story Continues

It'll take time, but Markkanen will be able to score from anywhere on the floor. He's that talented and is transforming a body to complement it. That goes for the defensive end, too, where Markkanen was better than advertised in terms of footwork and IQ, but found himself overmatched more often than not. That won't be the case going forward, and Carter's presence will only help.

He'll also have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the roster. We've seen the toll LaVine's numbers have taken being the only real trusted scorer; he's third in the NBA in usage and shot 39 percent (and 25 percent from deep) in November.

And though Carter was outstanding playing with LaVine in pick and roll action in Friday's loss to the Pistons, the aforementioned versatility Markkanen will bring will put Carter closer to the basket where he's most effective as an offensive rebounder. Markkanen makes everyone around him better simply by being on the floor.

It's asking a lot. There's no denying that. But such is life in the NBA, where superstars win. Never say never, but the Bulls probably aren't nabbing a Grade-A free agent in the coming summers. That puts the onus on Markkanen – with LaVine, Carter and whomever else around him – to make the rebuild work.

It's tough to see the Bulls succeeding if Markkanen isn't a major – if not the major – part of it.

The good news is Markkanen appears to be on the right track. It may not fully happen this year, and patience will be required, but everything is there for Markkanen to take the reins and lead the Bulls into the next phase of their rebuild.

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/returns-floor-lauri-markkanen-takes-210957821.html?src=rss

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deskcoin64-blog · 5 years ago

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Ultra-luxury apartments, lavish amenities steps from the Mag Mile at Optima Signature

Streeterville’s Optima Signature is an ultra-luxury apartment tower just off Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile. During your visit you’ll check off every item on your wish list – and see an unprecedented level of amenities.

Start your tour of Optima Signature with the above videos of 2- and 3-bedroom, 2-bath apartments at the Apex level, the top 15 floors.

Optima Signature apartments have floor-to-ceiling windows, wide plank flooring, stainless steel appliances, quartz or granite counters and in-unit washer / dryers. The Apex apartments, have upgraded finishes and 9- or 10-foot ceilings.

Available convertible apartments start at $2,245, 1-bedrooms at $2,610, and 2-bedroom, 2-baths at $3,965. Apex-level 3-bedroom, 2-baths start at $5,550 a month. A look-and-lease special applies if you lease on the day of your first visit.

Floor plans and near real-time rent and availability info are online.

You’ll need to visit the sprawling multi-level amenities at Optima Signature to understand their scale and how they enhance the experience of living there. The wide variety of amenity spaces can accommodate a crowd or an intimate gathering of friends.

Budget a greater than usual amount of time for your tour at Optima Signature, because the amenities are far more extensive than what you’ll see at other new apartment towers. Start with a walk through one of the resident lounges toward the basketball and bocce courts, the golf simulator and putting green, the yoga studio and indoor pool and whirlpool.

If you’re a fitness buff or wannabe you’ll find the workout venue of your dreams at Optima Signature. The lavish men’s and women’s locker rooms have showers, steam and sauna, and towel service.

When you head outside, you’ll find larger steam and sauna rooms adjacent to private and public grilling areas.

The sprawling outdoor terraces on the 7th and 8th floors have lush landscaping, hot tubs, an outdoor pool with private cabanas, a variety of seating and sunning options, a playground, and open vistas to the south.

There’s much more to see at Optima Signature.

The leasing center for the pet-friendly Optima Signature is open daily on-site at 220 E Illinois St.

Source: http://yochicago.com/ultra-luxury-apartments-lavish-amenities-steps-from-the-mag-mile-at-optima-signature/61770/

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deskcoin64-blog · 5 years ago

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Ask Sam Mailbag: 11.23.18

Basketball is the toughest sport to referee. In college intramurals, I was a ref for many sports and basketball was easily the toughest, can't even imagine how tough it is in the NBA. With that said, it seems to be getting a little crazy some of these fouls called on Wendell Carter Jr. This rookie doesn't get the call thing seems to go too far with this seemingly mild-mannered kid. Besides just him, can they fix something with this "jump into the defender" when he's in the air, Dwayne Wade mastered, type of play. It is getting ridiculous! A defender jumps, and the offense literally jumps five feet toward the defender in a terrible shooting attempt and is barely touched by him and it is a foul? Is there some way to limit this absurd play that can end up ruining a game?

