NBA free agency begins tonight at 11pm CDT, and with it the frenzy of recruitment of some of the biggest names in the game. The Chicago Bulls, who worked hard to clear cap space in order to sign one guy to a max contract (16.5 million for 5 years) and another to nearly that (about 15 million per year for 5 years), are hoping to be real players here, and would seem to have the core of players to support a couple of big signings. But there is going to be stiff competition...
LeBron James is, of course, the biggest of the names out there, and he will get to go wherever he wants and command whatever salary he wants, within the NBA salary cap rules. The Bulls want him, but so do most of the other teams with cap space. And his own team, the Cavaliers, can resign him for 6 years instead of 5, and give him approximately 30 million dollars more than any other team.
The teams competing for the prizes are the Bulls, the Miami Heat, the New York Knicks, and the New Jersey Nets. Other teams have cap space (the Clippers, the Kings, the Thunder and the Wizards), but not enough for one max deal. However, they could become players by taking contracts from some other team wishing to become a player and clear enough cap space.
The athletes out there include James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in that first tier of players (though I'm not sure Bosh deserves to be named with the other two), followed by Dirk Nowitsky and Paul Pierce (both of whom opted out last night, I've heard), bigs Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudamire, and David Lee, and guard Joe Johnson. There are plenty of third tier names available also.
To throw a wrench in the whole thing, the Denver Nuggets have said that they will consider doing a sign-and-trade with Carmelo Anthony instead of losing him to free agency next year.
Of course I would love to see the Bulls get James and another big, but I'd also be happy with Joe Johnson and with Carlos Boozer, especially if signing the latter pair leaves enough cap space to sign a pretty good veteran at a position of need. I would also think that maybe dealing Luol Deng for Anthony might be a good move, as I put him up there with James and Wade in that upper tier. That trade would leave the Bulls with probably enough space to get Boozer AND Johnson, assuming that both of these guys will take less than the max , maybe something in the 13.5 million a year range. A lineup of Rose, Johnson, Anthony, Boozer and Noah is pretty awesome on paper. I don't know if it would be as good on the court, just because there might be too many guys needing the ball to be effective.
I will be watching the next couple weeks with baited breath..hopefully one or two of those big names will take the bait!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Bulls bits...
The Bulls drafted at number 17 last Thursday, and I happened to come home just in time to actually see them make their pick. And the Bulls select...
For the Washington Wizards, apparently. The Bulls reportedly have sent Kirk Hinrich and their selection at 17 to the Wizards for...nothing! What do the Bulls get out of this pick? They get cap space! More cap space! Now they have enough money under the cap to get one max player, and one nearly max player.
Can you say "LeBron James"?
The number 17 pick was used to select Kevin Seraphin, a 6'9" 265 lb forward from France. I'd guess that he won't play in the US this year, but if he does, it won't be for the Bulls.
The number 1 pick overall was 6'4" point guard John Wall out of Kentucky, and he also went to the Wizards! Can you say "so long Gilbert Arenas"?
The Bulls' entire offseason is a gamble on which free agent will come to Chicago. After LeBron and Dwayne Wade, there is a slight dropoff to the next tier of Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudamire and Carlos Boozer. Then there are other guys like David Lee and others who will be available for whichever teams don't get the top guys.
Chicago is set up well to make a run at the top guys. Hopefully things work out better than the last time the Bulls were making a run at the top free agents (Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, Eddie Jones, et al...) That time they ended up with Ron Mercer. It better be Wade or LeBron this time...
*****
For the Washington Wizards, apparently. The Bulls reportedly have sent Kirk Hinrich and their selection at 17 to the Wizards for...nothing! What do the Bulls get out of this pick? They get cap space! More cap space! Now they have enough money under the cap to get one max player, and one nearly max player.
Can you say "LeBron James"?
The number 17 pick was used to select Kevin Seraphin, a 6'9" 265 lb forward from France. I'd guess that he won't play in the US this year, but if he does, it won't be for the Bulls.
The number 1 pick overall was 6'4" point guard John Wall out of Kentucky, and he also went to the Wizards! Can you say "so long Gilbert Arenas"?
The Bulls' entire offseason is a gamble on which free agent will come to Chicago. After LeBron and Dwayne Wade, there is a slight dropoff to the next tier of Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudamire and Carlos Boozer. Then there are other guys like David Lee and others who will be available for whichever teams don't get the top guys.
Chicago is set up well to make a run at the top guys. Hopefully things work out better than the last time the Bulls were making a run at the top free agents (Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, Eddie Jones, et al...) That time they ended up with Ron Mercer. It better be Wade or LeBron this time...
