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Chicago Bulls: Billy Donovan praises rookie Patrick Williams in debuton December 12, 2020 at 2:00 pm

Chicago Bulls (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
Chicago Bulls (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)

The first-round pick went out and proved he could hang in his Chicago Bulls debut.

In their first preseason game of the 2020-2021 season, the Chicago Bulls looked anything but competent as a team. But, that’s why it’s the preseason. If you are a die-hard fan of the Bulls, this was not an easy game to watch. If you’re one who treats preseason games like the regular season, you may have wanted to skip this one.

But, taken into context, this was just a preseason game after all. The Bulls hadn’t played since March, and they’re playing for a brand-new coach, implementing brand-new schemes. The fact that Chicago lost 125-104 to the Houston Rockets isn’t a huge deal in the grand scheme of things.

Now, what really mattered, is the fact that fans got to see the Bulls’ no. 4 overall pick in action. Rookie forward Patrick Williams, out of Florida State, played 25 minutes against the Rockets in his first NBA game and looked comfortable.

Williams shot 5-for-9 from the field (he missed both three-point attempts) and scored 12 points while pulling in three rebounds. He also made both his free throw attempts.

Williams’ first NBA bucket saw him bringing the ball down the floor from the opposite end, and pull up for a mid-range jumper — smooth. He sunk it.

In the above video, you can see the drive and post game on display with a pretty move turning around and sinking a tough shot.

After the game, head coach Billy Donovan had nothing but praise for his rookie (h/t NBCS Chicago)

“He has a really good feel for the game. He very, very rarely forces shots. He makes good decisions, he’s a good passer. We tried to put him in some pick-and-roll situations.”

This speaks to a big reason why the Bulls took him where they did in this year’s draft. He not only fills a big need on the wing, but he is such a smart player. Williams is not going to try too hard on offense, but rather let the opportunities come to him. He’s calculated.

People may forget the fact that rookies didn’t get the normal offseason this year. From the time they were drafted, they had just a few weeks before they saw their first NBA action. All things considered, Williams played an excellent game.

“He is really, really good when he gets into that elbow, paint area where he can shoot those one-handed lean-in shots, he’s very good at that,” Donovan said. “I thought he played very, very well considering the fact that there was no real Summer League or build up to training camp, and he had to kind of come here after the draft and kind of get started. I thought he did a really nice job tonight.”

The Bulls have another opportunity against these Same Rockets on Sunday. Hopefully, they have a chance to look at some film and adjust a few things for the rematch. We’ll look for Williams to continue his solid play as well in his second pro game.

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Chicago Bulls: Billy Donovan praises rookie Patrick Williams in debuton December 12, 2020 at 2:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears Rumors: Latest speculation should have fans nervouson December 12, 2020 at 3:00 pm

Chicago Bears (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
Chicago Bears (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears could be headed down a similar path.

The Chicago Bears are in a bad way at the moment, and the only thing fans have to hold onto is the hope that things will get better next season. The only way that seems possible is if there is significant, if not wholesale turnover across the organization. This would mean the firing of not only the entire coaching staff, general manager Ryan Pace, and President Ted Phillips.

However, according to some recent rumblings, Matt Nagy may not be in as much hot water with the ownership as he is with the fans.

Before we get to those rumblings, let’s quickly examine why retaining Nagy and firing everyone else would be a horrible idea. If you are looking for a more in-depth analysis, I recently wrote about this topic and highlighted why it would be so detrimental to the long-term success of the organization.

Suffice it to say that saddling a new general manager with a coach he didn’t select creates immediate conflict. Think back to when Jerry Angelo wanted to fire Dick Jauron but was forced to keep him because he made the playoffs the previous season. Angelo eventually fired Jauron and hired Lovie, but those interim seasons were wasted. A similar thing happened when Phil Emery inherited Lovie Smith and fired him following a 10-win season.

Most recently, although Pace “hired” John Fox, Fox came “highly recommended” and the implication was Pace needed to make that hire. All that did was create an environment where Pace kept his 2017 draft pick from his head coach. Had he had a good relationship with Fox, perhaps Deshaun Watson — who Fox preferred — would be suiting up for the Bears to take on the Mitchell Trubisky-led Houston Texans tomorrow.