Jon Kueper

Sam: I know; it’s awful, but I have noticed they have stopped giving every foul call to James Harden when he throws himself at defenders, which more than Carmelo is the reason the Rockets got off to a slow start. I generally have the backs of the officials, though I recognize fewer and fewer of them every game. They get it as close as you can get it right as you understand having tried. They always say a foul is a foul, but we all know it isn’t certain times in the game, especially at the end of quarters, and for certain people versus other people. It’s not right, but life isn’t all a level playing field, either. Often Carter has been victimized by the officials who not only don’t know him, like Natalie Sago in the Suns game. I’ve noticed that some of the new ones when they haven’t made a foul call for awhile find a young player. Some would say the player has to defend himself more and complain. I commend Carter for not falling into that ugly trap, remaining professional and respectful, and I believe things will even out for him as they generally do in these situations. But it is another positive sign of his maturity and class the way he handles inequity and injustice. I’m also supporting him for Congress.

I think the Bulls are a little behind schedule in wins because of injuries. But, the talk about Jabari Parker being a failure seems pre-mature. One thing I noticed though that bothers me is his attitude with the media. He seems to be at war with the media with his short answers and blank stares. I have been a Chicago Bulls fan for 30 years. And he could be a valuable piece; however, he needs a real attitude adjustment. I wish Gar and Paxson could sit him down and tell him to relax and grow some thicker skin. What’s your prognosis for Parker and utilizing his talents? He could breakout with Dunn, Markkenen and Portis comeback.

Ryan Carpel

Sam: Thanks for the support. I know in this era it’s fashion to widely and angrily condemn media, but it’s a sensitive subject for those of us who hope to connect fans with their favorites (and others). Really, that’s what we do. You think everyone loves standing around while Robin Lopez gets dressed? The misconception is we are in this to become friends with the subjects or gain fame trough their reflected glow. Some are; the great majority are not. They’re basically working people who are serious about their jobs, which are generally more fun than yours but often don’t pay as much, who seek the same respect at work as anyone. It’s where it’s sometimes been awful with Parker. I’ve been at just about all his media sessions, however short many are. Players don’t have to speak with media, in my view, even if it is a requirement in their NBA contracts. The issue with Parker is the way he’s shown a lack of respect for the reporters with his sharp, often one word answers and, as you note, disconcerting stares. No one asking fair, straight forward and basically inoffensive questions, which is their job and which the NBA encourages, deserves to be treated that way. Frankly, I’ve been surprised because I had no idea given he always said he was a community minded type person. Actually, I think the Bulls must have spoken with him because lately he has loosened up some, though he still holds the title of Bulls player you’d least like to spend a minute with. But you are right in that it’s a premature talent evaluation. He basically told us he’s not likely to contribute much on defense, so I’ll credit him, at least, for honesty as many NBA players say they will and don’t. Parker has some tremendous scoring abilities and talents, and he’s still less than a year removed from his second ACL return. So even as much as he doesn’t want to hear about having had surgeries, I think he has space to grow and get better. He showed a lot of that against the Suns earlier this week with nearly a triple double and some really impressive play that left us as speechless as he often is. OK, that’s laying it on too much, I admit. But I would love to see him smile some day. You need talent to do that. Parker has it. Though when Markkanen and Portis return, who knows. Parker doesn’t seem malicious, but I just wish he reciprocated to the polite treatment he’s universally received from the Chicago media. Maybe he’s been asking Tyrus Thomas for advice.

The Bulls should go after Otto Porter. After all, he's a small forward (and the Bulls desperately need them in order to win). Parker's listed as a small forward, but we know he’s a power forward for now.

Kieron Smith

Sam: Porter was my most sought to-trade-for last week until later in the week rumors were that the 76ers’ Markelle Fultz wanted to be traded. His agent denied it, which I assume means it’s true. And it certainly should be with the situation he’s in now with Jimmy Butler added to the team and probably pretty soon to begin calling him Karl-Anthony. We know the story of Fultz leaving again for treatment and the 76ers being surprised. It’s clear to most everyone now that he needs a chance elsewhere. Also, remember being a No. 1 overall pick is an arbitrary number. Would it be much different if he were a No. 7 overall like Emmanuel Mudiay or Randy Foye? Or No. 5 overall like Ricky Rubio or Devin Harris? Or No. 6 overall like Johnny Flynn or Dajuan Wagner? Or No. 3 like O.J. Mayo or No. 2 like Jay Williams? When you are drafting kids who have to play complicated guard positions, you never truly know. If Fultz were selected No. 4 would he be as big a mistake? He clearly needs a chance elsewhere because he does seem talented. But given that the 76ers used a No. 1 pick for him and blew plenty of other top picks on the likes of Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, they’re not likely to settle for spare parts. At least for now. Though the hysteria last week was the Wizards had to do something! And right now! I think it may be the opposite. GM Ernie Grunfeld is cautious and veteran oriented. Rebuilds, as we mostly have seen, take years to bloom if they ever do again. Instead of trading off Porter—who makes about $27 million a year and is essentially a spot up three-point shooter whose salary would remove the Bulls from free agency possibilities—Wall or Beal, my guess is they add to them and take one more run. If they miss the playoffs, then I could see some changes next summer. Though with Wall’s $42 million annual salary for four years starting next season, it difficult to see who would take that on, especially for a player who cannot lead his team to the playoffs in the East, if that occurs. But you gotta love a dysfunctional team with Dwight Howard that doesn’t even mention his name.

