Chicago Sports

There was positive news on the Coby White return the past few days, as the Bulls guard has been running with resistance bands and continuing to get up shots.

Progress, but still not a promise of when White will be back in game form, as coach Billy Donovan ruled White out of his eighth-straight contest with that left thigh contusion.

No big deal?

Not true. Each game White misses is a deal, and one that the Bulls can’t make.

The Sun-Times reported in July that the Bulls were actively shopping White, but didn’t get the value they wanted and weren’t just going to give him away. After the deadline for an extension came and went last month, there were still phone calls being made, but again not worth jumping on in the eyes of the front office.

The hope was White would make some noise off the bench through the first half of the season, upping his value by the Feb. 9 trade deadline. Being a daily visitor to the training room, however, doesn’t exactly scream must-have target for the other 29 NBA teams.

So where are the Bulls with White?

That’s where it gets muddled.

Since the old regime of John Paxson and Gar Forman drafted White No. 7 overall out of North Carolina and tried turning him into a point guard, White has been more enigma than rising prospect.

On one hand he hasn’t impacted wins and losses. Evidence of that has been on full display the last two seasons, with the Bulls posting a 17-11 record (.607 winning percentage) when White doesn’t play.

On the other his outside shooting is very necessary for this roster.

The Bulls were beyond efficient from three-point range last season, finishing fourth in the league by hitting 36.9% from long range. The issue was the number of threes they put up, finishing dead last in attempts at 28.8 per game.

Through the first 14 games this season, the Bulls are still near the bottom in attempts, sitting 28th with 28.8 per game once again, but were 14th in three-point accuracy at 36%.

White was struggling with his three-pointer in the seven games he played so far this season, hitting just 29.4%, but shot a career-best 38.5% from three last year. Even more impressive, White was among the team lead in fourth-quarter three-point shooting in the 2021-22 campaign, going 44-for-91 (48.4%) in that final stanza.

His 44 fourth-quarter threes led the team, and might have come in handy the last few weeks, considering the Bulls were 0-6 in clutch time – defined by the NBA as games within a five-point margin with five minutes or less left to play.

A lot of numbers to dissect with White, but also exactly why the streaky shooter remained the Jekyll and Hyde of this roster.

So what exactly could the Bulls realistically do with White? Right now, not much.

Milwaukee is reportedly shopping Grayson Allen, who would be a perfect fit for the Bulls. He can shoot from long range, is a slightly better defender than White, and more importantly, brings a much-needed edge wherever he plays.

The issue is the Bucks are looking for a defensive-minded frontcourt player in return. White is neither of those.

What the Bulls need is White to get healthy first, show a consistent ability to hit from outside, and then if they are in the trade market when February comes around, he’s more likely to be a piece in a trade package.

Until then it’s a waiting game, and one that the Bulls hope involves less resistance bands.

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If Hollywood delivered a decades-later sequel titled “It’s Still a Wonderful Life” that picked up the story of Zuzu Bailey as a middle-aged florist undergoing her own existential crisis, or “Another Miracle on 34th Street,” with Susan Walker all grown up and having forgotten she once believed in Kris Kringle, you wouldn’t expect either to be great, right? You might even question the wisdom of anyone even attempting such a follow-up.

That’s how I felt when I heard about “A Christmas Story Christmas,” the long discussed and finally realized sequel to the 1983 cultural touchstone. Was it wise to drop in on the life of the adult Ralphie Parker after all these years? Isn’t there something magical about Ralphie and the Old Man and Flick and Schwartz and all the rest forever frozen in nostalgia?

Remember or not, we actually did get a sequel to “It’s a Wonderful Life” in the forgettable and regrettable 1990 Family Channel movie “Clarence,” with Robert Carradine (!) as the angel Clarence Odbody, and there WAS a sequel of sorts to “A Christmas Story” in “A Christmas Story 2” (2012), a straight-to-DVD release set six years after the events of “A Christmas Story.” with a young fellow named Braeden Lemasters as a teenage Ralphie and Daniel Stern as the Old Man. Still, it’s as if “A Christmas Story 2” never existed for 99.9% of the population.

