The Chicago Blackhawks made a great move when they acquired Marc-Andre Fleury from the Vegas Golden Knights last summer. It was at a time when the team looked like they were going to be pretty good.

They had just traded for Tyler Johnson, Seth Jones, and Caleb Jones to join their current group that had a few good players. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out according to plan as the team has been one of the worst in the Western Conference.

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It is sad to say but the future of the Chicago Bears isn’t only influenced by their own actions. Aaron Rodgers has been a top-five all-time quarterback playing for the Green Bay Packers so his decision on whether or not to play football is massive for the Bears.

If Rodgers plays, the Green Bay Packers are the odds on favorite to win the NFC North no matter what. The Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions just have to try and get to the top in spite of him. Each of them has had one-off years but the Packers usually get right back.

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The ESPN fantasy and betting cheat sheet is your pregame destination for our best intel and data to help you make smart fantasy and wagering decisions. NBA game odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and fantasy advice is based on ESPN 10-team leagues.

Jump ahead: Game of the night | Picks and props | Analytics edge

What you need to know for Tuesday night’s NBA slate

By Jim McCormick and Kyle Soppe

Drummond The Giant: Andre Drummond ($5,800 on DraftKings) is not shy from the occasional big night and tonight could be one of them with LaMarcus Aldridge (hip) ruled out. This Nets team lacks front court depth and all Drummond has done is produce when given the chance since being acquired: 13 PPG and 13.3 RPG when playing over 20 minutes. Lock him in against a bottom-10 rebounding team in Charlotte tonight.

Opportunity Knocks: Tuesday’s contest between the Hornets and Nets claims the highest total of the slate by 10 points, which means it could be rewarding to find multiple streaming and DFS candidates on Charlotte’s roster. With Gordon Hayward still sidelined, it’s worth noting Kelly Oubre Jr. (35% available) has shot at least eight 3-pointers in six straight games — sinking multiple shots from deep in each. P.J. Washington (35% available), meanwhile, has posted multiple steals + blocks in six of his last eight games. He should see plenty of run against a smaller Brooklyn rotation.

The Other CP: Both Devin Booker and Chris Paul are unavailable for the Suns’ game in Orlando this evening. In their place, Cameron Payne has thrived as a lead creator for Phoenix in recent games, posting 32 dimes across his last three outings. Expected to consume a usage rate around 30% against a young Orlando backcourt, Payne (available in 85% of leagues) is in an ideal spot for streaming, DFS value, and assist props.

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Sneaky Value: The Pelicans are playing at a shockingly high level right now and while most of their production comes from their stars, don’t sleep on Herbert Jones tonight in an up-tempo spot against the Grizzlies. The rookie has multiple steals in all five of his games following the All-Star Break and there is hope for value elsewhere (averaging over eight shots per game during that stretch with 6.6 rebounds + assists a night). Nothing flashy, but hopeful in roto leagues and/or the prop betting market.

Feel the Love: Cleveland won’t have Jarrett Allen or Caris LeVert in the lineup against the Pacers due to respective injuries. It’s somewhat obvious Rookie of the Year favorite Evan Mobley is in a good spot to produce against Indiana’s patchworked frontcourt, but it’s also a great window for Kevin Love (70% available) to shine. A strong double-double candidate who has made at least three 3-pointers in three of his last four games, it’s easy to like Love’s fantasy profile this evening.

Game of the Night

Line: Grizzlies (-5.5)
Moneyline: Grizzlies (-235), Pelicans (+190)
Total: 231.5 points
BPI projected total: 223 points
BPI win%: Grizzlies (60.6%)

Notable: Ja Morant and company are exciting, but Vegas is accounting for that: five of Memphis’ past six games have gone under the total.