How long before LeBron forces Magic to trade for John Wall. Well, as long as they make the playoffs. I would hate to see them win the lottery and get Zion Williamson.

Tom Plonowski

Sam: Now that’s an interesting conspiracy; the latter part, anyway. Say the situation is to get the Lakers a college star and….OK, OK, I know it’s not true. Which never stops the discussion. Another frequent name I hear is among the Duke freshmen. They’re at least for now expected to be among the top five draft picks, and though they’re still playing mostly basically exhibition games and they are teenagers, I think this draft doesn’t look as good as last year’s. No one ever has a good idea how these kids will be in the NBA, but I don’t see generational talent for now. Sure, some pretty good pros. But it makes me wonder why the Duke coach rarely seems to put the ball in the hands of the big dunker to make plays. College ball does matter even when they don’t stay long. It did tell you something about Andrew Wiggins when you’d see him score six or eight points in big games. Big time players perform in big time games at all levels. When they don’t, you can question who and what they’ll become. I know it’s tough to watch NBA coverage on ESPN or listen on NBA radio without three quarters of the discussion being about LeBron and the Lakers. Bor-ing! LeBron can be annoying in making demands and getting what he wants, but I’m voting with Magic’s patience for now and his summer free agency plan. After all, he got Lonzo Ball’s father to drop from sight. That has to be the undercard to being able to hold off LeBron and his advisors. I think this season is about LeBron going for one more MVP and just trying to get into the top four and then taking their personnel shot next summer. But we’ll know more after Dec. 15 when most contracts are available to be traded. Heck, with all the former LeBron teammates with nothing to do and about to be released or bought out, he may be able to assemble one of his former teams before the end of this season. Is James Jones coming back?

My attitude towards tanking is I think the same as yours...but man, have you seen this Zion kid play? With Valentine's injury it’s gotta be tempting to shut Lauri down till February and go for broke.

Guy Danilowitz

Sam: No more tanking. I know it seems like it sometimes is what’s going on with the Bulls now with all the injuries and the hole they’ll inevitably dig. But with the first step smoothing out of the odds, the three teams with the poorest records have exactly the same odds of the top pick, and just 14 percent. Then it’s 12.5 and 10, 8.3 and 8.2. So you essentially have almost seven teams with similar odds of the top picks. And is 14 percent—one in seven—worth blowing off your whole season? Especially because this season was to begin to find out if the Bulls had a team with LaVine, Markkanen, Carter Jr. and Dunn. They still haven’t seen that. So you are going to postpone that for another year to take a one in seven shot at a top pick? Which means more than an 85 percent chance you won’t get it. What sort of a bettor would that make them? I know fans love the draft, the next thing, as it were, but really, enough with the draft picks. The Bulls are going to get another unless they make a trade, but they already have too many young players who have proven little given their lack of playoff experience and still are apprenticing on the roster. The Bulls seem set with Carter, LaVine and Markkanen. They’re still trying to find out about Dunn. Even if Dunn doesn’t prove out, they don’t need to continue teenage tryouts. The Bulls certainly hope he does. But it’s about time to begin surrounding them with veteran NBA talent. Assuming we ever do see them playing together.

Rookie of the year is one of two people right now. Doncic as you said or jaren jackson jr who you didn’t even mention. Jackson is probably the third best player on a team with an 11-5 record in the west. He has been really really good but memphis so no one remebers anyone there. Conley and gasol both playing like allstars again and neither is likely to make it. Doncic the best player on a 5-8 or 6-8 team.