Now comes a legitimate sequel: “A Christmas Story Christmas,” directed by Clay Kaytis and based on the characters and writings of Jean Shepherd. You won’t be surprised to hear it’s not the equal of the original, but it succeeds as a sweet, family-friendly follow-up, with the welcome return of Peter Billingsley as Ralph and a number of other actors back in their iconic roles. It’s a bit like attending a 40-year reunion and telling old stories while trying to re-create a few of those crazy adventures from days gone by.

The exact year of “A Christmas Story” was never specified (it’s either 1940 or 1941), but the kitchen calendar informs us the sequel is set in December of 1973, with Billingsley’s Ralphie Parker serving as our narrator, telling us we’re at “our humble abode on the South Side of [Chicago], just like I remember in all of its yellow, orange and avocado green glory.” Ralphie is married to the lovely and kind Sandy (Erinn Hayes), and they have two adorable children, Mark (River Drosche) and Julie (Julianna Layne), who are very excited for Christmas, which will really kick into gear when Ralphie’s parents arrive in Chicago in a couple of days. In the meantime, Ralphie is desperately trying to sell his first novel, a 2,000-page sci-fi opus titled “Neptune’s Oblivion,” which has been rejected by more than a dozen publishers. (Hmmm, if only Ralphie would consider writing about experiences closer to home…)

Then comes the call from Ralphie’s mother. The Old Man is gone.

Ralphie, Sandy and the kids make the drive to Ralphie’s hometown of Hohman, Indiana, where they’ll spend the holidays with Ralphie’s mom (Julie Hagerty) in “our old house on Cleveland Street [that] looked like it had been frozen in time.”

Indeed it does. But given the Old Man has died, doesn’t that mean Christmas will be put on hold for a memorial service? The script handles that issue by having Ralphie’s mom say, “All that can wait. Your father was so excited about Christmas. If he saw us moping around, he’d throw a fit.” This gives the family license to embark on a series of adventures involving snowball fights; battles with some local bullies; the quest for the perfect toys; a couple of slapstick injuries, and of course, a visit to Higbee’s Department. Store, with its amazing window displays, and a Santa Claus who still sits way up high and a helper elf who dumps kids down a precarious slide.

Director Kaytis indulges in a few fun stylistic flourishes, e.g., a snowball fight is filmed like a shootout in a Spaghetti Western, but for the most part, “A Christmas Story Christmas” is rendered in a low-key, straightforward style, as Ralphie struggles with the loss of his father, his flailing writing career and a number of setbacks to his plans for a perfect Christmas. In the process, he reconnects with pivotal figures from his past, including Flick (Scott Schwartz), who has inherited Flick’s Tavern from his old man; Schwartz (R.D. Robb), who famously triple-dog dared Flick to stick his tongue on that frozen pole and these days is running up a huge tab at Flick’s Tavern and living with his mom, and the notorious Scott “Scut” Farkus (Zack Ward), and we’ll leave it to you to discover what happened to ol’ Farkus. (Ralphie’s younger brother Randy, best remembered for being rendered immobile by too many layers of winter clothing, also makes an appearance, with Ian Petrella reprising the role.)

“A Christmas Story Christmas” features the occasional quick clip from the first film, and the closing credits remind us of just how many scenes in the sequel mirror events from the original. If watching “A Christmas Story” is a part of your annual holiday ritual, you might want to make time to catch the sequel. It’ll make for a warm double helping of Christmas nostalgia.

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The jump players make from their sophomore to junior year is often significant, especially for those with a little varsity seasoning under their belt.

As the physical development continues with these juniors, their individual games will progress and their confidence will grow.

Their trajectory as prospects may differ — some may end up as Division I players while others become small college recruiting priorities a year from now — but this list of a dozen players are set to put their name on the map this high school basketball season.

Jack Stanton, Downers Grove North

This team’s arrow for the next two years is pointing straight up, thanks in large part to the emerging Stanton in the backcourt.

The 6-1 junior combo guard is a shot-making threat who plays with outstanding pace with the ball in his hands. He gained experience a year ago and blossomed over the summer with added confidence.

Stanton will put up numbers and garner Division I offers before it’s all said and done.

