Come to think of it, what could go wrong?

The United States Football League is making a comeback?

God bless America.

There might be another pro football team in Chicago?

Make it happen.

“You know what? Give it a shot,” is where Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy stands.

I had to call Levy, a hometown football treasure, and take his temperature on news of a USFL return in the spring of 2022. There will be teams in at least eight cities — all locations to be determined — with the league holding rights to the original names from its 1983-1985 existence. And how great some of those names were: the Houston Gamblers, the Memphis Showboats, the Birmingham Stallions, the Boston Breakers.

Of course, the Chicago Blitz, too.

The Blitz gave it a go for two seasons — sort of — before dying on the vine. Playing games on ABC and ESPN in the spring, they were a winning team in 1983 and drew as many as 32,000 fans to a game at Soldier Field. But then came tomfoolery on the parts of halfhearted owners passing like ships in the night, and before Blitz fans knew it there had been an all-out swap with the less-talented Arizona Wranglers: of full rosters and all other assets, down to the very pompoms.

In 1984, the Blitz were a pathetic lot. Their new ownership ditched them after two games, forcing the league to take over the team. The remaining front office was wiped out to cut costs. Bill Polian — who, like Levy, would be immortalized in Canton, Ohio — was installed to help the team’s first-year coach hold things together. That was Levy, the native South Sider. Somehow, they pulled five victories (in 18 games) out of the whole mess.

“I never even got paid,” said Levy, now 95 and a longtime resident of Lincoln Park. “The owner never paid me. Bill Polian and I had to buy the toilet paper because nobody else would.”

Levy struggled with his rotten luck back then — “live the devil,” he puts it — but now he looks back almost fondly. The Blitz led him to the Buffalo Bills, whose brand-new GM, Polian, hired him in 1986. The rest was four-Super Bowl history.

Chicago Sun Times

The USFL was fun and ridiculous. It poached veteran players from the NFL and paid some college stars more than the NFL would. It vaulted Doug Flutie and Herschel Walker to enormous fame and sprung Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Reggie White, Anthony Carter and others to sudden, dramatic heights. It stacked expansion franchises like hotcakes but went wildly off the rails when the influential owner of the New Jersey Generals, Donald Trump, convinced his cohorts to take on the NFL by moving its season to the fall.

Come to think of it, is a new USFL really a good idea?

“I’m not investing in it, I’ll tell you that,” Levy said. “I think the chances of something like that surviving are slim, but so what? That’s the way many leagues start.”

The new USFL, with Fox Sports as its broadcast partner, is promising “the best football viewing product possible during what is typically a period devoid of professional football,” meaning the spring. But that’s not really accurate. The Alliance of American Football came and went as a spring league in 2019. The XFL came and went as a spring league in 2020, the onset of the pandemic blowing up its season. The XFL also has plans to give spring ball another try in 2022.

Maybe the whole thing is just plain a losing proposition. Just ask the World Football League, which failed to last two seasons in the mid-1970s. Then again, if you ask the American Football League of the 1960s, it’ll remind you that it was such a success, it eventually merged with the NFL.

The point is: Why the heck not? It isn’t our money.

“I would hope Chicago gets a team,” said former Blitz, Wranglers and Bears offensive lineman Tom Thayer. “We have venues here that deserve the opportunities. We have the population. I think that people would go to the games.”

Bigger picture: Thayer would like to see a whole bunch of players get an opportunity to play pro football. A man who had his 1985 couldn’t see the matter differently if he tried. That year, the Joliet native played a full USFL season in Arizona only to join the Bears — two days after his season finale — at training camp, earn a starting spot and win the Super Bowl.

“I was a young guy going to my hometown team,” said Thayer, 59. “It was the biggest thrill of my life.”

Thayer had a Blitz teammate, cornerback Frank Minnifield, who became a four-time Pro Bowler with the Cleveland Browns. Minnifield was one of smallest players at his position in the NFL, much as Sam Mills — a USFLer who became an elite NFL player — was, at 5-9, the shortest linebacker.

“Those are the kind of guys I’m thinking of,” Thayer said, “the guys who just need an opportunity to go somewhere and compete.”

Thayer still has a couple of T-shirts from his Blitz days. Maybe he’ll get to break them out again and go to a game? That sure would be fun.

Fun while it lasts, anyway. Chances are, the new USFL won’t be around for long. But we’ll cross that bridge when it collapses.

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Chicago Cubs: Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras have words by Vincent Parise

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Chicago Bulls (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Although Chicago Bulls fans don’t get to see their team in the current playoff action, the future of the team still remains bright.

Last year was defined by change. Chicago hired Vice President Arturas Karnisovas to make a big shift towards winning basketball. Gone were the days of Gar Forman and John Paxson. Karnisovas came to the Bulls in order to take them to the next level.

Right away, he made an impact by hiring Billy Donovan — the most decorated coach the Bulls have hired in quite some time. To take it even further, Karnisovas executed a huge trade during his first year in charge.