Jake Henry

Sam: I agree with Doncic. It looks like he’s running away with Rookie of the Year. It was fun to see Carter Jr. go against No 1 pick Ayton Wednesday. Ayton is bigger with more athletic talent, but you could see Carter keep up with better defense and more hustle even as he had some bad luck with foul calls. He’ll be a good one for the Bulls, though not rookie of the year. I mentioned five guys when I wrote about rookies a week or so ago and had Jackson on the edge of that. Not because he’s not talented, and I’m pretty sure the Bulls had him as high or higher on their board than Carter Jr., though the Bulls seem fine with their selection. Jackson has a big edge over the others given who he plays with. Gasol and Conley get so much attention, he’s often not defended as much and often plays off the ball on the weak side. The other rookies have to be too involved and get more defensive attention because their teams aren’t nearly as good or with as many veterans. Which is also another thing about that tanking. A lot of those teams that were aren’t anymore and the race to the bottom isn’t going to be as repulsive. It will be more organic, like for a team trying but with a lot of injuries. Trae Young is inconsistent because of the pressure he sees and Marvin Bagley hasn’t gotten the playing time, but has been impressive in spots. Jackson, though, should rebound better for his size. It’s a terrific class, but for now Doncic stands above.

This Bulls team reminds me of the 2008 Bulls team a little bit. Neither team is a world beater, but they have their similarities: a core of promising young players, underperforming roster, and a coach on the fritz. What if we land the #1 pick again? From which angle will you crush my dreams?

Yuriy Fomin

Sam: The No. 1 pick, as I explained. It is an interesting comparison, though, as the first team John Paxson was building with his kinds of players. You can see why he’d be interested in Kris Dunn as a Kirk Hinrich defensive type with more athletic ability, Zach LaVine the scorer like Ben Gordon but bigger and more athletic and Lauri Markkanen the forward but a better shooter than Luol Deng. Ryan Arcidiacono isn’t quite Andres Nocioni. But you can see some similarities. Now just how do you find the Derrick Rose?

I noticed yahoo had a piece on teams with the most cap primed to be players in free agency. The list includes Lakers, Mavs, Brooklyn and a few others. My understanding was the Bulls had huge cap space post likely waving Jabari and getting rid of a few contracts.

Michael Burling

Sam: The Bulls should have a lot, if not the huge amount you expected. Part of the issue is this summer several could have more money, like the Mavericks, Clippers and Nets. The Lakers and Knicks have a lot, but the Bulls can be up there with them. Obviously, like you mentioned, if they keep Jabari Parker they probably don’t have all that much given they have to pay Bobby Portis to keep him. It will depend on whether he gets an offer and how quickly they have to move. With Omer Asik’s buyout and Portis’ cap hold, the Bulls could have around $40 million to $50 million, which would pay one full contract and part of another if they were to pass on Parker. The salary cap is expected to be around $110 million next summer. The presumption is they move on from free agents Holiday and Lopez, but nothing has been stated for now. There are other free agents they’ll have to make decisions on like Ryan Arcidiacono, and they are close to having to make a financial decision on Dunn. So this summer will be crucial and the Bulls can be a major player. Which is another reason why it’s so important to play the season out seriously and see what they have and where they fit.

Too bad about Valentine, I’m not a big fan but I am a human being and that’s got to be tough.

Tom Offa

Sam: Oh yeah, Valentine also. Another guy closing in on restricted free agency and we know we won’t see him again this season. Certainly his market has changed with all the injuries, but he says he’s been told this time it will be right. Grant Hill had serious ankle issues for years and came back and became an All-Star. Decisions, decisions. It’s a side factor of when you fill your roster with high draft picks. You also have to start making some decisions about who to keep, who to pay and who to move. You can’t pay them all.

I’ve got a friend who passionately argues that Lebron James is the greatest of all time. I don’t actually have a strong opinion about who’s the greatest. But I’m a contrarian and I grew up watching Jordan so he’ll always be my favorite horse in this particular race. Well my friend, the Lebron apologist, is always locked and loaded for the MJ vs LbJ debate. So I decided to throw him a curveball last time we had the discussion. I argued that it’s neither Lebron nor Mike, but Wilt, who was in fact the greatest. His otherworldly stats speak for themselves but neither of us ever saw him play so it’s kind of hard for us to fully compare Wilt and Lebron. As an observer who’s seen both play, could you craft a convincing argument for why Wilt is greater than Lebron?