Calvin Robins, Kenwood

While it remains to be seen just how — and how much — Robins will be used on a loaded Kenwood roster this winter, he showed enough this past spring and summer to warrant being on this list.

A dynamic athlete who explodes off the floor, Robins is a coach’s dream come true: he plays extremely hard, competes and is outstanding in the classroom. He plays with a physicality that’s difficult to match up against at the high school level. As the 6-5 Robins smooths out his skill package, the results and recruiting will pick up immensely.

Josh Pickett, West Aurora

A familiar name as he was part of the loaded and hyped St. Rita Class of 2024 as a freshman. Then he transferred to West Aurora and put up numbers last year as a sophomore: 14 points and five rebounds a game, a school record 73 three-pointers, and a terrific GPA in the classroom.

But a year older, with a ton of experience, and the confidence of adding a number of scholarship offers, Pickett is poised to become one of the high-profile names in the class.

He’s a shooter with size and strength, a coveted combination in recruiting circles.

Miles Boland, Loyola

An absolute no-namer in the class but a player who wasn’t exactly a low-usage piece as a sophomore. He put together a rock solid sophomore campaign, which included scoring over 300 points and knocking down an impressive 70 three-pointers. That alone makes him a serious weapon for the Ramblers.

But the 6-2 combo guard is a complete guard. He can handle it and see the floor with terrific vision. A mix of talent and more opportunity will lead to a Boland breakout as he sees an even larger role in the offense.

Josh Fridman, Glenbrook North

Although senior Ryan Cohen is the biggest name and leading returning scorer, Fridman is an absolute sparkplug of a point guard for a team with high expectations.

The 5-9 Fridman is a true facilitator who puts pressure on opposing defenses with his shooting and scoring ability. He’s a workhorse who led the team in minutes while averaging 12 points, four assists and three steals.

Fridman went down with a dislocated shoulder and torn labrum in March and missed a large chunk of the offseason. But he’s ready to go as the catalyst for a GBN team that should compete for the top spot in the Central Suburban League South.

Kelton McEwen, Bartlett

Last year it was Bartlett’s big man, 7-2 center Conrad Luczynski, who grabbed headlines with his monster statistical line. But over the past two years McEwen, a 6-1 guard who can play on and off the ball, has quietly put up impressive numbers.

As a freshman, with little to no fanfare, he was as productive as any freshman, averaging 14 points. Last year as a sophomore he filled the stat sheet, putting up 13 points, three rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 40 percent from three.

Now it’s McEwen’s turn to become the focal point and gain some name recognition outside the Upstate Eight Conference as the production increases.

Meyoh Swansey, Romeoville

Put together a productive sophomore campaign, averaging 13.5 points, but the 6-1 guard played in basic anonymity. Now he is a mainstay at the top of any breakout list generated this offseason.

After a summer in which he continued to do what he does best — put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways — the 6-1 scoring guard is poised to be one of the most impactful players in the Class of 2024. Swansey is capable of operating with or without the ball and a player you love to have in the backcourt because of it.

Tim Handy, Perspectives-Leadership

What a better combination for a breakout category than an emerging young talent on an up-and-coming team. Handy and Perspectives will gain some attention this season.

Last year as a sophomore, Handy averaged 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. His coming-out party came in a win over Maine South when he poured in 23 points, including seven three-pointers and a game-winning layup in overtime.

The 6-3 guard, who plays with some flash and flare, will have a presence in the Public League this season with his scoring potential.

Davee Flowers, Niles West

As his sophomore season played out and he became more acclimated to varsity basketball, the game slowed down for Flowers. He was thrown into the fire and became a bonafide weapon as his confidence soared.

The skilled 6-2 guard led the team in scoring with 13 points while chipping in nearly five rebounds, three assists and two steals each game.

With that type of impact under his belt, Flowers will be one of the top players in one of the state’s toughest conferences (Central Suburban League South) — and earn some name recognition along the way.

Angelo Ciaravino, Mount Carmel

While this remains DeAndre Craig’s team, and the ball will be in the senior guard’s hands quite a bit, Ciaravino is going to be a dangerous sidekick as a junior.