Bringing in former Orlando Magic big man Nikola Vucevic, Karnisovas asserted himself as a man who takes winning seriously. Unfortunately, the Bulls saw Zach LaVine miss extended time down the stretch and thus were knocked out of the postseason picture.

This offseason, the Chicago Bulls could make even more moves towards a winning club.

With LaVine and Vucevic, the Bulls now have a strong duo of All Stars to build around. They will also have the potential to work with increased cap space this summer, depending upon what they do with some of their current players.

The Bulls have several impending free agents they must make decisions around. But, more importantly, there are also a couple of players who do not have guaranteed contracts for the upcoming season. These are all players that could not only impact whether or not the Bulls win games sooner than later, but also how Karnisovas will operate in going after other free agents.

This summer’s free agent crop isn’t as loaded as it once was, but the Bulls could still make some noise by pursuing one or two of the more notable names. To do so, though, they’ll need the cap space.

There are three players, in particular, that could greatly impact the team’s cap space for the 2021 offseason.

Next: 1. Tomas Satoransky

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LAS VEGAS — Derek Stevens so covets his Sigma Derby game, the hotel and casino mogul almost makes it seem as if the tiny plastic ponies were living, breathing beasts.

As if they require real hay, real tiny barn assistants with real tiny shovels to scrape away real tiny droppings, tiny jockeys to navigate the tiny oval, and genuine rest.

The Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, runs Saturday in Elmont, New York. For Stevens and certain clientele, though, festive horse races occur many times daily at The D, his downtown property.

Well, make that some days. Very likely, this is the last functioning Sigma Derby in the world. Functioning, however, is applied loosely. These miniequines might be as challenging to maintain as the actual creatures.

Stevens reserves a special place in his soul for this game. It does have a considerable house edge. But he also made his first Vegas bet on Sigma, more than 30 years ago at the now-defunct Dunes.

“It’s a tough game to keep up,” admits Stevens, a Michigan native. “Overall, I’d say we’ve done pretty well. We have ’em runnin’ about 300 days out of the year.”

QUARTERS IN, QUARTERS OUT

A couple rode the escalator up to The D’s second floor last Saturday, strolled around the left side and saw Sigma Derby a dozen steps away.

“Oh, it’s not on!” the woman lamented as she saw a sign which read ”These old horses need a quick rest. Sigma Derby is getting conditioned. Please check back later. Thank you.” Out-of-service tape covered the coin slots at all 10 stations.

A sleek, modern Fortune Cup, made by Konami Gaming, Inc., sits nearby. The legs of its six animals all move, their heads bob. They veer inside and outside, maneuver for position. Ten customers can bet the races, which are “telecast” on a flat-screen.

After every sixth race, the ponies single-file circle around 180 degrees to run six races the other way — six counter-clockwise American style, then six Euro-style clockwise.

Fortune operates Ticket In, Ticket Out; bills or vouchers in, vouchers out. It is digital to Sigma Derby’s mechanical-mess analog. Each of its five horses are of one piece; no moving legs or bobbing necks. One patron thought they were cast-iron. They only move straight, in distinct parallel slots.

Sigma is Quarter In, Quarter Out.

Robert and Laurina Reuter, from Portland, Oregon, relished a recent trip to Vegas to play Sigma. Alas, it was out of service. He had just won a Fortune race for $206 — a two-times multiplier doubled his 103-1 odds on a dollar wager.

There was no screaming or shouting. As they left, they frowned at the roped-off Sigma Derby, where Robert had hit the ballyhooed 4,000-1 odds a few years ago to ignite plenty of exuberance.

A horse was 99-1, he recalls. On a whim he slipped in 20 quarters, picking that courser and another charger. The combination won. Lights blared. Bells and sirens rang. Quarters poured.

An attendant unscrewed the game to loosen coins that had slipped into nooks and crannies. The couple departed with three or four big buckets of quarters, nearly $1,200.

“Nobody could believe it,” says Laurina. “They yelled, ‘You hit it! You hit it!’ Incredible.”

Says Robert, “Quite a thrill. We play it all the time. Fortune Cup is at New York-New York and Cosmo, too, but we’re old school . . . Sigma Derby is a hidden gem, an icon.”

CRAPS-LIKE CAMARADERIE

Japanese lawyer Katsuki Manabe created Sigma Game, Inc., in Japan in 1967, when he was 27. His coin-operated empire exploded, and in 1982 he established U.S. headquarters in Las Vegas.

He hatched Sigma Derby. Manabe catered to Vegas, creating a Luxor version featuring camels. Knights highlighted Excalibur’s.

Chariots first ran at Caesars Palace but soon were replaced by ponies, says a former Caesars executive. “A few drinks, a few coins, lots of cheering!”

Sigma Inc. collapsed in the economic downturn of the late 2000s. Machines broke. Replacement parts became scarce. The D mechanics often fashion parts from scratch.