Daniel Slesnick

Sam: Here goes, though I still go with Jordan, also. Wilt is unquestionably the greatest scorer the game ever has seen; averaging 50 in a season, 100 points in a game, the most games above 60, 70, 80. And this notion that he was playing against basketball midgets is erroneous. He played against most of the greatest centers in NBA history, Russell, Thurmond, Unseld, Reed, Kareem, Bellamy, all Hall of Famers. He is criticized for winning titles just twice, but he played against the greatest dynasty ever in the 60s Celtics and beat them face up when they were in their prime when he was with the 76ers. And with a team with half as many future Hall of Famers as the Celtics. When he finally got away from the dominant Celtics dynasty and went to the Lakers, he was in the Finals four of five seasons consecutively. Wilt played in an era when virtual assault was legal and he was the target in every game. They changed the rules of the game multiple times to limit his dominance, from widening the lane to changing goal tending rules. Wilt was so good they talked about eliminating dunking at one time, and the game was so easy at times that Wilt became bored and often shot a fadeaway bank shot to amuse himself. And still won the scoring title. Plus as he wrote in his infamous autobiography, he certainly didn’t get a lot of sleep. At one time or another, he led the league in every major statistical category, including scoring, rebounding and assists and was often all-NBA and all-defense first team. His Lakers team was among those who have held the record in their time for most wins in history. Wilt led two of the top five all-time teams with the best records ever. Wilt won championships just with those teams, showing what he had to do to win given the competition in his era. No team LeBron played on ever ranked in the top 10 of those teams with the greatest records. I guess my question might be in what way would LeBron be better than Wilt at almost anything but free throw shooting? And Wilt may have made more in the last minute of games.

Source: https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/ask-sam-mailbag-112318

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deskcoin64-blog · 5 years ago

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Lukewarm Stove: Smith a Top Trade Piece, Cubs and Lefties, Scherzer, Renfroe, More

The Yankees and Mariners got together on a pretty notable deal this weekend, as Edwin Encarnacion becomes the latest big bat to join the Yankees lineup. Trade season coming early this year, or just Jerry Dipoto gonna Jerry Dipoto?

We shall see …

MLB Trade Rumors busted out their annual top trade candidate rankings, and the dude at the very top, perhaps unsurprisingly, is the guy many of us want desperately for the Cubs: Giants lefty Will Smith. The rental reliever has been dominant the last couple seasons, and has already been attached vaguely to the Cubs by rumor. Thing is, there is not a contender in baseball that could not accommodate Smith and would not want him in their bullpen. Hence his appropriate designation as the belle of the trade ball, and there are few if any prospects the Cubs could consider off limits when discussing a Smith trade if they wanted a real shot at him. If that makes you uncomfortable, pine elsewhere.

What you notice in the rankings – which really make for a more interesting look at the types of guys who could be available, rather than a true set of rankings, because it’s not like free agency where everyone on the list is definitely available – is that there is a high volume of lefty relievers and complementary bench pieces, each of whom could be of particular interest to the Cubs.

Speaking of which, Jordan Bastian’s latest Inbox reminds us that the Cubs will be looking at lefty relievers this trade season – “Some left-handed relievers whose names will probably pop up in the weeks leading up to the Deadline include Jake Diekman, Sean Doolittle, Brad Hand, Will Smith and Tony Watson, among others” – and he also points out just how incredibly bad current Cubs lefty relievers have been against fellow lefties this season. Basically bottom five in the league across the board. And for as much talent as the Cubs have at AAA Iowa (and/or have already shuttled up) waiting to fill into the bullpen (Rowan Wick, Dillon Maples, Dakota Mekkes, James Norwood, Tony Barnette, Craig Brooks, etc.), most of the guys who jump out at you are righties.

Ken Rosenthal’s latest at The Athletic looks at the (once again) middle-ground spot the Nationals find themselves in. They are just loaded with talent, and yet they’re buried under .500, and in desperate need of a hot streak lest they look like should-be-sellers in a month. If the Nationals don’t get hot, would they dream of trading away Max Scherzer, 34, while he still has considerable value?

After this year, Scherzer will get 10/5 no-trade rights, so if you were going to maximize his trade value and if you considered yourselves out of the race next month, wouldn’t you be derelict in not at least thinking about it? Also, consider Scherzer’s ridiculous contract: not only does he come at a healthy $30 million AAV (which will scare some teams in this luxury-tax-sensitive era), but in terms of actual dollars being paid out, he gets $15 million this year, next year, and in 2021 … and then $15 million each year from 2022 through 2028, even though he won’t still be on your team. Obviously the Nationals could negotiate around that in a trade, but it would reduce their return – the contract was structured in a way to frontload performance while dramatically backloading payment.

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Should the Nationals sell, you have to think the Cubs will explore lefty Sean Doolittle. The rub will be that the 32-year-old is having some down results this year, relative to his best seasons, has a pretty extensive injury history, and is making $6 million this year (we don’t know how much flexibility the Cubs have left to add “real” salary after the Craig Kimbrel deal). To the upside, Doolittle is frequently awesome, is much better than a mere match-up lefty (but pretty much always humiliates lefties), and is controlled through next year on a $6.5 million team option.