Key players ruled out: Dillon Brooks

Best bet: Steven Adams over 17.5 total points + assists + rebounds. Adams has averaged 10 PPG, 11.7 RPG, and 4.7 APG over the last 10 games. In his past five games against the Pelicans, he’s averaged 14.2 PPG, 11 RPG, and 3.0 APG. Adams should continue to play an active role as the Grizzlies seek a home court advantage in the playoffs. — Eric Moody

Best bet: Under 231.5. The Pelicans defense has been mostly stellar since the All-Star Break gave them the chance to consolidate their new team. Before their overtime loss to the Nuggets on Sunday (in which Nikola Jokic had his historic 46/12/11 triple-double), the Pelicans had their previous four post All-Star opponents – the Jazz, Kings, Lakers and Suns – to an average of 95.5 PPG. When you factor in the note above about the Grizzlies’ recent history, and the BPI projected total of only 223 points, this game seems poised to go under. –Andre Snellings

Breaking down the rest of the slate

Line: Nets (-3.5)
Moneyline: Nets (-155), Hornets (-135)
Total: 241.5 points
BPI projected total: 227.5 points
BPI win%: Hornets (59%)

Key players ruled out: LaMarcus Aldridge, Gordon Hayward, Jalen McDaniels

Notable: Sunday’s showdown with the Celtics was a fun watch and it resulted in the sixth over in Brooklyn’s past eight games.

Andre Drummond will have a larger role with LaMarcus Aldridge out. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Fantasy Streamer: Andre Drummond is available in 56.1% of leagues, and as mentioned above should be on major double-double watch tonight. When he gets minutes, he crashes the boards. And with LaMarcus Aldridge out but both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets should be competitive enough for Drummond to get his minutes…and thus his boards. — Snellings

Best bet: LaMelo Ball over 32.5 total points + assists + rebounds. Like any young player, Ball has had his ups and downs this season. Ball, however, has averaged 20.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 6.1 rebounds during his last 10 games. Even with Durant in the lineup, the Nets are still a poor defensive team, ranking 16th in points allowed per 100 possessions and giving up a lot of offensive rebounds. — Moody

Best bet: Nets -3.5. The Hornets have won two straight, but overall are 4-11 in their past 15 games with a -2.5 PPG average scoring margin. Five of those losses were by double digits. The Nets have struggled of late as well, but the elephant in that room is that Durant was out for most of those games and Irving has only been playing on the road. On Sunday, it took a herculean effort from Jayson Tatum and a red-hot Celtics squad to edge the Nets with Durant and Irving. The Hornets aren’t playing on that level, so with their two core guys available the Nets should have the advantage. — Snellings

Line: Cavaliers (-4)
Moneyline: Cavaliers (-190), Pacers (+160)
Total: 223 points
BPI projected total: 226.5 points
BPI win%: Cavaliers (53.9%)

Key players ruled out: Jarrett Allen, Rajon Rondo, Caris LeVert

Questionable: Lance Stephenson, Chris Duarte

Notable: After failed to cover six straight games, the Cavs enter play tonight having covered consecutive games.

Best bet: Evan Mobley over 27.5 points + rebounds. Evan Mobley has at least 15 points and 15 rebounds in three of his games this season, which is the most among rookies. With Jarrett Allen out with a finger injury, he is going to be a statistical monster. The Pacers (114.4) rank 26th in points allowed per 100 possessions. — Moody

Fantasy Streamer: Kevin Love is available in 69.4% of leagues, and as pointed out above, has a big opportunity to produce with Jarrett Allen out. In the last four games that he’s played at least 26 minutes, including his most recent two outings, Love has averaged 18.3 PPG and 7.8 RPG. — Snellings

Line: Suns (-15.5)
Moneyline: Suns (-320), Magic (+250)
Total: 221.5 points
BPI projected total: 213 points
BPI win%: Suns (58.7%)

Key players ruled out: Cameron Johnson, Devin Booker, Chris Paul

Questionable: Jalen Suggs

Notable: We’ve seen four of the past five Orlando games go under the total.

Best bet: Deandre Ayton over 28.5 total points + assists + rebounds. Ayton will be an integral part of the Suns’ run to the playoffs without their top playmakers. On Sunday night, Ayton scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out two assists. The stat line for Tuesday night may be similar — Moody

Fantasy Streamer: Cameron Payne. Both Devin Booker and Cameron Johnson are out, so Payne will have a big game. In the last two games, he averaged 20 points, 12.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds. Payne is still available in 85.4% of ESPN leagues. He’s also a good DFS value at $6,600 on FanDuel and $5,300 on DraftKings. You can also bet his over for total points + assists + rebounds. — Moody

Line: Bucks (-14.5)
Moneyline: Bucks (-1250), Thunder (+750)
Total: 230 points
BPI projected total: 227 points
BPI win%: Bucks (76.9%)

Key players ruled out: Grayson Allen, Josh Giddey, Derrick Favors

Questionable: Isaiah Roby

Notable: Milwaukee’s outright results have been a bit underwhelming, but they’ve been money on cashing over tickets … 10-2 over their past 12.