Steady progression as a sophomore is going to lead to a breakout junior season as he becomes more of a potent, all-around scorer. He’s grown to 6-6 and brings a versatility that coach Phil Segroves can use creatively.

Jason Jakstys, Yorkville

His name is on the radar of college basketball coaches as they evaluated the 6-8 junior this offseason and stopped in for some Yorkville open gyms this fall. But the high school basketball world, at least outside the Southwest Prairie Conference, is still a little oblivious to the potential and upside of Jakstys.

The long, mobile big man is still physically developing, but he managed to put up some significant numbers as a sophomore: 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds a game.

The anticipation is a blossoming junior year from the high upside Jakstys, who can out run you to the rim and shoot it from three.

David Douglas, Yorkville Christian

We stay in Yorkville for another breakout junior.

The cupboard is almost bare for the defending Class 1A state champs. You don’t lose a Duke recruit like all-stater Jaden Schutt and not significantly feel it. Also gone are graduated seniors Tyler Burrows and KJ Vasser. Those three combined for 55 points a game.

Up-and-coming young players like Jehvion Starwood (Oswego East) and Dayvion Johnson (Yorkville) transferred.

So the onus is on Douglas to keep this program relevant following a dream season. This is Douglas’ team.

The 6-3 junior put up 10 points a game as a sophomore, made over 50 threes, was the Class 1A three-point shooting champ and is coming off a nice offseason. Douglas is primed for a monster season, especially if he can find a way to not only score but makes those around him better.

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Matt Eberflus isn’t going to let a little thing like an injury get in the way

Jaylon Johnson’s play against the Detroit Lions was trash. The third-year cornerback was already having a forgettable season heading into the Chicago Bears matchup against the Lions in Week 10. Against the Lions, Johnson was graded by Pro Football Focus as the Bears’ worst player on the field. Johnson was on the Bears’ Week 10 injury report. But head coach Matt Eberflus isn’t interested in hearing players’ excuses.

On Friday’s injury report, Johnson was listed as questionable to play against the Lions. Johnson was limited in practice Thursday and Friday. The Bears’ number one cornerback was battling an oblique injury. With cornerback Kindle Vildor out, the shorthanded secondary needed Johnson to play.

Johnson did and managed to miss a tackle and give up three receptions of his four targets. His two penalties on a fourth-quarter drive allowed the Lions to pretty much walk into the endzone and mount a comeback after the second illegal hands to the face call negated a Jack Sanborn interception.

Matt Eberflus was critical of Johnson’s play

According to Chris Emma of The Score, head coach Matt Eberflus said Johnson’s oblique injury was no excuse for his loafing against the Lions on Sunday:

“Ultimately, it’s going to be up to them. If they say they can go, that means they can go. We have to trust them and we really leave it up to them.”

Johnson responded to his performance on the Parkins & Spiegel Show. Johnson was aware of Matt Eberflus’ comments about the Bears’ expectations for Johnson against the Lions. He said he understood where Eberflus was coming from but that there needed to be a realistic standard for a player performing with an injury:

“There’s also a realism in it too, knowing that the player isn’t the same playing through pain,” Johnson said. “But that doesn’t change the expectation or the standard of the play. Everybody is going to be graded equally throughout the game and throughout the season no matter injuries or not. At the end of the day, I know and they know as well that I wasn’t my normal self out there and I didn’t feel like that. But it was still enough to where I felt I was able to be out there and they felt like I was able to be out there and still hold me to that standard.”

Eberflus could have taken Johnson out

Matt Eberflus kept Johnson in the game, even as the cornerback struggled in coverage Sunday. That’s probably because Johnson was still the Bears’ best option on Sunday. Eberflus must take responsibility for keeping the injured player in the game. Johnson is going to play if he can. That’s what any team should want out of their players.

It feels like he left his cornerback out to dry to the media. There’s a fine line between holding a player accountable in coming off as unrealistic with expectations for players. Eberflus knew Johnson was injured. Eberflus saw him struggle because of the injury. He made no adjustments. That one is on the coach.

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Not an Overreaction: The Buffalo Bills can’t handle the clutch.