For a “Pawn Stars” episode, Stevens — hoping the exposure would garner spare parts — even dangled his Derby before show star Rick Harrison and underling Chumlee.

Stevens asked for $80,000, an expert valued it at about $35,000. Stevens declined, saying he values it more on his casino floor.

Indeed, the show approximated Sigma Derby’s “hold,” or fraction of money wagered that the casino keeps, at 15%, “making it one of the worst bets a player can make.”

That hold places Sigma well behind blackjack (house edge of 1 to 2%), craps (1.4%-5%) and roulette (5.2% at a double-zero wheel) in player advantage, according to Casino.Org.

Yet, Sigma Derby — not Fortune Cup — sports a Facebook page. “No question,” says Stevens, “that Sigma Derby is far, far more popular than Fortune Cup.” Some of those 2,100 Facebook followers regularly update Sigma’s status at The D.

Stevens has an idea of its je ne Sigma quoi.

“I understand why people love it,” he says. “It’s like a slot machine but more communal, camaraderie like a craps game. It’s great with friends, or even by yourself and you meet new friends. It’s special, a little connection to the past.”

Maybe this article will even unearth a broken-down machine, to add some longevity to a goofy game of tiny horses that’s a big deal to many people.

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Backyards and patios have been working hard all year because of the pandemic, and this summer they can provide new ways to cool off and have fun in the water.

Whether you have a lot of space or a little, there’s gear ranging from water tables and tubs for kids to floating loungers with drink holders for adults.

One company, Minnidip, makes inflatable “adult kiddie pools” that aim to transport you to some exotic travel destination. Patterns on the Marrakesh pool reference Moroccan architectural details, while the Amalfi is a nod to the blue, yellow and white tile of the Italian coast.

AP

“Because for me, having a pool on our urban Chicago rooftop felt like being transported to another place,” says company founder Emily Vaca. “I wanted to capture that feeling through design and pattern.”

Minnidip also offers inflatable drinks coolers and glam pool balls filled with gold confetti, among other offerings.

Let’s dive in to some other backyard water toys for the summer:

WATER EXPLORATION

A multipurpose picnic table from Best Choice Products has a removable top section with a little sandbox and water tub below; four kids can sit together, and there’s an adjustable umbrella, too.

The only water table that lets you make waves, Little Tikes’ Island Wavemaker has a water wheel, plus cute sea creatures and a wee pirate to send paddling around the waterway or down the waterfall. Toddlers can practice their fine motor skills with Little Tikes’ Spinning Seas Water Table; small balls, a cup, a funnel and a water wheel set up the fun.

Step2’s two-sided Waterfall Discovery Wall has adjustable toggles, spinners and chutes to send the water tumbling in lots of different ways. And Lakeshore Learning’s Watch It Flow water table features three plastic logs that can be configured however you wish. Fill the logs using a hose or bucket; gates control the flow and can close up to make long tubs.

Foamo, also from the folks at Little Tikes, creates mountains of easy-to-clean-up foam when you add the nontoxic, biodegradable foam solution to water.

HOSE HAPPY

Turn on the hose and attach it to West Elm’s inflatable rainbow or giant shark mouth sprinklers. Fat Brain Toy’s Hydro Twist Pipeline Sprinkler has a couple of fountains, plus a bunch of wiggly worm hoses. Or hook up to BigMouth’s giant 6-foot-high unicorn, who shoots water out of her horn. There’s a ginormous ape, giraffe, dinosaur and giraffe here as well.

SWIM AND PADDLE

Giant inflatable water wheels let you find your inner hamster. You can find ones online for toddlers, while Wow Watersports has a grownup version they call the Aqua Treadmill.

Don’t forget the family pets; a nonporous, puncture-resistant floating dog bed at Frontgate comes in a bunch of colors and three sizes.

AP

Chewy has ZippyPaws Floaterz sturdy turtle-shaped water toys for dogs, as well as rope-handled bumpers and a variety of floating balls.

A hard-sided kiddie pool can be a good non-inflatable option for cooling off; just hose it out and stow away. Other pluses: The doggos will also have fun splashing around in it, and it makes a great sand or snow play zone in colder weather. The Sun Squad Wading Kiddie Pool is inexpensive and has an embossed bottom, so it’s less slippery.

SLIDE AND RIDE

A basic heavy-duty plastic water slide or “slip and slide” can be set up in most backyards; if yours doesn’t come with an attached barrier at the bottom, make sure to put something soft there.

Studio 21 Graphix’s slide has a crash pad at the finish line, plus two lanes for racing and a sprinkler curtain to pass thru on the way down. Wow Watersports’ Strike Zone Water Slide is 25-by-6 feet of slipperiness; zigzag sprinkler patterns assure a wet ride, fat pontoons on either side keep riders inside, and two sleds are included. Got a really long yard? Get two; they can be interconnected.