Line: Warriors (-7)
Moneyline: Warriors (-275), Clippers (+220)
Total: 220.5 points
BPI projected total: 220 points
BPI win%: Warriors (65.4%)

Key players ruled out: Draymond Green

Notable: The Clippers got blown out by the Knicks on National TV over the weekend, but don’t let that distract you: prior to that dismal effort, they had covered seven of eight.

Best bet: Ivica Zubac over 21.5 total points + assists + rebounds

Zubac struggled against the Knicks on Sunday, but over the last nine games he’s averaged 13.2 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 2.3 APG and his usage rate is 20.6%. Zubac averaged 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in the three games he’s played against the Warriors this season.

Analytics edge

ESPN’s NBA Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength developed by the ESPN Analytics team.

BPI highest-projected totals

1. Milwaukee Bucks (117.8 points)
2. Charlotte Hornets (114.9 points)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (113.8 points)

BPI lowest-projected totals

1. Orlando Magic (105.1 points)
2. LA Clippers (107.7 points)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (109.2 points)

BPI top probability to win (straight up)

1. Milwaukee Bucks (76.9%)
2. Golden State Warriors (65.4%)
3. Memphis Grizzlies (60.6%)

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Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies have taken the NBA by storm this season.

After flirting with the playoffs his rookie season, and making them by knocking off the Golden State Warriors — in San Francisco — in the play-in tournament in his second season, Morant has taken the full leap to superstardom in 2021-22, becoming an All-Star starter and first-team All-NBA candidate while leading the Grizzlies to a top-three seed in the Western Conference playoff picture.

But is that enough to make Morant, whose Grizzlies face the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, the most desirable point guard on a rookie contract in the NBA?

To answer that question, ESPN reached out to 15 league scouts and executives and asked them to rank six star point guards who are still on their rookie deals — the Charlotte Hornets‘ LaMelo Ball, Dallas Mavericks‘ Luka Doncic, Cleveland Cavaliers‘ Darius Garland, Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Atlanta Hawks‘ Trae Young and Morant — in terms of who they’d want moving forward.

It was a question that engendered plenty of debate, and a lot of hemming and hawing over how people would ultimately decide to rank them.

And while Morant received four of the 15 first-place votes, it was Doncic who got the other 11 and took home the top spot in the survey:

Doncic was the only player who didn’t receive a lower vote than second among the six players. Morant, meanwhile, had eight second-place votes, two thirds and a fourth to settle in at a comfortable second-place finish.

After the top two is where things got interesting. While Young was the only other player to receive a second-place vote — he got three of them — he also received eight third-place votes, placing him a clear third. Young also picked up fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place votes.

Ball and Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, were ultimately separated by a single point, with Ball’s extra fourth-place votes doing enough to offset Gilgeous-Alexander’s extra third-place votes to put the young Hornets star fourth and Gilgeous-Alexander fifth, with Garland coming in sixth.

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Given how incandescent Doncic has been to begin his NBA career — winning Rookie of the Year and then being named to both the All-Star and All-NBA first teams the past two seasons — he went into this process as the heavy favorite to take the top spot.

The fact he wasn’t a unanimous choice, however, is a credit to the way Morant has captivated not just fans but those inside the league as well.

“Ja has shown the ability to take a team to the next level,” a Western Conference scout said. “He’s shown great leadership, plus his jump, as far as development, has been pretty remarkable.”

It also, in the eyes of some, was a knock on Doncic’s slow start this season before working his way back into first-team All-NBA consideration.

“I would probably put Luka ahead of Ja big picture, but I’ll put Ja ahead because of Luka’s conditioning [worries] every offseason,” an Eastern Conference scout said. “Luka’s more talented, but I like Ja’s approach more.”

Other panelists, meanwhile, dropped Morant because of just how great his situation is in Memphis, and how, for some of the other options — like Gilgeous-Alexander — the lack of infrastructure hasn’t hindered success.

