Chicago Sports

With training camp right around the corner, we’re looking back at some key moments of the Chicago Bulls’ offseason.

The 2022-23 NBA season is quickly approaching. If the Chicago Bulls tend to fall off your radar during the summer, you’ve come to the right place. It’s been a long offseason; maybe you just need some refreshers regarding some of the key moments. The Chicago Bulls made plenty of headlines over the summer. Let’s start with the 2022 NBA Draft.

NBA Draft and Dalen Terry

Dalen Terry was selected 18th overall by the Bulls way back on June 23rd. The Bulls only had one selection in the 2022 draft. Terry is a versatile wing who has showcased some impressive passing skills. Bulls fans watched the rookie out of Arizona very closely throughout Summer League. Dalen Terry played well in Summer League but suffered a minor hamstring injury in the team’s final game. Thankfully Terry made a swift recovery from this injury.

Besides the NBA Draft and Summer League, a major highlight of Terry’s offseason was his performance in the Crawsover Pro-Am. Former NBA player Jamal Crawford hosts the renowned pro-am league out of his hometown of Seattle. Dalen Terry participated in one game and dropped an impressive 56 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Zach LaVine returns

There was never much doubt that Zach LaVine wanted to return to the Bulls. President of Basketball Ops Arturas Karnisovas had made it clear that he wanted to keep the team’s core together. LaVine ended up signing a 5-year, $215.2 million deal to return to the Bulls when free agency opened.

LaVine made it clear later in the offseason that he had no intentions of signing elsewhere. He only met with the Chicago Bulls when free agency opened. This Bulls team feels as though they have unfinished business and a lot more to prove.

Other Free Agent signings

The Bulls didn’t only bring back Zach LaVine, they also reunited with the high-flying wing Derrick Jones Jr. Jones who signed a 2-year, $6.6 million deal to return to Chicago.

The team also improved their rebounding ability by adding veteran center Andre Drummond. Drummond is an incredibly skilled rebounder who signed a 2-year, $6.6 million deal with the Bulls. 

Goran Dragic also signed with the Bulls this offseason. The veteran point guard agreed to a 1-year, $2.9 million deal, and his presence gives the roster incredible depth at the point guard position. With the team suffering from many injuries last season, having this depth might bring fans some peace of mind. 

Lonzo Ball’s recovery

The health of starting point guard Lonzo Ball has been under a microscope for the entirety of the offseason. Ball has been trying to work his way back to being fully healthy since January.

There has been optimism lately that Lonzo Ball will be ready for the regular season. If not, the aforementioned depth at point guard will definitely come in handy. 

Summer League standouts

After the NBA Draft concluded, the Chicago Bulls signed Justin Lewis to a 2-way contract. Lewis had an impressive college career at Marquette and played well in the Summer League alongside Dalen Terry, Marko Simonovic, and Carlik Jones. Unfortunately, Lewis suffered an ACL tear in early August and is expected to miss this season.

It also was announced that Summer League standout Carlik Jones recently signed a unique deal with the Bulls.

The upcoming season

The 2022-23 NBA regular season begins on October 18th. The Chicago Bulls play their first game on the road against the Miami Heat the following day. Preseason for the NBA starts even sooner. The league’s first preseason game takes place on September 30th, and the Chicago Bulls begin their preseason on October 4th.

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The Chicago Bears still need wide receiver help and Tyler Johnson could be an option the Bears look at.

Tyler Johnson was considered to be the fifth wide receiver for the Tampa Bucs on a team that is loaded with WR talent.  Johnson is a surprise cut from the Bucs that could very well fit into the Chicago Bears’ WR needs.

The Bears are currently working with Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown rookie Velus Jones Jr. and Isaiah Coulter while the rest of their roster is dealing with injuries. 

Johnson is a 6-1 205 WR who was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.  Tyler Johnson has 48 receptions for 529 yards and two touchdowns in his career on 78 career targets.

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The Chicago Bears still need wide receiver help and Tyler Johnson could be an option the Bears look at.

Tyler Johnson was considered to be the fifth wide receiver for the Tampa Bucs on a team that is loaded with WR talent.  Johnson is a surprise cut from the Bucs that could very well fit into the Chicago Bears’ WR needs.

