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Chicago Bulls: Three head coach candidates to avoidJohn-Mark Malloryon August 26, 2020 at 2:00 pm

(Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
(Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
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Arturas Karnisovas, Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

It took a while, but the Chicago Bulls finally fired coach Jim Boylen after two pitiful seasons. Here are three replacements the team must avoid.

As the weeks went by after the Chicago Bulls introduced their new EVP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas, fans and reporters alike wondered how long it’d take for the other shoe to drop. That other shoe being, of course, head coach Jim Boylen.

It was just a matter of time, everyone thought. Surely, the Bulls wouldn’t keep Boylen on board as coach after a 39-84 record. Right? As the days passed, reports began to swirl about team ownership being hesitant to fire Boylen either because of money or loyalty.

The Reinsdorf family is notoriously loyal to their front office and coaching hires, both with the Bulls and Chicago White Sox. But how could the family really keep a guy like Boylen on after clashes with players and staff, and a terrible record?

It turns out that the concern was overblown, and the Reinsdorfs appeared to be waiting until the last possible second to fire Boylen. The former (has a nice ring to it) Bulls coach was fired on the final day of the NBA’s regular season.

Karnisovas said he thought it was a good timeframe to make the change because of the draft lottery that was looming. He also said he wanted to be deliberate with the decision. The Bulls ended up with the fourth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft after the lottery.

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The team made it known that the search for a new head coach would start immediately. There some names of great candidates being thrown around like Philadelphia 76ers assistant Ime Udoka and former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson.

That’s a great start, but there are also candidates that could be disastrous hires. Here are three head coaching candidates the Bulls should avoid.

Next: A common name…

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Chicago Bulls: Three head coach candidates to avoidJohn-Mark Malloryon August 26, 2020 at 2:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Blackhawks: Matthew Highmore impressed in bubbleVincent Pariseon August 26, 2020 at 1:00 pm

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 14: Matthew Highmore #36 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck during a summer training camp practice at Fifth Third Arena on July 14, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 14: Matthew Highmore #36 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck during a summer training camp practice at Fifth Third Arena on July 14, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks had some really nice moments from Matthew Highmore.

Of course, the Chicago Blackhawks saw their legendary veterans play well in the bubble. Especially against the Edmonton Oilers, you got exactly what you needed from Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and Corey Crawford. Depth is the key to winning so the Hawks needed some of their young guys to step up as well and they did. The usual suspects like Dominik Kubalik and Kirby Dach played well but Matthew Highmore was also one of the more unsung heroes of the whole thing.

Undrafted

Highmore wasn’t drafted to the NHL so you know that he had to work extra hard to make it where he is today. He came from the Saint John Sea Dogs of the OMJHL. He was a good player there in junior but not successful enough to get drafted. He did manage to sign a pro contract and was pretty good for the Rockford Ice Hogs in 2017-18 where he scored 24 goals and had 19 assists for 43 points in 64 games. Not bad for the undrafted kid.

2019-20 regular season and bubble

Highmore is a depth piece, make no mistake about it. He isn’t someone who is going to bloom into this star player or anything but at 24 years old, it is fair to assume you can get more of the same from him for a long time and that is a guy who is ready to play and work hard whenever you need him. He might be a scratch and he might play based on the circumstances but he will always be ready.

In 36 games played this season, he only had two goals and four assists for six points in 36 games. That isn’t a production level that is going to keep you in the lineup a whole lot but it also depends what else you bring to the table. He was extremely useful in the playoff bubble as he had three goals and one assist for four points in the Hawks’ nine games. Kids like this who work hard tend to prove themselves come playoff time and that is what Highmore did.

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Future

Highmore may or may not be a guy that can be on a good team’s fourth line. Corey Crawford had some nice words of endorsement during their time in Edmonton which speaks about his character but it is hard to predict his future. He had a good showing in these playoffs so that might earn him a chance to be a regular in the lineup once next season rolls around.

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He is signed through the 2021-22 season and could be back and forth between Chicago and Rockford. He might not be a guy to stick around by the time this team is really ready to compete again but he deserves the opportunity to show his stuff going forward after what he did in these playoffs. If anything, he is an easy kid to root for but we will see how his career shakes out.