If you’ve got lots of space, consider Costway’s inflatable Bounce House and Water Slide, with a bounce area, water gun, two slides, a basketball hoop and several balls. It comes with a storage bag for easy transport.

POOL STYLE

Marisa Issa of Los Angeles says her family’s favorite pool games are corn hole and a floating basketball hoop, but her favorite is a floating mat from Frontgate “that only mom can use,” she says. The sleek, minimalist white float has a headrest, and is made of marine-grade dense foam, suitable for chlorine or saltwater pools.

If you prefer sitting up a little, Frontgate’s got a floating armchair with attached ottoman. Choose from aqua, blue or flamingo pink. Or splash out on a full-size pool chaise kitted out with drink holders.

Want to hang out with a handful of friends in a backyard pool? Funboy has a 9-foot-wide floating metallic crown with drink holders. Or lounge luxuriously in the company’s Bali Cabana Lounger, with a curved integrated shade, a tropical leaf print, cup holders and handy grab ropes.

BigMouth has some food-related inflatables like a giant ice pop, pizza slice, donut, watermelon slice, cheeseburger and taco.

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Even after securing regional-host status for its first NCAA Tournament appearance in six years, Notre Dame isn’t about to surrender its underdog mentality.

”Kind of like playing with house money,” right-hander Tanner Kohlhepp said before the four-team mini-tournament this weekend at Frank Eck Stadium. ”There’s not a lot of stress. We don’t have to live up to any sort of expectations.”

A 30-victory season and an Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title already in the books, coach Link Jarrett’s surprise College World Series contender must find a way to subdue 2019 CWS runner-up Michigan, along with Connecticut and Central Michigan.

One way to do that, it seems, is for the Irish to keep their edge as a team that has been doubted all season long. Seeded 10th overall by the NCAA selection committee, Notre Dame knows it can’t get to Omaha, Nebraska, without a Super Regional side trip through Starkville, Mississippi, where Mississippi State projects to await.

”We thought we were going to be a little bit higher,” infielder Jared Miller said. ”But that’s out of our control. We had a great season. We thought our play spoke for a little bit higher seed, but we’ll just go out this weekend and prove how good of a team we are.”

A run of eight NCAA Tournament bids in a row ended in 2006, but you have to go back to 2004 to find the last time the Irish hosted a regional and to 2002 for the last time they got past the opening weekend. That year also marked the second CWS appearance in program history, the other coming in 1957.

Jarrett, a former Florida State shortstop who reached the CWS three times with the Seminoles in the early 1990s, doesn’t want his players taking the field with the burden of history. Instead, he prefers they embrace this rare opportunity, especially after laying an egg at the ACC tournament last weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In the words of Kohlhepp, the staff co-ace who started his college career at Tennessee: ”They’re big games, but there’s no reason to make them bigger than they need to be.”

A 10-1-1 series record since the season began in late February bodes well for Notre Dame, as does a team identity built around sound fundamental play and a deep, versatile pitching staff.

”We have balance to our team,” Jarrett said. ”There’s balance on the mound. We have a figure-it-out type of lineup. We have enough weapons and enough variety that we can be dangerous.”

While the postseason is all about incremental survival, one out at a time, you already could hear Jarrett prepping his

unlikely Cinderella group with some projection about how they might fare in a Super Regional trip to the heart of Southeastern College country.

”We talk a lot about having to play the game with minimal verbal communication,” said Jarrett, a former Auburn assistant. ”Our guys can tell you how many times I preach that you have to be able to play the game without yelling across the field at everybody like you can when we practice. You just can’t.”

Especially not in a place like Starkville, with all those blasted cowbells.

”I’ve been there a couple of times,” Jarrett said. ”You have to be able to play the game without constant communication verbally across the field. Our system is designed for this. We’ve trained for this. I think we’re more suited for it than maybe teams that don’t have that philosophy.”

First things first, of course, but it is interesting to hear a modern coach speak openly about what might lie ahead if this weekend goes as planned. Sure, the national pundits and NCAA selection committee have tried to let some of the air out of this latest Notre Dame golden narrative.

But that doesn’t mean Jarrett and his bunch of anonymous scrappers have to play along. In some ways, he already has his eye fixed beyond this 2021 season to a future filled with annual championship contention.

”I hope we can continue to evolve,” Jarrett said. ”I don’t want this to be a one-time story. I want our national relevance to continue.”

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When schools went remote and sports halted in spring 2020, Lane Tech pitcher Anthony Scimone worried his chances of playing college baseball might be halted, too — that all his hard work to impress recruiters would go to waste.

Because of coronavirus restrictions, recruiters couldn’t attend games in person, so Scimone had to take matters into his own hands. Along with the rest of the Lane Tech team, he turned to posting on social media (Twitter, specifically), emailing and using free websites such as FieldLevel to showcase his talents. In previous years, paid showcases and travel teams had been expensive; now, more athletes were finding ways to be seen virtually — and at no cost.