The Bears are currently working with Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown rookie Velus Jones Jr. and Isaiah Coulter while the rest of their roster is dealing with injuries. 

Johnson is a 6-1 205 WR who was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.  Tyler Johnson has 48 receptions for 529 yards and two touchdowns in his career on 78 career targets.

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The Chicago Bears make a tough decision on the defensive line

The Chicago Bears made another difficult decision Tuesday as they trimmed the roster before the 53-man cutdown deadline. Reports revealed that the Bears made a surprising decision at the defensive end position. Even a terrific performance in preseason games couldn’t save Trevon Coley.

Coley looked dominant for the Bears in the preseason. He also had multiple tackles for a loss and hits on the quarterback. Coley has been bounced around the league since he joined the league as an undrafted free agent in 2016.

Coley had a lot of names ahead of him on the depth chart before training camp. But his performance on the field seemed to indicate he had a chance to make the team. It’ll be interesting to see what team will claim him off waivers.

Coley’s best season came in 2017 for the Cleveland Browns. He played in 15 games and recorded two sacks, and had one fumble recovery. For his career, Coley has 100 total tackles and 3.5 sacks. It appears as if Coley can still find ways to put pressure on the quarterback. It is likely fans will see him in another uniform this season. Just not for the Chicago Bears.

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Dizzy Gillespie cut a regal figure striding through O’Hare: his black and red fez like a crown, his green raincoat draped over his shoulders like a cape.

It was 1988. Dizzy was coming in from Paris. My job was to meet him at the airport, fly down to Peoria together, interview the jazz legend and catch his performance that night. He didn’t bring anything so square as a change of clothes. Just an instrument case containing his famous angled horn. And a small satchel holding papers, vitamins and medicine for his diabetes.

If the name is unfamiliar — time effaces the greatest fame — Dizzy Gillespie was the archetypal jazzman. His personal look — sunglasses, soul patch, beret — became the cliche of a bee-bop hipster.

The musician had come quite a way — 4,300 miles, Paris to New York by supersonic Concorde, New York to Chicago by jet, now a prop plane to the city known as the place where anything daring won’t play. He was 71 years old. He’d been blowing his horn for half a century. Why go to all this trouble for another gig?

“I want to play all the time,” he replied. “You have trouble if you lay off. There’s an old saying among classical jazz guys: “If I don’t play one day, I know it. If I don’t play two days, my compatriots know it. If I don’t play three days, the whole world knows it.”

“You have trouble if you lay off.” Something to bear in mind as the Chicago Jazz Festival takes place this weekend at full strength for the first time in three years — last year was a one-night showcase. I imagine more than a few people have a little trouble with the notion of heading to downtown Chicago simply for great, free jazz. Perhaps out of practice by the COVID lull, perhaps given pause by violence that has spilled out of the areas of the city where Chicago has accustomed itself, shamefully, to allowing violence to perennially persist.

This fear isn’t so much reality-based — Chicago crime has been far worse — as sparked by the relentless city-shaming that passes for social commentary. Victims of bias tend to involuntarily absorb the values of their oppressors. To push back, consider the source. There has been much fluttering over Republican gubernatorial hopeful Darren Bailey repeatedly calling Chicago a “hellhole” — at this point it’s almost a tic. You’d think this wasn’t coming from the guy who views Donald Trump’s endorsement is something to be proud of. A yardstick that broken can’t be the measure of anything.

In a city like Chicago, the good is always wrapped up in the bad, and visa versa. It’s a total package, risk and reward. You can’t accept the dynamism of any city without the problems that come along.

How do you think Chicago got jazz in the first place? We might not be the birthplace, but we were the midwife who caught jazz emerging into the world and gave its bottom a good slap. Virulent racism in the South sent music fleeing to Chicago, carried in the hearts and fingers and lips of the people who created it. Jazz, like blues, came from Black America, and Black America came to Chicago because it offered freedom, relatively, or at least improved possibilities. A kinder, gentler racism.

Exactly 100 years ago this summer King Joe Oliver sent his famous telegram to his second horn, Louis Armstrong, to come to Chicago, where he could earn in a day what he got paid in a week in New Orleans.

