Summer League for the Chicago Bulls is well underway, and fans may have noticed some interesting numbers worn on the court.

The Chicago Bulls are one game away from wrapping up their 5-game Summer League season. If you have tuned in to any of the games this summer, you may have noticed some unique jersey numbers on several of the Bulls’ summer players.

A recent feature from Darnell Mayberry with the Athletic has the explanation you may have been looking for. Bulls Equipment Manager, Steve Pankow, is the man behind these numbers. Pankow, a Chicago Native, assigned the players numbers based on legendary members of the 1985 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears. The skills and success of these former Bears may have become a source of inspiration for the players.

Mayberry pointed out why Makur Maker is wearing #72 and how the rest of the team got their Summer League numbers.

“Maker is playing the role of venerable defensive end Dan Hampton. Sindarius Thornwell is wearing Hall of Fame defensive lineman Richard Dent’s No. 95. Chicago native Javon Freeman-Liberty is sporting Mike Singletary’s No. 50. Sharpshooting guard Ethan Thompson is in quarterback Jim McMahon’s No. 9. Two-way contract forward Justin Lewis has No. 34, representing Pankow and his father’s favorite, Walter Payton”

At one point, Pankow had to explain his numbering system before the start of Summer League. Sindarius Thornwell (assigned Richard Dent’s #95) had asked if any other numbers were available. Pankow explained, “This man was a Super Bowl MVP in ’85, the last team to win a Super Bowl in this city.” That accolade alone was enough to sell Thornwell on the number system. You can view the competed Bulls Summer League Roster and the other uniform numbers here.

Summer League players who aren’t involved in Pankow’s number game include Dalen Terry and Marko Simonović. These two players have a spot on the Bulls’ regular-season roster and already have chosen their numbers. Terry has his own reasons for selecting #25. You can read more about it here. 

The Chicago Bulls play their fifth and final Summer League game on Saturday, July 16th. They will be looking to build upon their 3-1 record in a matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers at 6 pm CT on NBATV. Fans can view the remaining Summer League Schedule here

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MINNEAPOLIS — Luis Robert was still experiencing lightheadedness and was doubtful for the last two games of the White Sox series against the Twins, manager Tony La Russa said Saturday.

The Sox’ hottest hitter of late, Robert was replaced in his customary No. 3 spot in the lineup by designated hitter Andrew Vaughn as the Sox looked for their fifth straight win and third in a row in a four-game series against the AL Central leading Twins.

The cause remained unknown. Robert was uniform but manager Tony La Russa didn’t think he would play.

“He’s still not feeling right,” La Russa said.

“They’ve done some preliminary [tests] but wait until Monday to really take a really good look at him,” La Russa said.

The All-Star break is Monday through Thursday.

The hope is Eloy Jimenez (right leg soreness) will be available after the break, although La Russa wasn’t ruling him out as a pinch hitter.

La Russa said general manager Rick Hahn and training staff considered a 10-day injured list stint for Jimenez “and decided to get through this series. And I agree. We can get through it.”

Robert’s defense

Luis Robert’s fielding has been noticeably off this season, and defensive metrics show what eyes have seen. Robert won a Gold Glove his rookie season in 2020 with eight defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs, and was at four in 2021. Robert is minus-4 this season.

Coach Daryl Boston, who works with the outfielders, attributes Robert’s performance to his legs being at less than 100 percent.

“There have been some balls that in the past he was able to get to but he’s coming off some leg issues and, maybe some tough skies,” Boston said. “A lot of it has to do with his legs. He’s not running as much on the bases because of his legs. To bust at full speed, some balls [have fallen] in front of him.”

Robert has 11 stolen bases but is 0-for-1 since June 12.

A ball skipped past him for an error in the first inning Friday and Robert didn’t get a great read on a deep fly ball that was caught before he exited the game, but he may have been affected by what forced him to leave the game. Robert was on the COVID IL during the last week of May but has played almost every day since.

“He’s still an elite defender for us,” Boston said. “The level of expectation for him is probably unfair because of what we’ve become accustomed to.”

The draft is Sunday

The White Sox have the 26th pick in the draft Sunday, their lowest first pick since they selected pitcher Kyle McCulloch in 2006, the year after they won the World Series.

They like what they’ve done with their last three top picks — shortstop Colson Montgomery (22nd in 2021), left-hander Garrett Crochet (11th in 2020) and Andrew Vaughn (third in 2019), but nailing this one won’t be as easy.

“The process has changed significantly with this draft because in all my years of doing this when you get outside of pick eight or nine, you have no idea what’s going to happen,” Sox scouting director Mike Shirley said. “I don’t think we’ve ever had to work on so many players who possibly could be there at 26.”

Which has left the scouting department “a little exhausted because the amount of work they’ve had to put in to get to 26.”

Shirley, in his third year in his role as the department’s director. said the strength of the class is with college position players as a whole, at the top especially. The Sox’ pick will be a combination of need and best player.