Meanwhile, the Padres – owners of a better record than the Nationals, and only 4.5 out of the Wild Card – have some pieces they’ll likely consider moving regardless of competitiveness considerations. Per the San Diego U-T: “Virtually every position player besides Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Fernando Tatis Jr. can be had.” Outfielder Hunter Renfroe comes in for particular mention in the piece, which would be a really interesting bat to see on the market, given the monster year he’s having (.256/.305/.647, 23 homers). The 27-year-old is a former top prospect who has taken a long time to break through, and isn’t even arbitration-eligible for the first time until next year (as a Super Two). Yes, his value is extremely heavily-dependent on his power, because he strikes out a ton and doesn’t walk, but he plays solid defense and the power is legit.

I really don’t think you’d see the Cubs seriously involved in the pursuit of a guy like Renfroe at a time like this, though it’s certainly interesting that what the Padres would reportedly be looking to pick up is a big league ready center fielder or an offensively-inclined catcher. Suffice to say, the Cubs *could* accommodate those desires in a variety of ways (and then, say, Renfroe becomes a corner outfielder with Jason Heyward making up more time in center field), but we’re getting dangerously close to fantasy land if you try to actually put a mid-season deal together between teams in competitive situations for cost-controlled players. It happens! But it’s rare.

The Padres also have Franmil Reyes in the outfield (similar profile, but four years younger), as well as Wil Myers (only 28, but bat has fallen way off and has $20 million coming his way annually in 2020-22), but I don’t think they’d be likely trade pieces.

What about Padres pitchers? Well, there’s overwhelmingly dominant closer Kirby Yates, but the Padres don’t sound at all inclined to deal him right now short of a monster return.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/06/17/lukewarm-stove-smith-a-top-trade-piece-cubs-and-lefties-scherzer-renfroe-more/

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deskcoin64-blog · 5 years ago

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Brewers Reportedly Seriously Considering Non-Tendering Jonathan Schoop Tomorrow

I’ve had something of a side eye on the Brewers’ pending Jonathan Schoop tender decision for a while now, because it could impact the Cubs in a couple significant ways: (1) it changes the trajectory of the Brewers’ offseason if they part with Schoop and open up about $10 million in payroll space, and (2) it puts another interesting second baseman on the free agent market, which is an area where the Cubs could very well be shopping.

Well:

You could see that the Brewers were going to have a tough decision on Schoop all along, having traded for him at midseason in part because he came with an extra year of control, but knowing that his projected salary was going to be pretty darn high given how bad his 2018 season was. Still, since arbitration contracts are not fully guaranteed, tendering Schoop – because of his upside – seems like the right thing to do for any organization that isn’t feeling a payroll pinch.

Schoop, who only just turned 27, hit a woeful .233/.266/.416 (80 wRC+) between the Orioles and the Brewers, after seemingly breaking out from 2015 to 2017, culminating in a .293/.338/.503 (122) line that 2017 season. He plays average defense in the middle infield, and offers plenty of value even as a league-average bat. He doesn’t walk, but he also doesn’t strike out at an outrageous pace, while hitting for good power. That profile means you’ll be very vulnerable to swings in your BABIP, though, and with his hard contact down in 2018, Schoop’s BABIP plummeted to .261 (career mark was over .300 before that), and his numbers therefore tanked.

Maybe he’s not worth the risk of a tender for the Brewers, specifically. But if you think 2018 was a fluke, then he could be in line for a serious payday should he reach free agency.

Will the Brewers be able to trade Schoop to a team looking for a short-term, low-ish cost roll of the dice? Or will Schoop reach free agency as a really fascinating candidate? Given the potential upside, it sure seems like there should be a team out there willing to part with a little something to get him from the Brewers. (I doubt that team would be the Cubs, by the way, because I don’t see these two teams getting together right now on this kind of trade. But if Schoop reaches free agency, I’m sure there are tires the Cubs will kick.)

Note that even if the Cubs don’t go after Schoop, specifically, his presence on the market impacts the payouts for guys like D.J. LeMahieu or Brian Dozier, should the Cubs be interested in either of them. If the Cubs don’t plan to keep Addison Russell, then they could be in the market for a full-time second baseman.

As for the Brewers, by jettisoning Schoop, they could let Travis Shaw continue masquerading as a second baseman while trying to retain free agent third baseman Mike Moustakas. It might also put them in a better position to spend on pitching.

(Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2018/11/29/brewers-reportedly-seriously-considering-non-tendering-jonathan-schoop-tomorrow/

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deskcoin64-blog · 5 years ago

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John Paxson and Gar Forman had yet another disastrous media day following the Otto Porter trade

The Bulls quickly lost any fleeting goodwill they gained in the Otto Porter trade by opening their mouths.

The trade, given the context of the team’s current standing, was defensible. Even if said context allowing for this move to make sense just pointed towards more reasons why they should be fired, in a vacuum (sucking out the life of every Bulls fan) it’s ‘fine’.