Gillespie, Armstrong … another factor that might keep people away from the Jazz Fest is lack of big names. At the risk of projecting my own flaws upon the general population, I believe people attend concerts partly to notch stars on their belt. If Wynton Marsalis were playing at the Jazz Fest this year, I wouldn’t need to goad people downtown. Magnus Broo might be every bit the trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie was, or more, yet it somehow isn’t the same.

What I’ve found is that anybody good enough to get on the schedule puts on a great show. When my wife and I went in 2019, we did not go intending to see Joel Ross, “the most thrilling new vibraphonist in America.” But there he was, performing magic. Had he been the reincarnation of Milt Jackson, I would have gone intentionally and felt myself richly rewarded.

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Mario Edwards Jr. first intriguing cut for the Chicago Bears after dealing with an injury throughout most of training camp.

Mario Edwards Jr. was supposed to transition to the defensive tackle spot from the defensive end slot he occupied a year ago.  However Mario Edwards Jr. dealt with an injury early in camp and has now been cut.

Mario Edwards Jr. seemed like a logical choice to be a rotational 3-technique defensive tackle in the Bears’ defense.  He has shown some pass rush ability along the interior of the 3-4 defense.  He has been a disruptive player, but the Bears cut him anyway.  It’s a minor surprise, but when a player isn’t on the field there is no way to evaluate him in a new position.

The move likely paves the way for Trevon Coley to remain with the Bears after he had arguably the best preseason of any player on the roster for the Bears.  Coley racked up three sacks four QB hits and multiple pressures from his DT spot.

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The Chicago Cubs will take on the San Francisco Giants in a three-game weekend series scheduled between Sept. 9-11.

The game will take place hours after the Bears season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, and the scheduling will allow fans to watch or attend both games if they desire.

The Cubs currently have five wins less than the Giants’ current record of 61-85. Both teams share similar rankings, each sitting in third place in their own divisions. The game will will be available to watch or stream on ESPN. Pitcher Adrian Sampson is set to open for Chicago, and Carlos Rodon will open the first pitch for the Giants.

The game is scheduled on Sept 11 at Wrigley Field, and the first pitch will be thrown at 7:08 p.m. CDT.

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Wheeling running back Simon Micula set a school record with five touchdowns in the 58-7 win against Round Lake. He also had eight tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss while playing on defense.

Loyola’s passing attack against St. Xavier was tremendous. Quarterback Jake Stearney connected with five different receivers. He was 15-for-19 for 253 yards with four touchdowns and one interception (which coach John Holecek said wasn’t his fault). This grab by Declan Forde (four catches, 95 yards and a touchdown), was one of the most impressive of the weekend.

Kenwood quarterback Nacari McFarland was one of the most promising young players of the weekend. The 6-6 junior was 7-for-11 passing for 120 yards and one touchdown before leaving with an injury.

“He’s probably out for now but his backup is pretty good,” Broncos coach Sinque Turner said. “We’ll be ok. The guys were used to McFarland but [Kevari Thunderbird] has taken a ton of reps.”

St. Rita didn’t have many standout moments in the 35-3 loss at Mount Carmel on Friday. But the one highlight was a stunner. Kicker Conor Talty, an Alabama recruit, nailed a 51-yard field goal with a few feet to spare.

Simeon senior Malik Elzy lived up to all the hype on Saturday against Wheaton-Warrenville South. The numbers aren’t eye-popping. Elzy had three receptions for 124 yards.But every time he touched the ball he was a threat to score.

Glenbard North lost Sam Palmer, it’s starting running back, on the first drive of the season. That put even more on the shoulders of receiver Johnnie Robertson and quarterback Justin Bland. The pair of seniors delivered in crunch time.

Wheeling was 1-8 last season. The Warriors beat Round Lake in the opener last year as well but went on to lose the next eight games. This team has higher expectations with 12 starters back.

Cincinnati St. Xavier brought a band and a student section and sold out its side of the stadium in Wilmette. But Loyola fans were out in force for the game as well, which was on ESPN.

Glenbard North quarterback Justin Bland engineered a comeback win on the road against Kenwood.

“We have the chemistry from winning in the playoffs before,” Bland said.