While Josh Allen is still looking for his first win in OT for his career, the Bills are by no means incapable of showing up in the biggest moments. Most notably, the Bills loss in overtime against the Chiefs in 2021, where Buffalo scored within less than a minute on an incredible 6-play 75-yard drive that gave the Bills a field goal lead with 13 seconds remaining. The Chiefs would tie the game with a field goal and Allen would never see the field in OT.

However, Sunday’s chaotic finish showed different signs of worry. After an incredible 4th and goal stand by the Bills defense, the offense took over from their 1/2-yard line, where Josh Allen fumbled the snap and the Vikings recovered for a touchdown. The Bills would get a shot in OT, but Allen would throw an awful red-zone interception to veteran corner Patrick Peterson.

Allen has characteristically been money inside the 20, posting just two interceptions in the red zone his entire career. After those 331 dropbacks, Allen has thrown an interception in the red zone in each of the Bills last three games. Allen is now completing 51% of his red-zone throws, which is down from 63.1% in 2020 and Allen also has the fourth-lowest passer rating among all qualified NFL quarterbacks in the red zone with 75.4 only behind the likes of Joe Flacco, Trevor Lawrence, and Russell Wilson.

All of the Bills losses come from three points or less and in all three losses the Bills had a chance to score and win the game. Allen is 0-4 in OT in his career, he and Buffalo will have to master the clutch if they want to maintain the status of Superbowl favorites.

Overreaction: The Eagles had a first-game exit in the Playoffs is eminent.

The Eagles’ hopes of an immortal 17-0 season were crushed on Monday Night Football with a loss to the somewhat lost Washington Commanders. The 32- 21 loss will leave fans scratching their heads and Eagles fan still upset at the problematic officiating of the MNF upset. A blown missed facemask call on the Eagles drive coupled with an egregious roughing the passer penalty in the final seconds of the game sealed the Eagles fate.

Now just because the perfect season is over, it does not mean the Eagles season is over. They are now tied with the Vikings for the best record in the NFC and if they win out would hold the tiebreaker over the Vikings for the top seat in the NFL playoffs. This slates them against the winner of the 6-7 seed teams, which if the season ended today it would be the winner of Cowboys-49ers.

A formidable matchup that would test the Eagles, but to say that the Eagles would automatically lose that game based on strength of schedule may be a stretch. As I have expressed in previous articles, the Giants and the Eagles have the two easiest schedules in the NFL. As nice as it is to have an easy schedule it also does not test the teams as hard as those who have a baptism by fire throughout the season.

Not an Overreaction: The Packers and Aaron Rodgers are back

It has been a tumultuous and vacillating season for the Packers since their star wide receiver Devonte Adams departure. The Packers sit at 4-6 on the season but got a big win against the Dallas Cowboys in overtime. Aaron Rodgers looked like the back-to-back NFL MVP connecting with rookie wide receiver Christian Watson for 3 scores. Rodgers was 14/20 with 224 yards and 3 touchdowns and was instrumental in the Packers’ 14-point comeback.

In previous articles, I had mentioned that the Packer’s model for success was surrounded by getting the running game going and allowing Rodgers to work off of play action more. Green Bay running back Aaron Jones racked up 138 yards on 24 carries and a score, while backup AJ Dillion managed 13 carries for 65 yards.

The biggest lift was from the defense picking off Dak Prescott twice in the first half, sacking him twice, holding the Cowboys scoreless for the 4th quarter, and turning them over on downs in OT. This made the Packer’s comeback possible and is what ultimately led them to the game-winning field goal in OT. Green Bay is toward the bottom of the NFL with only one takeaway per game, but have one of the best 3rd down defenses in the NFL allowing a 32.74% conversion.

The Packers have struggled to find consistency in the run game this season, but if they figure that out, don’t be surprised to see them as a bubble team come January.

Overreaction: Raiders blow the team up after this season.

Calling the Raiders season tumultuous and vacillating would be a compliment in comparison to how poorly the Raiders have played this year. Getting Devonte Adam was the final piece in their master plan to finally be relevant in the AFC again. Only for the Raiders to beat themselves and ruin their chances for any playoff appearance this year.