“Not playing junior year makes you be more proactive — you have to reach out to more schools yourself, because not a whole lot of interest was coming at me,” said Scimone, now a senior. “I had to go out and send emails to a bunch of schools on my own.”

Many Lane Tech players had no experience using Twitter, including Scimone, who created his account only after schools sent students home last March. He knew a social media presence would be key in making an impression on college teams, so he asked the coaching staff for help. Coach Sean Freeman often posted in the team’s Google Classroom environment with links about effective Twitter handles and examples of effective posts.

“I talk to all of them because they’ve all had different recruiting experiences based on their individual talent levels,” Freeman said. “It’s definitely different for every kid. Some of them have done a really good job emailing and reaching out on their own, which is awesome.”

Student athletes had never experienced recruiting like this before. Seven baseball players from Lane Tech eventually landed college offers. Scimone committed in September to Division III Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the result of a process that started with a few tweets and direct messages.

“I was just trying to pursue my dream and see how long I could play baseball and how far it could take me,” he said. “And it worked out.”

Seven players moving on to play in college is the second-most Freeman has had in his time coaching (the most was eight, two years ago). Most schools Lane Tech’s size usually have only one or two commits a year.

“Credit to the kids, especially at this time,” Freeman said. “Obviously, the NCAA recruiting landscape at all levels has changed a lot because of COVID — it’s definitely been a lot tougher. It just shows you how good they are that they are still able to play at that level despite everything.”

For Illinois commit Ben Plumley, standing out to a Division I school meant dedicating his Twitter account to short videos of his increasing pitching velocity and retweets of his statistics. Ryan Wong, who committed to Division III CalTech, preferred emailing schools with details about his improvements. Three other players also preferred emailing to Twitter: Josh Aguiniga (Concordia University Wisconsin), Will Henson (Lindenwood University) and DeAndre Edwards (walk-on, North Carolina A&T State).

The time off in 2020 allowed Wong to focus on developing areas he previously struggled with, such as his strength.

“Not getting a season sucked, obviously, but I wasn’t where I wanted to be weight-wise,” he said. “I was able to focus on baseball more than I would have if we were in season and playing games. I think it bumped me up to the next level.”

Others similarly used the lost junior season to improve their skills. Pitcher Jace Phelan was able to increase his velocity from the mid-80s to the low-90s — a goal he thinks would have been harder without the time off. He has committed to Division I New Orleans as a walk-on next season.

“I think that time made me realize how much I missed playing baseball,” Phelan said. “I was able to be more productive and get a lot stronger, and now I get to play Division I baseball.”

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GREENWOOD, Miss. — A group of Mississippi residents gathered on a sleepy, dusty Delta day to remember the fictional Billy Joe McAllister where — as the 1967 hit song had it — he ended his life when he jumped off the Tallahatchie bridge.

The Greenwood Commonwealth reported that members of the society calling themselves the June Bugs held a ceremony Thursday and talked about Billy Joe as if they knew him. The group included Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and Bill Luckett, an attorney and blues club owner who once ran for Mississippi governor as a Democrat.

They unveiled a tombstone at a spot called the Tallahatchie Flats.

“Ode to Billy Joe” was written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry, who lived part of her life in Greenwood.

Wicker quoted from the lyrics Thursday, speaking of the fictional character as if he had been real.

“People said, ‘Billy Joe never had a lick of sense,’ but I never believed that,” the senator said.

Luckett dressed as a pope and spoke about the possibility that Billy Joe committed some sins, including taking his own life by leaping into the Tallahatchie. Luckett announced that he “grants, conveys and bestows and publicly pronounces a special dispensation” for Billy Joe.

People sang “Wade in the Water,” and a tombstone for McAllister was unveiled with the phrase: “He loved the river even unto death.”

An Episcopal priest read a list of Mississippi authors and musicians who were also being memorialized, including William Faulkner and Muddy Waters.

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There is almost no chance the Bulls can climb into the top three of the Eastern Conference over the next few seasons, and when taking a closer look, it won’t be easy to climb into the top eight.

Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas made it clear in his end-of-the-season news conference that he has a plan.

The details, however, are where there’s some serious uncertainty.

‘‘At this point in time, I cannot tell you what the plan is going to look like,’’ Karnisovas said last month. ‘‘But I can tell you that we’ll look at every possible way to improve the team. You cannot skip steps. So the greatest lessons are learned through experiencing what doesn’t work.

‘‘We have to grow from going through what we went through this year and move forward to gain respect in this league. We are certainly not satisfied. But we will learn from it, adjust and make sure what did not go well does not happen again.’’

That’s good because it can’t.

A team with two All-Stars in guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic should not have been sitting at home for the last few weeks. It should have been playing — then getting eliminated by — a team such as the Nets or Bucks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Instead, Karnisovas still is tinkering with the blueprints in an effort to get the Bulls to that spot.