Various mock drafts have the Sox taking high school left-hander Robbie Snelling, Oregon State lefty Cooper Hjerpe, East Carolina lefty Carson Whisenhunt, Arizona catcher Daniel Susac and an assortment of high school infielders.

The Draft begins at 6 p.m. CST (ESPN, MLB Network). Rounds 2-10 are Monday (1 p.m. CST, MLB.com) and 11-20 are Tuesday (1 p.m., MLB.com).

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Tim Anderson does more than hit baseballs

Tim Anderson made a big play to help the Chicago White Sox win Friday. The White Sox are in the middle of one of their most important regular season series against the Minnesota Twins. The White Sox are now three games back to the Twins after reaching .500 Friday night.

Anderson made a critical play in the fifth inning on defense as the White Sox were up 3-2. Twins outfielder Max Kepler hit a pitch that appeared to be a solid line drive. Anderson made an incredible leaping play to snag the ball out of the air and save a base hit. Kelper got robbed.

@whitesox

Tim-Tim the point guard showing out tonight. 🏀 #whitesox #mlb #timanderson

♬ original sound – Chicago White Sox

Tim Anderson’s incredible play kept the White Sox momentum.

The White Sox needed a win Friday night. Anderson’s magic kept the White Sox rolling until Adam Engel hit a three-run shot to put the club up 6-2 for the eventual winning score. The White Sox have now won four straight games. They have outscored the Twins in this series 18-4.

The White Sox still have two more games this weekend against the Twins before heading into the all-star break. If the White Sox can win the next two games, they’d only be behind the Twins one game after the break. Anderson is a big reason the White Sox will have a chance to do that.

White Sox fans react to Anderson’s catch on Twitter.

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We take a look at rookie Dalen Terry’s first few Summer League games for the Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls 2022 first-round draft pick Dalen Terry has shown flashes of talent in the team’s first three Summer League games but there’s still room for improvement.  The 6’7″ guard has shown off the good and bad of his decision-making in the Bull’s first couple of showings in the Summer League.

The Bulls made an effort of putting the ball in Terry’s hands, allowing him to make plays for his teammates in his first NBA action last Friday against the Dallas Mavericks. Terry put up an impressive six assists while making some tough passes that were of a high degree of difficulty.  These passes although impressive were still too risky at times which led to a team-worst six turnovers.

What has Dalen Terry shown so far?

Terry showed off some of the athletic abilities that warranted him being taken with the 18th overall pick in the Bulls’ next game against the Knicks. The Bulls’ guard played a team-high 27 minutes and was aggressive on the offensive end by earning multiple trips to the free-throw line.

Terry finally tied it all together Tuesday against the Toronto Raptors. The rookie guard played his best game of summer league action scoring 14 points along with 2 assists, on 66% shooting from the field. But the most important stat was his turnovers, which terry cut down to just two for the game. A big part of this was the bulls deciding to take the ball out of Terry’s hands and let him use his athleticism  in transition.

“We trust him to make the right plays,” Bulls summer-league coach John Bryant said in an interview with Darnell Mayberry of the Athletic. “But sometimes he’s trying to make the home-run play. You watch this game; he just made the simple play.”

Dalen Terry really impressed on the offensive end in Thursdays matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, scoring 20 points shooting 66% from the field, making both his two 3-point attempts as well.

The Bulls and Terry have one more opportunity to showcase themselves, tonight at 6 p.m against the Philadelphia 76ers.

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The take a look back at the “other” Bears linebacker from the 60s and 70s, Doug Buffone

Who is the first Chicago Bears linebacker people think of when you mention the 1960s and 1970s? The legendary Dick Butkus, of course. And rightly so, because he was one of the most dominant and intimidating figures in the history of the league. However, another linebacker arrived in Chicago the year after Butkus and was a mainstay on Bears defense for 14 seasons: University of Louisville star Doug Buffone.

Arrival in Chicago

Buffone arrived as a 4th Round Pick in the 1966 NFL Draft. The 6’3″, 230 pounder was installed at LOLB and stayed there for the duration of his career. Along with Butkus, they formed a formidable tandem of linebackers for the Bears until Butkus’ retirement following the 1973 season.

On-field performance and retirement

While not the superstar that Butkus was, Buffone was a solid linebacker for 14 seasons with the Bears. He finished his career with 9 fumble recoveries and 24 interceptions. Although not an official statistic until 1982, he was also credited with 15 sacks. He had a career high 158 tackles in 1972. At the time of his retirement following the 1979 season, Buffone had played more games (186) than any other Chicago Bears player, a record that was later eclipsed by Steve McMichael (191) and then Patrick Mannelly (245). He was also the last active player to have played under George Halas as a coach and received quite the send off in his last game.

Doug Buffone’s post-retirement years, legacy, and death

Buffone stayed in the public eye following his retirement as a Chicago sports broadcaster. He hosted or co-hosted shows for WSCR 670 AM and was also a producer on other ones such as The Neal Anderson Show and The Mike Ditka Show. As an entrepreneur, he was part owner of several Chicago-based businesses including Gibson’s Steak House. Buffone passed away at his residence on April 20, 2015 at the age of 70.