Las Vegas is allowing the highest red zone touchdown percentage in the NFL with opponents scoring touchdowns a whopping 74.41%. On top of their horrible red zone defense, the Raiders are a running game one trick on offense. When they cannot run the ball effectively with Jacobs they struggle to move the ball consistently and leave Derek Carr back to pass too many times. Carr is throwing 1.5 interceptions a game which is 5th worst in the NFL. 

With the exception of getting blanked 24-0 in October by the Saints. The Raiders have had a chance to win every game they have played this season. Every loss has been decided by less than 6 points so far this season. A year ago Las Vegas had one of the better offensive lines in the NFL. In the wake of former coach Jon Gruden’s exit 6 first-round picks for the Raiders are no longer on the team, or the team did not pick up their fifth-year option. Leaving the Gruden era as a glaring issue for the Raiders current and future struggles.

What were some of your overreactions from week 10? Do you agree with my overreactions? Let me know in the comment section below.

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Michael O’Brien and Joe Henricksen’s weekly look at Illinois high school basketball is back for a new season.

This episode is all about the preseason Super 25 rankings. We go in-depth on the top teams and discuss each of the 25 that earned a spot.

The podcast is on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so please subscribe.

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A year ago the preseason breakout senior list included Barrington’s Will Grudzinski. Boy did he ever exceed that expectation.

Despite a productive junior season, he was unknown outside the Mid-Suburban League and northwest suburbs heading into last season. But he put in four big months of high-level basketball. By the end of his senior season he was leading the Broncos on a magical March run and a Class 4A fourth-place finish in Champaign.

There are so many players with the potential to rise to the occasion with expanded roles and by simply becoming experienced seniors. Some have dazzled in small sample sizes, either last season or over the course of the offseason.

Here is a short list of seniors set to be heard from this season and who we will see big jumps from in 2022-23.

Drew Scharnowski, Burlington Central

How did a player ranked among the top dozen prospects in the senior class who was an offseason sensation and is headed to Belmont in the Missouri Valley Conference get on this list?

Because he didn’t even average double figures as a junior last season as Burlington Central rolled to a school record 31 wins.

Thus, the 6-8 Scharnowski must be included and is undoubtedly set to be one the breakout players this season.

Scharnowski is a fluid big man who can run the floor, sink a three and handle the ball on the perimeter. He had a big offseason for Breakaway on the club basketball scene and, between his play in June and July had nearly two dozen offers to choose from by the end of the summer.

Arius Alijosius, Riverside-Brookfield

After graduating four of five starters from a 23-win regional championship team, Alijosius steps in and is fully prepared to add a whole lot to his plate. He provided offensive punch off the bench last year as a junior and has taken a big step forward.

When you talk about a few of the state’s top shooters, Alijosius is among the best. The 6-3 guard is an absolute flame-thrower from three — he shot 49 percent from beyond the arc a year ago. He lit up the summer with his three-point shooting and signed with Division II Winona State earlier this month.

Tsvet Sotirov, Rolling Meadows

Just wait until you see the rapidly improving Sotirov, a marksman from the perimeter who is inching close to 6-8.

This is arguably the biggest sleeper in the senior class. Sotirov is one of the most improved players, even since the summer, and he’s ready to break out.

Yes, this is undeniably Cameron Christie’s team, the star senior who will put up massive numbers this season. And there is plenty of other overlooked talent on this roster, but Sotirov has size, length and can stretch the floor with his catch-and-shoot ability from three.

While the numbers likely won’t be huge with Christie and so much talent on this roster, Sotirov will prove to be a no-brainer scholarship player over the course of the season.

Brayden Fagbemi, Benet

While his teammate Niko Abusara broke out over the spring and summer and garnered Division I interest, Fagbemi remains a complete unknown. He emerged as a small college recruiting target this past summer who committed to Division III Johns Hopkins.

He played sparingly off the bench for Benet last year. But he will step in as the lead guard and showcase his natural feel and poise for the position and provide some scoring punch. The 5-11 senior can do both: score and distribute.

Ryan Johnson, Oswego East

A role player a year ago, the 6-6 Johnson put together a strong summer and ever since has become one of the biggest Division III recruiting targets, along with some Division II interest. That’s after averaging just five points last season as a junior.