Could the Bulls jump into the same class the 76ers, Nets and Bucks now occupy? That would be almost impossible. Those three teams likely will be at the top of the Eastern Conference for at least a couple of more seasons.

No, this is about the Bulls jumping from lottery irrelevance to being in that pack of playoff teams looking to stay alive for as long as they can.

That’s the next step.

And, as Karnisovas indicated, ‘‘You cannot skip steps.’’

New York Knicks

Final 2020-21 seed: Fourth.

Payroll for 2021-22 season: $49.7 million.

Outlook: No team is in a better salary-cap situation than the Knicks heading into free agency this summer. Problem is, it’s not a star-heavy free-agent class. Could they add key contributors to play alongside Julius Randle and an emerging RJ Barrett? Absolutely. Expect them to be in on players such as Lonzo Ball and Lauri Markkanen.

Likelihood of the Bulls jumping them: Small. While the Bulls are more talented on paper, the Knicks simply will play harder than LaVine, Vucevic and Co. during the course of a season. That’s what Tom Thibodeau-coached teams do.

Atlanta Hawks

Final 2020-21 seed: Fifth.

Payroll for 2021-22 season: $95.4 million.

Outlook: While the old Bulls regime was making mistake after mistake during the rebuild, the Hawks were doing the opposite. Their draft picks have panned out, and their free-agent decision-making has been way better than the Bulls’ since 2017. It will be interesting to see what happens with restricted free agent John Collins.

Likelihood of the Bulls jumping them: Small. The Hawks have a better all-around team, both with their starting lineup and their depth. They also have cap room to retain Collins or shop elsewhere.

Miami Heat

Final 2020-21 seed: Sixth.

Payroll for 2021-22 season: $77.8 million.

Outlook: Something was off all season with the Heat. Whether it was fatigue from reaching the NBA Finals in the bubble last season and having a quick turnaround or a growing chemistry issue in the locker room, the culture looked broken. Expect Pat Riley to fix that and for them to continue to build around Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

Likelihood of the Bulls jumping them: Small. Riley doesn’t let issues fester; he cleans them up immediately. Expect changes, and the Heat’s ‘‘Big Two’’ are just better all-around players than the Bulls’ ‘‘Big Two.’’

Boston Celtics

Final 2020-21 seed: Seventh.

Payroll for 2021-22 season: $132.9 million.

Outlook: The front office already is getting an overhaul, with Danny Ainge retiring as president and Brad Stevens moving out of his coaching seat into Ainge’s office. Barring a trade, the roster is pretty much locked in. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will be the focal points, surrounded by Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart in the last season of his contract.

Likelihood of the Bulls jumping them: Small. Even with the massive changes going on upstairs, the Celtics are just better than the Bulls when they’re healthy. Smart would be a big loss if they move him, but Brown and Tatum are a handful, even with Walker’s ugly contract.

Washington Wizards

Final 2020-21 seed: Eighth.

Payroll for 2021-22 season: $121.8 million.

Outlook: It will be very difficult to move Russell Westbrook ($44.2 million next season) or Bradley Beal ($34.5 million next season) this summer, so it looks like another year of building around that backcourt. That means players such as Deni Avdija and Rui Hachimura will have to continue to develop at a high level. Beal and Westbrook are good enough to carry a team to the postseason, but they have no staying power in the playoffs.

Likelihood of the Bulls jumping them: Great. There’s no reason a healthy Bulls team couldn’t have done what the Wizards did the last month by getting hot and earning the No. 8 seed in a play-in game. The teams are similar in talent.

Indiana Pacers

Final 2020-21 seed: Ninth.

Payroll for 2021-22 season: $119.6 million.

Outlook: The medical setback for Caris LeVert and losing Myles Turner to a season-ending foot injury were massive gut punches for the Pacers. When healthy, LeVert, Turner, Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis are a formidable four-headed monster. The Pacers have an interesting offseason ahead of them.

Likelihood of the Bulls jumping them: Good. Even when healthy, the Pacers have some deficiencies that can be exposed. It feels like some changes might be coming, but their four main players are locked in at least through the 2022-23 season.

Charlotte Hornets

Final 2020-21 seed: Tenth.

Payroll for 2021-22 season: $83.1 million.

Outlook: As goes LaMelo Ball, so go the Hornets. The rookie showed star potential in his 51 games and has some young pieces around him in P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges. Gordon Hayward was solid when healthy, but his injury problems remain a concern, especially for the money he’s making.

Likelihood of the Bulls jumping them: Great. The Bulls should have finished better than the Hornets this season. They swept them during the regular season and matched up well with the Hornets’ strengths on both ends. If the Bulls can’t jump them in the standings next season, the roster might need a purge.

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Officers found a man unresponsive Friday with gunshot wounds on the head and chest in the 1300 block of North Mayfield Avenue.

Four people were killed 11 other wounded in shootings across Chicago since Friday night.

In the most recent fatal attack, a man was killed and another wounded in a shooting early Saturday in Austin on the West Side.