“It’s weird to say this, but I don’t think [Morant] is quite as good as his public perception,” an East executive said. “If you put Shai on that Memphis team, he could potentially be doing a lot of the same things.”

Ja Morant vs. Luka Doncic could become the league’s next great point guard battle. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

More often than not, however, the first choice was clear.

“Luka is by himself,” a West executive said, “a generational talent, while Ja is having an unbelievable season.”

The most polarizing player on the list was Young, whom several panelists struggled to place. “The fact he didn’t make the All-Star team last year was a joke. He definitely doesn’t get the respect he deserves,” a second West executive said.

For many of those polled, trying to decide between Young, Ball and Gilgeous-Alexander — especially the latter two — was difficult in part because of their varying skill sets.

Wednesday, March 9
Suns at Heat, 7:30 p.m.
Blazers at Jazz, 10 p.m.

Saturday, March 12
Bucks at Warriors, 8:30 p.m. (on ABC)

All times Eastern

Ball’s brilliant, creative passing skills are his calling card, and the combination of that and his youth were cited multiple times as giving him some untapped potential to move up this list in the future.

“He might wind up being the best of the bunch,” a second West scout said, “but he’s not ready to play winning basketball yet.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, is shooting 28% from 3-point range this season after shooting 42% last year and is playing on a Thunder team in the early stages of a rebuild. The remaining five guards are playing on teams hoping to make, at minimum, pushes to advance out of the play-in tournament.

“Shai is clearly last to me, because I don’t think he makes [teammates] better the way other guys do,” the East scout said. “He scores and I like his size for the position, but the other guys can really pass, and he’s the least talented in that area.”

As for Garland, he wouldn’t have been on this list six months ago, but his stellar season — part of an impressive year across the board in Cleveland — vaulted him up into consideration. His lack of a track record of success — he played fewer than 60 games each of his first two seasons before his massive leap in 2021-22 — was often cited as the reason he checks in at the bottom of this list.

“He’s been a pleasant surprise,” a third West scout said, “but I don’t think he’s really a guy that, like these other guys, you can build your franchise around.”

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In honor of International Women’s Day, Let’s Talk Womxn Chicago (LTWC) will collaborate with Choose Chicago on an exciting event to kick off Chicago Restaurant Week. Join twenty-five leading female restaurateurs and 600+ attendees on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Morgan Manufacturing (401 N Morgan St) to experience an evening of world-class dining, cocktails, connection, and dancing. Tickets to the March 8, 2022 event at Morgan Manufacturing are available via Tock.

Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, we brought the person behind LTWC’s amazing venture to the microphone. So, let’s not waste any more time, and hear Rohini Dey talk about this amazing event, the many brilliant womxn-owned restaurants across Chicagoland, and LTWC’s future plan!

Image Credit: LTWC

Q (Urban Matter): How does it feel to have CRW back after almost 2 years of pandemic? Are you excited to be part of this awesome event that kicks the biggest celebration of food in Chicago off?

A (Rohini Dey): Grateful and excited to be shaping the return of CRW with our Let’s Talk & Celebrate event. To have 25 of Chicago’s leading women owned restaurants do this together and be there to meet all guests on IWD is a true dual celebration of both our gourmet fare and our action-led Let’s Talk Womxn power.

Image Credit: LTWC

Q: LTWC has been such a core piece behind the survival of these womxn-owned restaurants through the past two years. How did this movement start?

A: I started Let’s Talk Womxn in July 2020 in the midst of the pandemic when our restaurants were mandated shut, we were racking up debt, our teams were decimated, and we were in panic about operating safely. I channeled the alchemy of our moral support, business counsel, and referrals for each other into economic collaborations and magnifying our visibility and presence.

Growing it from 20 to 50+ of us women restaurateurs and owners of food and drink in Chicago, launching and nourishing it in 13 cities to 600+ of us, and cross-pollinating our learnings and cohesion nationwide has been a LOT of work. An immensely gratifying journey though, much learning, an incredible group of cohosts across our cities and I know we will magnify our voice and presence substantively together.

Image Credit: LTWC

Q: What were the biggest challenges the womxn-owned restaurants involved in LTWC has seen? How do you think LTWC has been of help throughout this journey?