But then John Paxson and Gar Forman spoke to the media. And the reporters there did great work in questioning GarPax on their many failures and any changes they will make due to them. The whole thing is linked below, but sorry to spoil the ending: the answer is ‘nah’: they offered no introspection or analysis suggesting anything was even wrong, let alone something that required change in process or management.

Later in the afternoon, Paxson - who would up dominating the presser quickly after giving the first answer to Gar - went on the Bulls radio flagship 670 The Score and was questioned further by hosts Danny Parkins and Dan McNeil.

It’s a lot of GarPax for one sitting, so without further ado...

in no particular order:

John Paxson had a public meltdown over his inability to sign stars

It was building up throughout the Parkins and McNeil interview, where they were asking Paxson about how he and the team are perceived, and why it made them effectively opt out of signing free agents this summer.

Paxson both said that perception doesn’t matter (oh, no...) AND that he doesn’t believe that perception actually exists. But if it did exist, that it was actually ‘misinformation’ that was driving it and that’s our fault not theirs.

Just listen to this, at one point he called media availability “an interrogation”! He made weird comparisons to the Chicago Bears! This is the lead basketball decision-maker for the franchise!

(video above, direct link here)

If Parkins wanted to troll here, he had every right to instruct Paxson to ‘be specific about this misinformation’ since Pax was going with that tactic constantly throughout the interview. When being confronted simply with “well, Anthony Davis?”, Paxson said he basically didn’t believe it was due to the franchise.

Paxson then self-owned by saying they can’t even get in the room, let alone be turned down:

“Until you get an opportunity to get in front of people then how do you know how they feel about you?”

(Yet another weird example of Paxson wanting to be told to his face he sucks)

Paxson further got up in arms when referencing a fan protest (I thought he didn’t pay attention to this stuff?), and when asked about his Christmas day interview where he suggested this would be his last rebuild if it didn’t work , he not only said that wasn’t true but used this as an example of the media running with things that he meant tongue-in-cheek. There was a bit in there about “maybe it’s true” but overall, nope: we don’t even have that glimmer of hope that there will be actual accountability from ownership, Pax was just jokin’ around.

My Coach, My Philosophy - is Jim friggin’ Boylen

Maybe the worst ‘news’ of the day was Paxson’s continued backing of meatslab-with-a-whistle-lanyard Jim Boylen as a non-interim head coach.

When asked what exactly is it Boylen does around here, here was Paxson.

When you’re in it every day with someone, you find out who they are. And one thing we’re really pleased about and we talk to Jim about this because we’re such a young team, is just the teaching component of the game to our guys consistently every day. That first week with the whole Boston game (a 56-point loss) and that was a bad way to start, but when you’re in it with him every day you see his passion, his commitment, and the care he has for his players and our organization. So we feel he’s doing the right things. He’s trying to get our guys to understand what being a professional is, and to play hard every night and practice hard every day. So we’re doing fine with Jim. Jim’s been great in terms of communicating every single day. We’re on a good page there.

A question I have is whether ‘teaching’ really is the most important thing here for the HEAD coach, and if so why they have so little in terms of assistant coaches and veterans on the roster. They mentioned the need this summer to use free agency to add ‘the right veterans’, yet also said that was important last summer and they didn’t but that wasn’t a mistake (they did concede it was ‘a challenge’).

Later on the radio interview he was followed up with in particular about ‘that whole Boston game’, and bristled (!) at the terminology that it was a ‘near mutiny’. And no he didn’t say “there was no ‘near’, it was a mutiny” he instead diminished it as “just a little miscommunication”.

It got heated further when asked about the players contacting the union, as Paxson was yelling FAKE NEWS (not literally, but still ugh) because “we were told by the league they were never contacted by the union”. That’s not the same thing as the players contacting the union!

In the press conference Paxson answered this when it came to Zach LaVine calling out Boylen.

“I’m not going to get into day-to-day personal things,” Paxson said. “I know Zach is an incredibly talented player. Jim is an incredibly competitive coach and person. We need Zach. He’s got a unique ability to score. Coach-player relationship can be difficult on any level. I played for the greatest coach of all time, and sometimes relationships with players for him were not always smooth. That’s not to say there’s anything going on with Zach and Jim.

So yet again: this doesn’t matter, and actually it isn’t even real.

And it’s one thing to ask for Paxson to trash his hand-picked coach, but how about simply saying that things haven’t gone well, and you’re evaluating? He had no problem saying that when it came to Kris Dunn. But Boylen is apparently way safer, and Paxson confirmed the plan as it stands now is for Boylen to be coaching the Bulls next season. Luckily for us Paxson is a liar and changes his plans all the time?