Officers found a man unresponsive about 1:30 a.m. with gunshot wounds on the head and chest in the 1300 block of North Mayfield Avenue, Chicago police said. He was pronounced dead the scene. He hasn’t been identified, according to police.

Another man, 26, was also hurt in the shooting, police said.

He was shot in the ankle and self-transported to West Suburban Hospital. He was later transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in Mayfield, where he was in fair condition, police said.

On Friday, a man was killed in a shooting in Austin on the West Side, police said.

He was in a backyard about 7:25 p.m. in the 5200 block of West Le Moyne Street when someone approached and opened fire, striking him in the head, police said.

The 23-year-old was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His identity has not been released.

A man was fatally shot Friday in West Englewood on the South Side, police said.

The 27-year-old was on the sidewalk about 9:20 p.m. in the 5600 block of South Marshfield Avenue when someone fired shots at him from a white sedan, police said.

The man was struck in the head and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not been released.

Less than an hour later, a man was found fatally shot in University Village on the Near West Side.

The 24-year-old was found unresponsive with gunshot wounds to his head and chest in a vehicle about 10 p.m. in the 1300 block of West Roosevelt Road, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

In nonfatal shootings, three males were arrested in connection to a shooting in South Loop late Friday night.

A 30-year-old man was standing outside about 11 p.m. when he was shot in the leg by a male in the 2100 block of South Michigan Avenue, police said.

A witness saw the shooter get in a car with two other males and they were arrested shortly after, according to police.

The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where his condition was serious, police said.

On Saturday, a 17-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting in the Lawndale neighborhood.

The teen boy was sitting outside on the porch about 3:30 a.m. in the 4100 block of West 21st Place when someone inside a black-colored car fired shots, Chicago police said.

He was shot in the arm and was taken in good condition to Mount Sinai Hospital by a relative, police said.

The teen told officers the gunman was firing shots at a nearby group and was hit by a stray bullet, police said.

At least nine others were hurt in citywide shootins since 5 p.m. Friday.

Thirty-seven people were shot, three fatally, last week over Memorial Day weekend.

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Both Chicago baseball teams ascended to the top of the division.

“The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.”

— Edwin Way Teale

Teale was a renowned ecologist, but he might as well have been a Chicago baseball fan in May.

Look at what a difference a month made for the White Sox:

• In April, the Sox were 14-11 (.560), with the seventh-best record in baseball and the fourth-best in the American League.
• In May, the Sox were 19-10 (.560), with the fourth-best record in baseball and the second-best in the AL. The Sox were one win shy of their wins record for May set in 1901 (20-7) and tied in 1951 (20-5) and 1963 (20-12).

But it was even better for the Cubs:

• In April, the Cubs were 11-15 (.423), with the 26th-best record in baseball and the 14th-best in the National League.
• In May, the Cubs were 19-8 (.704), the second-best record in baseball and the best in the NL. The Cubs were just two wins shy of their wins record for May set in 1903 (21-7) and repeated in 1977 (21-7).

Look at the two first-place teams in the Second City

NL Central standings on June 1
Tm W L W-L% GB

1. CUBS 30-23 .566 —
2. STL 30-24 .556 0.5
3. MIL 29-25 .537 1.5
4. CIN 24-28 .462 5.5
5. PIT 20-33 .377 10.0

AL Central standings on June 1
Tm W L W-L% GB

1. SOX 33 21 .611 —
2. CLE 29 24 .547 3.5
3. KC 26 26 .500 6.0
4. MIN 22 31 .415 10.5
5. DET 22 32 .407 11.0

It’s all the more impressive when you see their May 1 records

NL Central standings on May 1
Tm W L W-L% GB

1. MIL 16 10 .615 —
2. STL 14 12 .538 2.0
3. PIT 12 13 .480 3.5
4. CIN 12 13 .480 3.5
5. CUBS 11 15 .423 5.0

AL Central standings on May 1
Tm W L W-L% GB

1. KC 15 9 .625 —
2. SOX 14 11 .560 1.5
3. CLE 12 12 .500 3.0
4. MIN 9 15 .375 6.0
5. DET 8 19 .296 8.5

The Sox at the plate in May

The Sox hit .246 with 140 runs scored and 30 homers, 224 hits, 123 walks (led the AL) and 264 whiffs.

• Jose Abreu hit .333.
• Yoan Moncada hit .313.
• Yoan Moncada had 30 hits.
• Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, and Nick Madrigal each 28 hits.
• Jose Abreu hit six homers.
• Yasmani Grandal and Andrew Vaughn each hit four homers.
• Jose Abreu drove in 27 runs, second in the AL.
• Yoan Moncada and Yermin Mercedes each drove home 14.
• Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson each scored 17 times.
• Yasmani Grandal led the AL with 29 walks.
• Yoan Moncada was second in the AL with 24 walks.
• Yoan Moncada struck out 35 times.
• Yasmani Grandal and Tim Anderson each whiffed 26 times.