A: The challenges are very much the same as all restaurants — no business, fixed costs, hazards of operations during a pandemic with no testing or vaccines for most of it (heck not even hand sanitizer or paper towels for much of it!), losing our teams during successive mandated closures, all as small businesses with no safety net.

The PPP barely covered labor, a fraction of our expenses for 4 months cumulative, a bandage for a gushing wound. Women restaurateurs have the additional challenges of under-financing and double duty of home. We don’t have the PR heft of many of the mega-restaurateurs that dominate media coverage either. We’re a rare breed and we helped each other confront all of this.

Image Credit: LTWC

Q: I know our readers are going to visit these restaurants separately after the kickoff event, during CRW. What are your top 3 if you have to pick your favorites? And what’s your favorite item from each (within or without the CRW menu is fine)?

A: I will not pick favorites. I’ve loved dining at each other’s places. We’re 50+ of us. Find us all on http://www.letstalkwomxn.com and on our instagram @letstalkwomxnchi. Dine with us, come to our many collaborations (Picnic in White with the City, Let’s Talk & Celebrate for IWD, the Supper Club & Conversations I hosted monthly, our Let’s Talk Change Summit) that make Chicago a better city for dining, and that are inspiring so many cities around the country to adopt our model.

Q: What would be your top 3 cocktail choices from the list for the kick off event?

I’m unabashedly women-centric, so I would start with our Fiery Goddess and Femme Fatale power cocktails and work my way through all 7! Between that, 25 gourmet food stations, DJ Megan Taylor, and our panel – this will be one phenomenal party!

Image Credit: LTWC

Q: Give us a sneak peek: what will the panel be talking about at the event? Any specific topics that are significant?

We’ll share who we all are, our must-not-miss dishes, our counsel for entrepreneurs as owners and operators, the uniqueness of our “collaboration by competitors” model, and something wicked and fun….

Q:How do you feel about the future of LTWC and Chicago’s womxn-owned restaurant scene in general?

I’m very optimistic about Let’s Talk Womxn Chicago and Let’s Talk Womxn overall. We are a solidly committed, no BS, action-led movement. Because we are all owners, we have the autonomy and power to move fast. To change the environment for women-owned businesses will take significant policy change in financing and childcare. The US is far behind all developed countries in supporting its women, progress has been glacial, and much work lies to decimate the status quo.

(All food & beverage images are from LTWC member restaurants)

Featured Image Credit: Antique Tacos

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SAN ANTONIO — Gregg Popovich is just one win away from becoming the NBA’s all-time winningest coach.

Popovich tied Don Nelson’s NBA record with his 1,335th career victory as a coach in the San Antonio Spurs‘ 117-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. And he did so with his typical dry wit in tow.

In fact, during a timeout, Popovich called over to former Spurs center and Basketball Hall of Fame standout David Robinson to suit up and check himself into the game. Robinson was sitting courtside.

The Spurs had lost four straight with Popovich on the precipice of tying the mark. In his 26th season, the veteran coach will try to pass Nelson when San Antonio hosts the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

On Monday, with LeBron James not in the lineup for the road team, the Spurs raced out to a 31-22 lead after the first quarter and pulled away late with 22 fourth-quarter points.

“I thought we were a little bit quick,” Popovich said. “Not very patient, but we played good defense down the stretch. And that’s what fueled our lead I think.”

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Dejounte Murray had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Jakob Poeltl and Josh Richardson each had 18 points. Richardson was making his first start with San Antonio.

Talen Horton-Taylor had 18 points to lead Los Angeles, and Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk and Carmelo Anthony added 17 points each.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel said, in his postgame media availability, that he has “incredible respect” for Popovich, and that is something synonymous with most coaches around the league.

“Certainly happy for him, wish it wasn’t against us,” Vogel said. “But Pop is the best.”

Richardson concurred, and said the Spurs are hoping they can break the record in that next game. Though he hasn’t been in San Antonio long, Richardson made mention of just how much Popovich has meant to the NBA, its players and Team USA, as well.

But the record isn’t the only focus for an improved San Antonio team that is 2.5 games away of the Western Conference postseason play-in tournament cutoff line. In fact, Poeltl said Popovich’s record is something that is not being talked about in the locker room.

James has missed 17 games this season due to various injuries, including abdomen and ankle ailments. Vogel said he is hopeful James will play Wednesday against the Houston Rockets.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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