Johnson moves well, runs the floor and can knock down shots. He will play a prominent role with offensive aggression for a team that will need his added production.

Jackson Kotecki, St. Ignatius

The name is familiar — the 6-8 forward has been ranked and has had eyes on him since he entered high school — but the production has been modest as he continues to develop. Last year he put up 6.2 points and four rebounds.

After a breakthrough offseason and added confidence that warranted Division I interest, Kotecki is set to up those numbers and be an impactful player for a ranked team. Kotecki is headed to Miami-Ohio next year.

DJ Wallace, Hoffman Estates

Even with his body still developing and some rough edges around his game last season, Wallace still managed to average 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

Wallace is disruptive defensively, shows a soft touch out to the three-point line and can play above the rim. The long, wiry 6-8 Wallace should make another considerable jump and possibly help Hoffman Estates exceed expectations after losing four starters and 80 percent of its scoring from last year’s 24-win team.

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Chase Claypool has played just over 30-percent of the snaps on offense over the first two games of his Chicago Bears career, while other trade-deadline receivers in the NFL have immediately been thrown into the mix.

Most Chicago Bears fans see the Bears existing in a bubble where no other teams deal with new coaches, new players, and poor offensive line play.  The Bears have the most unique setbacks of any team in the NFL, players that need to get up to speed after joining new teams at the trade deadline.  Only bad things affect the Bears and the Bears have to deal with unique circumstances that no one else has to face.  Or, so goes the narrative of excuses.

However one can easily debunk one excuse surrounding the newly acquired Chase Claypool who had two targets against the Lions and six targets and two catches for 13 yards against the Dolphins.  Through two games, Claypool has had zero impact in the passing game for the Bears.

Meanwhile, TJ Hockenson and Kadarius Toney were also traded to new teams in the same timeframe as Chase Claypool have already made their presence felt in a big way for their respective teams through two games.  Hockenson in his first game had nine catches on nine targets for 70 yards.  He followed that up with 7 catches on 10 targets for 45 yards, a pretty average game for a TE.  The big message here, the Vikings have trusted him to get involved on offense and he has in a big way.

Kadarius Toney was brought along a little bit slower in his week debut game, with two targets and two catches.  But emerged as an important target in his second game with the Chiefs, catching four passes for 57 yards and a touchdown in their win.

So what’s the excuse for Chase Claypool?  Shouldn’t he and Justin Fields be held to the same standard in developing chemistry and success within the Bears’ passing game?  Claypool not having a big game against the worst defense in the NFL is a bit concerning.  When the Bears needed a big catch in the fourth quarter to get in position to win the game, Chase Claypool was nowhere to be found.

Three weapons seem to be there for Fields now with Chase Claypool, Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet and yet the passing attack is still amongst the worst in the NFL in the two games since Claypool’s arrival.  Thus far none of the wide receivers brought in by Ryan Poles have looked like they should be on an NFL roster, and that includes the newly acquired Claypool.

The Bears have seven games to get their passing offense going and they theoretically have three above-average weapons with which to get the job done.   Now more than ever the Bears need to open up the passing attack and get targets to their best playmakers and get Fields into a better rhythm.

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Chase Claypool has played just over 30-percent of the snaps on offense over the first two games of his Chicago Bears career, while other trade-deadline receivers in the NFL have immediately been thrown into the mix.

Most Chicago Bears fans see the Bears existing in a bubble where no other teams deal with new coaches, new players, and poor offensive line play.  The Bears have the most unique setbacks of any team in the NFL, players that need to get up to speed after joining new teams at the trade deadline.  Only bad things affect the Bears and the Bears have to deal with unique circumstances that no one else has to face.  Or, so goes the narrative of excuses.

However one can easily debunk one excuse surrounding the newly acquired Chase Claypool who had two targets against the Lions and six targets and two catches for 13 yards against the Dolphins.  Through two games, Claypool has had zero impact in the passing game for the Bears.