Sophomore Drew MacPherson was another breakout young star this weekend. Loyola wasn’t expected to have a major threat at running back this season but MacPherson ripped off a 53-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and junior Will Nimesheim opened the second half with a 70-yard touchdown run.

“That was incredible,” Holecek said. “I didn’t think those guys were going to run past too many people, but they certainly looked the part today.”

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If you take all the Kenwood prospects — Jaden Smith, Chris Riddle, Calvin Robbins and now, recent Hillcrest transfer Isaiah Green — out of the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s Class of 2024 player rankings, there are just two Public League players among the top 30: Curie’s Carlos Harris and Lane’s Shaheed Solebo.

This follows a couple of recent classes — the Class of 2022, which just graduated, and the Class of 2021 — where we saw just three players from the Public League ranked among the final top 25 in each class.

This is a bit of an alarming trend for city basketball, especially when looking at the talent that’s been produced out of the city historically.

The Class of 2007 had nine Public League players among the top 25, followed by nine in 2008, eight in 2009 and nine in 2010.

The Public League averaged 8-10 players a year among the top 25 prospects in the state from 1998-2015. Since then we have seen those numbers drastically drop and, in many years, limited to a handful or less of the top 25 prospects.

Public League challengers?

Watching all the different talent and age groups in the city, along with getting a sneak peek at teams in the Riverside-Brookfield and Ridgewood shootouts in June, this could be as top-heavy as the Public League has ever been. It’s Simeon, Young, Kenwood, Curie and …?

Morgan Park was a major player in city and state basketball for a decade under coach Nick Irvin. His departure to the college ranks — Irvin is now a part of Bobby Hurley’s staff at Arizona State — ended Morgan Park’s dominating run.

Orr coach Lou Adams has retired, leaving questions surrounding that highly-successful program. Bogan has taken a massive step back following the sudden passing of longtime coach Arthur Goodwin 15 months ago. The turnover at Lincoln Park and Hyde Park has not helped their cause.

As a result of several fading or transitioning programs, there is an opening in the Public League to elevate itself and be in that next group behind the “Big Four” in the city’s hierarchy.

Mount Carmel’s addition

The recent transfer of Lee Marks from Homewood-Flossmoor to Mount Carmel is a boon for the Caravan.

Coach Phil Segroves’ team was already among the top teams in the Catholic League with the return of Division I star guard DeAndre Craig, promising junior Angelo Ciaravino and other key pieces. But Marks, a 6-5 junior who made an impact last year at Homewood-Flossmoor as a sophomore, adds much-needed size, length and athleticism.

Brother Rice and Mount Carmel both figure to be the biggest threats to St. Rita in the Catholic League this season.

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Did a CBS Sports statistic identify the Chicago White Sox position in the MLB hierarchy?

On August 27, 2022, the Chicago White Sox season became a microcosm of the franchise’s history. 126 games into what was supposed to be a contending season, the Sox held a 63-63 record. Their dedication to playing mediocre baseball was put into perspective by CBS Sports. Check it out:

A .500 season is a fairly uncommon (and undesired) feat. The last one was when the Royals played to an 81-81 record in 2016, the year after they won the World Series. With how the White Sox are playing, they probably won’t finish with a .500 season either– that would require winning games.

However, the last statistic CBS Sports uses is truly remarkable. After 116 years (18,028 games), MLB’s perpetual underachievers– whether in the regular season or playoffs– found themselves with 9,014 wins and 9,014 losses. 116 years of baseball, filled with glorious highs and pitiful lows, all resulting in a .500 record. That is an impressive level of blandness for an organization that has demonstrated plenty in 2022.

Yes, the August 16, 1906 date was used to benefit the post. No, the Chicago White Sox do not have an all time .500 record. Nevertheless, though it’s only an interesting statistic, it does illuminate the White Sox’s place in the MLB hierarchy. They are not the Midwest’s Yankees, nor the historically inept San Diego Padres (but hey, Juan Soto?). They sit at the same table as the LA Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, and Atlanta Braves with a franchise winning percentage of .503.

They’ve been great. They’ve been terrible. Most of all, they’ve been average. The 2022 team is writing a summary of the franchise’s history. Does the CBS statistic actually matter? Nope. But in a season of frustrating play, it’s an annoying fact that magnifies an annoying year of Chicago White Sox baseball.

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