Paxson defended the coaching instability and his “number of rebuilds” in general in the radio hit, not realizing that in the cases he cited - like other Central Division teams having higher coaching turnover(?)- nearly all other franchises typically have more than zero regime changes over 16 years when not competing for championships.

Essentially, all Paxson has when he’s defending Boylen is saying that Boylen’s doing stuff that we can’t see. Because even he admits that it’s not carrying over to games and the actual results fans have to analyze are all poor.

He made a point to go with this statement:

We can’t control perception. I’ll say this again: The only people who really know are those of us in the building

The Jabari Parker signing wasn’t a mistake, it actually turned out well

This was expected, where Gar Forman said that signing Jabari Parker actually ‘worked out well for us’ because they could use the expiring contract to get Porter.

Obviously horseshit rationalizing, but even worse was their quick dismissal of the signing being a mistake. It was short term, a “roll of the dice”, and sometimes it doesn’t work out.

They were rightly questioned (by Joe Cowley) as to their scouting process when it came to determining Parker’s fit on the roster, and GarPax both took this totally normally.... Kidding, they viewed it as a personal attack on their old-ass (sorry, ‘veteran’) scouting team and owned it as Gar and Pax’s decision, ‘their scouting process’ is fine. What?

They still have no idea how to value 2nd round picks

I mean, this hypocrisy is as clear as day:

Then later they were questioned (this time by Darnell Mayberry) about why they were the ones sending a 2nd round pick in this Porter trade even though they were helping the Wizards out of the luxury tax (and removing a ton of future money too).

Of course Paxson led with “it’s very easy to sit there and criticize” and Gar Forman literally asked for examples of teams getting picks for taking on money - whoa boy- and then talked out both sides of his mouth saying that the Wizards needed to shed money but they also had to send them a pick to help them shed money elsewhere. And then whatever this means:

“We do things that if we feel we have to make a deal or want to make a deal and that’s what it takes, we’re going to do it. And that’s what we did yesterday.”

Paxson has a new job circumstance to whine about: the buyout market

Yes, the executive who can’t tell you fast enough how difficult (and difficult to understand) everything is, now took a shot at the NBA’s buyout market:

“I know there’s a lot of talk and rumor around the league about buyouts,” Paxson said. ”We have not spoken about that. Internally as an organization, the discussions we have had center around the whole buyout process in general, and in a lot of ways, it hurts the trade market when there’s all this belief that guys are going to be bought out. I certainly think it hurt us in this case. So we are not committed to anything right now.

When pressed by KC Johnson about Robin Lopez in particular being a ‘good soldier’ while the ultra-competitor was instructing his team to lose games, Paxson said ‘players should honor their contracts’.

Gar Forman - dynamic informed executive

I can’t believe this guy can’t help convince NBA stars to play for his team:

But ok maybe he’s more of a details man....

Ok but maybe he at least empathizes with his customers in a reasonable way

oh.

Being so insular fuels their own wrong ‘perception’

This is really important - the Bulls can’t self-scout or realize where they stand in the league. They cited themselves as being ‘in the beginning of their rebuild’ and not being ready yet - but didn’t they go into this season thinking they would be?

They did mention “the optimism” they had before the injuries early in the year. But the outside said they weren’t actually going to be good - remember the Vegas line?

So what happened according to Paxson?

“This year it’s been more painful than we thought, given when we started healthy and excited on Day 1.”

“Those things have changed over time. And when our guys have been together, candidly, we probably haven’t played at the level you would hope. But with that said, over the last two to three weeks, we’re seeing some signs. We’re not winning games, but we’re seeing signs of offensive improvement, which is good.”

So instead of trying to reflect in maybe thinking their internal analysis was wrong, there was somehow nothing wrong with their process yet they didn’t fail in execution to making this a competitive team that great players would want to be on.

Yet the friggin’ Knicks could do this.

New York will be in the game this summer, I’m sure. We are not at that stage. Is it a black eye? No. I don’t consider it. That’s our aspiration.

Aspire to be the Knicks!

Finally, Paxson had a very telling line in the radio interview, where he simply stated something very clear about his operating philosophy:

“I try very hard not to look back”

That pretty much says it all. There won’t be a change because nothing is wrong, and nothing is wrong because they don’t know it’s wrong. Everyone else is misinformed, only John Paxson and Gar Forman know the truth.

Source: https://www.blogabull.com/2019/2/8/18216605/john-paxson-and-gar-forman-had-yet-another-disastrous-media-day-following-the-otto-porter-trade

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