Meanwhile, TJ Hockenson and Kadarius Toney were also traded to new teams in the same timeframe as Chase Claypool have already made their presence felt in a big way for their respective teams through two games.  Hockenson in his first game had nine catches on nine targets for 70 yards.  He followed that up with 7 catches on 10 targets for 45 yards, a pretty average game for a TE.  The big message here, the Vikings have trusted him to get involved on offense and he has in a big way.

Kadarius Toney was brought along a little bit slower in his week debut game, with two targets and two catches.  But emerged as an important target in his second game with the Chiefs, catching four passes for 57 yards and a touchdown in their win.

So what’s the excuse for Chase Claypool?  Shouldn’t he and Justin Fields be held to the same standard in developing chemistry and success within the Bears’ passing game?  Claypool not having a big game against the worst defense in the NFL is a bit concerning.  When the Bears needed a big catch in the fourth quarter to get in position to win the game, Chase Claypool was nowhere to be found.

Three weapons seem to be there for Fields now with Chase Claypool, Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet and yet the passing attack is still amongst the worst in the NFL in the two games since Claypool’s arrival.  Thus far none of the wide receivers brought in by Ryan Poles have looked like they should be on an NFL roster, and that includes the newly acquired Claypool.

The Bears have seven games to get their passing offense going and they theoretically have three above-average weapons with which to get the job done.   Now more than ever the Bears need to open up the passing attack and get targets to their best playmakers and get Fields into a better rhythm.

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In an attempt to counter the Hurricanes’ best-in-the-NHL team speed, Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson changed his defensive pairings Monday for the first time in weeks.

But with the Hawks’ offense limping along as feebly as it has in recent weeks, those alterations hardly mattered in a 3-0 loss.

“It just felt like it wasn’t going to drop over that line for us tonight,” Richardson said. “[It’s] tough for the players because they worked hard right to the end, but we have to somehow find a way to score. And if we can score early, we’ll play a little bit more freer and better, less risky. That’s going to be the objective going forward.”

The Hawks (6-6-3), who’ve been shut out in two of their last four games, have scored only seven goals in their last six games and have had only one goal from a forward (Taylor Raddysh against the Kings) in their last four.

They actually looked more dangerous against the Hurricanes than in other recent outings and finished with a 23-22 edge in scoring chances, only the third time they’ve been even or better in that regard. But they couldn’t find a way to beat rookie goalie Pyotr Kochetkov.

“We just need to maybe stick with our process and keep improving on that and not worry about the results,” Jonathan Toews said. “When they come, they come in bunches. You can’t force it.”

As far as the defensive shuffling, Connor Murphy remained with seasonlong partner Jarred Tinordi,but Jack Johnson teamed up with Caleb Jones and Jake McCabe with Filip Roos.

The idea was to balance out the three duos with one offensive and one defensive defenseman in each. The results were respectable aside from Jones committing one of the Hawks’ worst mistakes of the season. He turned the puck over on an ill-advised failed clearance from behind his net in the second period, leading to an easy Hurricanes goal that essentially put the game away.

Johnson nearing return

Tyler Johnson and the Hawks feared the worst when his ankle got stuck in the bottom of the boards and twisted around Oct. 27 against the Oilers.

But less than three weeks later, Johnson fully participated in the morning skate and appears nearly ready to return to the lineup.

“Watching it, I thought it was going to be way worse than what it was,” Johnson said. “It has gotten way better. It’s an injury that sometimes lingers for certain people, but I’ve never had it. For whatever reason, I feel better than a lot of people that normally have it.”

He shied away from giving any specific timeline for his return, and Richardson didn’t offer one, either, but this weekend or next week might be possibilities.

“We have to get him into a few practices, and he has to strengthen that ankle a little more,” Richardson said. “He doesn’t tape it or anything. He likes to go where he can feel a little bit of the pain and gauge it on that. It was good to see him out there.”

Johnson had enjoyed a largely injury-free career up until his arrival in Chicago, but that luck has changed. He played only 26 games last season because of his artificial disk-replacement surgery, and this ankle issue interrupted an excellent start to the season.

He had six points in the Hawks’ first six games, demonstrating strong chemistry alongside Toews. His reinsertion could help jump-start the Hawks’ lagging offense.

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