The Cubs at the plate in May

The Cubs hit .262 (led the NL) in May with 131 runs scored and 36 homers, 237 hits (led the NL), 87 walks and 244 whiffs

• Kris Bryant hit .327.
• Joc Pederson hit .314.
• Javy Baez hit seven homers.
• Kris Bryant and Ian Happ each hit five homers.
• Kris Bryant had 17 RBI.
• Javy Baez had 16 RBI.
• Kris Bryant and Javy Baez each scored 17 times.
• Willson Contreras walked 13 times.
• Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant each walked 10 times.
• Javy Baez led the NL, striking out 34 times.
• Willson Contreras struck out 27 times.

The Sox on the mound in May

The Sox had a 2.89 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP, threw 12 quality starts, had nine saves (most in the AL), two blown saves, allowed 203 hits, permitted 89 runs and 79 earned runs, walked 77, struck out 279 (most in the AL) and allowed 29 homers.

• Liam Hendriks had a 0.52 ERA.
• Lance Lynn had a 1.64 ERA.
• Michael Kopech had a 1.72 ERA.
• Lucas Giolito had a 2.41 ERA.
• Liam Hendriks had a 0.86 WHIP.
• Lance Lynn had a 0.94 WHIP.
• Carlos Rodon had a 0.98 WHIP.
• Lucas Giolito had a 1.04 WHIP.
• Carlos Rodon and Lucas Giolito each had three quality starts.
• Liam Hendriks had eight saves, to lead the AL (and had no blown saves).
• Aaron Bummer had two blown saves.
• Dallas Keuchel allowed 31 hits.
• Carlos Rodon and Lucas Giolito allowed 25 hits.
• Liam Hendriks permitted no earned runs in 11.2 IP.
• Michael Kopech permitted three earned runs in 15.2 IP.
• Lance Lynn permitted six earned runs in 33.0 IP.
• Codi Heuer walked one in 10.2 IP.
• Jose Ruiz walked two in 12.2 IP.
• Liam Hendriks walked two in 11.2 IP
• Carlos Rodon walked four in 29.2 IP
• Lucas Giolito struck out 45 to lead the AL.
• Carlos Rodon struck out 44, second in the AL.
• Dylan Cease struck out 37.
• Lance Lynn struck out 30.
• Liam Hendriks allowed no homers.
• Codi Heuer allowed one homer.
• Jose Ruiz, Michael Kopech, Aaron Bummer and Dylan Cease each allowed two homers.

The Cubs on the mound in May

The Cubs had a 2.52 ERA (lowest in the NL) with a 1.15 WHIP, had nine quality starts, had 10 saves, four blown saves, allowed 203 hits, permitted 85 runs (fewest in the NL) and 68 earned runs (fewest in the NL), walked 77, struck out 238 and allowed 26 homers.

• Keegan Thompson had a 0.52 ERA.
• Ryan Tepera had a 0.61 ERA.
• Zach Davies had a 1.72 ERA.
• Kyle Hendricks had a 2.67 ERA.
• Craig Kimbrel had a 0.92 WHIP.
• Adbert Alzolay had a 0.94 WHIP.
• Kyle Hendricks had a 1.19 WHIP
• Kyle Hendricks had four quality starts.
• Adbert Alzolay had two quality starts.
• Craig Kimbrel had eight saves, second in the NL.
• Craig Kimbrel had two blown saves.
• Kyle Hendricks allowed 37 hits.
• Zach Davies allowed 28 hits.
• Keegan Thompson permitted one earned run in 17.1 IP.
• Ryan Tepera permitted one earned run in 14.2 IP.
• Andrew Chafin permitted one earned run in 13.2 IP.
• Zach Davies permitted six earned runs in 31.1 IP.
• Ryan Tepera walked no one in 14.2 IP.
• Craig Kimbrel walked two in 12.0 IP.
• Kyle Hendricks walked three in 33.2 IP.
• Adbert Alzolay struck out 28.
• Kyle Hendricks struck out 26.
• Andrew Chafin allowed no homers.
• Ryan Tepera allowed no homers.
• Craig Kimbrel allowed one homer.
• Zach Davies allowed one homer.
• Keegan Thompson allowed one homer.

Here’s my Nine to Know for May

1. With runners in scoring position, Ian Happ hit .429.
2. Against lefties, Kris Bryant hit .476.
3. The first batters Liam Hendriks faced went 1-for-12 (.083).
4. With two outs, batters went 1-for-13 (.077) against Craig Kimbrel.
5. Carlos Rodon faced 97 righties and struck out 37 of them.
6. From the seventh inning on, Yasmani Grandal hit only .083, but he had a .476 OBP since he had one hit and nine walks.
7. Jose Abreu had 16 RBI with two strikes on him.
8. Javy Baez ended 16 innings with a strikeout.
9. With two outs, batters were 0-for-25 against Dylan Cease.

Have a great June!

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