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Chicago Blackhawks: Matthew Highmore impressed in bubbleVincent Pariseon August 26, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bulls: 3 intriguing trades to consider with Brooklyn NetsRyan Heckmanon August 26, 2020 at 12:00 pm

Chicago Bulls (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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Chicago Bulls, Coby White

Chicago Bulls (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)

Could the Chicago Bulls become an ideal trade partner for the recently-swept Nets?

It’s an intriguing question, to say the least. The Chicago Bulls may not be the same team they are by next season’s start. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets have a much-anticipated 2020-2021 campaign awaiting them.

The Nets were recently swept by the defending champion Toronto Raptors, and all but one game were blowouts. The roster, as it stands though, wasn’t built to withstand a playoff run. However, next year? That’s a different story.

Next season, the Nets will get back both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, both of whom missed significant time this past season — Durant missing the entirety of the year and Irving playing just 20 games.

Getting Irving and Durant back instantly makes them a contender in the East, but one more piece just might put them over the top.

Back to the Bulls, now. Under new Vice President Arturas Karnisovas, the team could look differently in just his first offseason with the organization. If he sees potential to add future assets or build upon the players he wants to see stick around, don’t be shocked to see a major deal go down.

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The Nets may also have one heck of a turnaround at their head coaching position, of which there are tons of rumors floating around. One of them has Gregg Popovich leaving San Antonio to coach Brooklyn — wouldn’t that be something.

If the Bulls and Nets were to engage in talks, let’s take a look at some deals that would benefit both sides.

Next: Trade No. 1

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Chicago Bulls: 3 intriguing trades to consider with Brooklyn NetsRyan Heckmanon August 26, 2020 at 12:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears: David Montgomery may have significant leg injuryUsayd Koshulon August 26, 2020 at 5:06 pm

Chicago Bears (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Chicago Bears (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears have a significant injury on their hands at training camp.

On Wednesay morning, as the Chicago Bears prepared to practice in preparation for the 2020 NFL regular-season opener at Halas Hall, running back David Montgomery left practice with a significant injury per multiple reports.

This is clearly a significant issue that the Bears will now have to deal with. Keep in mind that in an offseason where most of it was virtual, many expected Montgomery, the teams third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, to breakout in 2020 and possibly become a workhorse running back.

The Bears were clearly high on Montgomery as well, who averaged just 3.7 yards per carry a year ago. There were multiple reports of him showing up to Halas Hall this year in better shape as well. Now that he’s injured, the Bears running back depth chart has also taken a hit.

Depth at running back was already an issue, even with Montgomery healthy. Tarik Cohen is expected to have a bounceback year and become a gadget player. Then there are guys like undrafted free agent Artavis Pierce and Ryan Nall, both of whom have potential but haven’t proven that they can handle a bigger role. Hey, maybe we get a good look at Cordarrelle Patterson now.

The timing of this injury is also significant as well. All offseason, the Bears elected not to bring in a veteran running back like Devonta Freeman because the entire organization from general manager Ryan Page to head coach Matt Nagy and running backs coach Charles London had high expectations for the second-year running back.

While this is still a developing story, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, we don’t know how long Montgomery is going to be out. Depending on the timeline, younger names like Pierce and Nall now have a real chance to prove themselves. Second, even though the Bears may be confident in Nall and Pierce, they should still bring someone like Freeman in for a tryout. This would allow the team to use Freeman as a replacement for Montgomery or a potential one-year stopgap for Montgomery for 2020.

Next: Chicago Bulls: Coaching candidates to avoid

Overall, this is the first Bears starter who could be expected to miss some time. In what is expected to be an already uncertain season, things just got even more uncertain.

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Chicago Bears: David Montgomery may have significant leg injuryUsayd Koshulon August 26, 2020 at 5:06 pm Read More »

Soul singer Bill Coday had two careers 20 years apartSteve Krakowon August 26, 2020 at 11:00 am


Bill Coday’s early releases, especially on Denise LaSalle’s Crajon label, have been widely reissued—and his later soul-blues recordings are beloved too.

Since 2004 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who’ve been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in the first place.…Read More

Soul singer Bill Coday had two careers 20 years apartSteve Krakowon August 26, 2020 at 11:00 am Read More »