Related Story: 3 Bears at risk under new GM

The bottom line is taking these types of half-measures is toxic to an organization. Unfortunately, it is so consistent with the Bears pathetic history that when you see smoke, you not only think there’s a fire but fear there’s a blazing, uncontrollable, five-alarm inferno.

So when Peter King takes to the airwaves to tell Mike Florio that his preference would be to fire Pace and keep Nagy, after indicating he’d be “very surprised” if changes to the top of the organization weren’t made this offseason, you sit up and take notice.

Then, Jeremy Fowler went on ESPN and indicated that it’s “not completely over yet” for Nagy and that he has a “good relationship and a good line of communication with ownership.”

That’s now two separate national reporters who have at least tacitly suggested, that the Bears firing Nagy at the end of the season is far from a foregone conclusion.

For Bears fans clinging to nothing but hope for next year, those hopes have taken a bit of a shot this morning.

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Chicago Blackhawks: Dylan Strome still needs a contract for 2021on December 12, 2020 at 12:00 pm

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 03: Dylan Strome #17 of the Chicago Blackhawks breaks up the ice past Ryan Getzlaf #15 of the Anaheim Ducks at the United Center on March 03, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 03: Dylan Strome #17 of the Chicago Blackhawks breaks up the ice past Ryan Getzlaf #15 of the Anaheim Ducks at the United Center on March 03, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Dylan Strome still needs a contract with the Chicago Blackhawks for 2021.

The Chicago Blackhawks sent out a letter about the idea of rebuilding their roster but nobody knows if they are going to stay true to it. They let Corey Crawford go for nothing but that is about the only move that lines up with the letter that they sent out. With Dylan Strome being an RFA at 23 years old, he is someone they should bring back no matter what. This is a player that is young enough to keep through a rebuild and he is good enough to be on a team that is trying to win now.

He was awesome when he came to the Chicago Blackhawks from the Arizona Coyotes in the Nick Schmaltz trade. In year two with Chicago, he put up good numbers but he wasn’t close to the point per game numbers that he had in the first year. It is hard to evaluate how to pay a guy like that due to how different his two years were. It is fair to assume that he is somewhere in the middle.

He probably isn’t a point-per-game player but he is also probably a bit better than what he showed in 2019-20. You can expect, in a full 82 game season, a guy who scores 20-25 goals and has 30-40 assists for anywhere between 50-65 points. That would be great as a second or third-line center on a good team.

The Blackhawks saw Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome have instant chemistry when Strome came over from Arizona. They played together in juniors for the Erie Otters and were amazing. They picked it right back up where they left off when they were reconnected in the NHL but fell off a little bit last year. With that said, they both have the potential to be big bounce-back players in 2021.

It would help both Strome and DeBrincat tremendously if the Hawks decided to keep Strome. Each of them can be a part of the long term plan based on their age. What would be a good deal for an RFA with his resume at his age? It is probably fair to give him a three or four-year deal with an average annual value of around four million dollars per year.

Hot: The 2021 Blackhawks are all about development

They are probably going to start purposely getting younger and Strome fits that mold at 23 years old. If they don’t sign him by the time camp starts, they should probably consider trading him to a contender who is willing to give up an asset. They might, however, just be better off by keeping him and signing him.

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Chicago Blackhawks: Dylan Strome still needs a contract for 2021on December 12, 2020 at 12:00 pm Read More »

1 man in custody after shots fired at Chicago policeon December 12, 2020 at 8:36 am

One man was taken into custody after shots were fired at Chicago police Friday in Park Manor on the South Side.

About 11:35 p.m., officers saw a black Infiniti SUV traveling without headlights on in the 6700 block of South Rhodes Avenue and began following the vehicle as it started moving at a high speed, Chicago police said.

An unknown male then threw a trash can in front of the officer’s vehicle, police said, and when officers got out to move it, someone fired about 4 to 6 shots in their direction, according to police.

No officers fired shots back, police said.

Officers then continued to follow the black SUV until it crashed into a utility pole in the 7600 Block of South Cottage Grove Avenue.

After a brief foot chase, the driver — and sole occupant of the vehicle — was placed into custody, according to police.

A weapon was recovered from the man and he was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center for observation, police said.

No officers were shot or injured in the incident and no additional injuries were reported, police said.

Area One detectives are investigating.

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1 man in custody after shots fired at Chicago policeon December 12, 2020 at 8:36 am Read More »