While he may not have been the splashy name of Chicago Bears linebackers, Doug Buffone was a solid player for a long time in the Windy City, as well as being a successful broadcaster and businessman.

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Chicago Bears need an offensive tackle like Orlando Brown Jr.

The Chicago Bears are heading into the 2022 season without one of the most critical positions on the offense being solidified and Orlando Brown Jr. would do just that. The Bears were trying out rookie Braxton Jones, as well as second-year players Tevin Jenkins and Larry Borom at the left tackle position this offseason.

None of those players are proven at that position yet. PFF thinks the offensive line is 31st in the league. A pro-bowl-caliber player protecting quarterback Justin Fields‘ blindside could be beneficial to the Bears unit this season and in the future.

Enter some offseason drama from the Kansas City Chiefs. Per reports, three-time pro bowl offensive tackle Orlando Brown turned down a six-year contract with the Chiefs. Brown will likely be franchise tagged but it’s currently unsigned. He’s a perfect candidate on the perfect team for the Bears to trade with.

The Bears have a veteran to trade and some cash in their pocket for Orlando Brown Jr.

Just north of $19 million is sitting in the Bears’ cap space currently. They have more than enough to pay Orlando Brown’s salary and certainly will be able to offer him a sweet future deal. They also have a veteran the Chiefs could use this season to immediately make their defense better in their quest to win a Super Bowl now.

Robert Quinn and some high draft picks would have to be on the table. Quinn’s name has been linked to the Chiefs before. But it would be worth it for a sure thing like Brown. The former third-round draft pick has played more like a top ten draft pick since coming into the league.

Bears’ new general manager Ryan Poles should use his connections with the Chiefs and make an offer. This is a golden opportunity for the Bears and would make a pretty boring offseason a success with a marquee addition like Brown.

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Would the Chicago Bulls consider trading for Kyrie Irving?

In wake of the Kevin Durant trade demand, it looks like the Brooklyn Nets may be headed for a rebuild if they decide to follow through with his request. A backcourt of Simmons and Irving may would be a strange fit and would likely have a tough time making the play-in games. Irving may soon be on his way out of Brooklyn. With a good core of players and plenty of trade assets, the Chicago Bulls are well positioned to make a trade for the all-NBA guard.

Due to the Gobert trade, it looks like the price for trading for a star player is a bit steeper than many anticipated. The Bulls will certainly have to give up some future assets in any trade, even if trading a star player in the process.

As a preface to the trade packages, the number of picks mentioned in each trade below is more of an indication of market value/precedent set by the Gobert trade– they’re definitely not set in stone and I could see the number of picks swing 1-2 1st rounders in either direction. With that being said, here are some trade packages the Bulls could put together for former all-NBA guard Kyrie Irving:

Contend now: Vucevic Package

Bulls Receive: Kyrie Irving

Nets Receive: Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, 2 future 1st-round picks

This is the most likely package in my mind. Nets get better by adding some much-needed defense, outside shooting, and interior offense to take a load off of Durant. The trade machine says -8 wins for the Bulls, but I can’t see how a lineup of Ball, Irving, LaVine, DeRozan, Drummond is worse than last year.

While 3 of those players are score-first guys and don’t rack up a lot of assists in the box score, they are all craft veteran players who know how to move the ball in an offensive system. This lineup could lead the league in scoring by a wide margin. Imagine the 3rd best defender on a team has to guard LaVine– that’s a crazy thought.

Contend now: DeRozan Package

Bulls Receive: Kyrie Irving

Nets Receive: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, 1 future 1st-round pick

I would hate to see DeRozan leave after having such a great season last year (and the fact that he will have been involved with 2 blockbuster trades for a mercenary player trying to win a ring). However, this trade would make a lot of sense. For the Bulls, they would add

Nets young talent acquisition package

Bulls Receive: Kyrie Irving, 2 future 2nd-round picks

Nets Receive: Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, Coby White, Dalen Terry, Tony Bradley, Ayo Dosunmu, 1 future 1st-round pick

The Bulls mortgage their future to try for a championship now. This would be a package centered around the idea that Irving is a rental and has no commitment to resigning with Chicago when his contract expires. I can’t see Chicago adding more than one first-round pick to this given that they are giving away all their young talent through this trade.

This would have to be a scenario where Brooklyn is willing to accept 50 cents on the dollar for Irving. However, if it went through, Ball, Irving, LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic is a serious lineup for any team to contend with.

Blow it up package

Bulls Receive: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving

Nets Receive: DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, 4 1st-round picks

With this trade, the Bulls become the premier threat in the east with a terrifying starting lineup of Ball, Irving, LaVine, Durant, and Drummond, but sacrifice most of their bench unit in the process. The Nets gather a core of solid role players that should work well around Simmons, along with DeRozen still serving as the primary bucket-getter. A lineup of Simmons, Caruso, DeRozan, Warren (or Williams), and Vucevic would definitely make some noise in the east.

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