*****
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Throwing in the Towel
Okay, it's official. I've been riding the edge of that Cubs bandwagon with one foot off, and now I'm jumping.
I just don't see THIS team coming back from 9 under .500 and 9 games out of first as we near the beginning of July. I suppose anything's possible...but I'm not holding my breath.
And I'm divesting here. I don't have time to live and die with Cubs games. I'll still follow the news of what they're doing, especially at the trading deadline, and I'll still probably raise my hopes a bit with a victory, but I won't have those same hopes sagging with each defeat, because they've sagged.
So...on to the Bulls' draft tonight. Who are they going to take? Tribune mock draft suggests it will be Paul George; ESPN's Bulls guy (can't come up with the name at the moment) suggests it will be James Anderson. I guess the answer to that question will tell us a lot about what the Bulls' plans are leading up to the beginning of the Thibidoux era...
*****
I just don't see THIS team coming back from 9 under .500 and 9 games out of first as we near the beginning of July. I suppose anything's possible...but I'm not holding my breath.
And I'm divesting here. I don't have time to live and die with Cubs games. I'll still follow the news of what they're doing, especially at the trading deadline, and I'll still probably raise my hopes a bit with a victory, but I won't have those same hopes sagging with each defeat, because they've sagged.
So...on to the Bulls' draft tonight. Who are they going to take? Tribune mock draft suggests it will be Paul George; ESPN's Bulls guy (can't come up with the name at the moment) suggests it will be James Anderson. I guess the answer to that question will tell us a lot about what the Bulls' plans are leading up to the beginning of the Thibidoux era...
*****
Monday, June 21, 2010
B-ball (Base- and Basket-) Bits
Some comments on our Chicago teams in action and in the news:
The White Sox are playing like I thought they were capable of playing at the beginning of the year. They've won 6 straight and 8 of their last 9 (the one loss coming against the Cubs in the crosstown series at Wrigley). They've hit .500 and are starting to hit the ball and get some better pitching. Of course, those 9 games were against the Cubs, the Pirates and the Nationals. So how they'll do against better upcoming competition should tell us all we need to know about this year's White Sox team.
The Cubs got a decent performance out of Big Z, and everyone hit against a pretty good Angels team on Sunday. But this followed a blowout on Saturday and a tough loss on Friday. Tyler Colvin seems to be getting more at bats and is still hitting. They've been getting some better pitching and have more stability in the pen. But it hasn't been translating into wins until yesterday. Hopefully they'll start showing up more and winning some games.
The Bulls have the excitement of this year's free agent signing period, where they're planning on being players for the big names like LeBron, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudamire, and maybe even Dwayne Wade. Of course the biggest of those names is LeBron, and we have to wait and see what he does. It doesn't look to be a fast process.
Upcoming this Thursday is the NBA draft, and the Bulls will pick at 17, assuming that they don't trade the pick in a sign and trade for Bosh or Boozer. Tom Thibideux will be announced as head coach on Wednesday, as he comes off the NBA finals series with the Lakers, where his Celtics lost it in the 4th quarter of game 7. Who, and indeed, if the Bulls select at 17 should tell us something about what they feel they're going to be able to do in free agency.
Stay tuned...
*****
The White Sox are playing like I thought they were capable of playing at the beginning of the year. They've won 6 straight and 8 of their last 9 (the one loss coming against the Cubs in the crosstown series at Wrigley). They've hit .500 and are starting to hit the ball and get some better pitching. Of course, those 9 games were against the Cubs, the Pirates and the Nationals. So how they'll do against better upcoming competition should tell us all we need to know about this year's White Sox team.
The Cubs got a decent performance out of Big Z, and everyone hit against a pretty good Angels team on Sunday. But this followed a blowout on Saturday and a tough loss on Friday. Tyler Colvin seems to be getting more at bats and is still hitting. They've been getting some better pitching and have more stability in the pen. But it hasn't been translating into wins until yesterday. Hopefully they'll start showing up more and winning some games.
The Bulls have the excitement of this year's free agent signing period, where they're planning on being players for the big names like LeBron, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudamire, and maybe even Dwayne Wade. Of course the biggest of those names is LeBron, and we have to wait and see what he does. It doesn't look to be a fast process.
Upcoming this Thursday is the NBA draft, and the Bulls will pick at 17, assuming that they don't trade the pick in a sign and trade for Bosh or Boozer. Tom Thibideux will be announced as head coach on Wednesday, as he comes off the NBA finals series with the Lakers, where his Celtics lost it in the 4th quarter of game 7. Who, and indeed, if the Bulls select at 17 should tell us something about what they feel they're going to be able to do in free agency.
Stay tuned...
*****
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Cup Runneth Over...
*****
...Over to Chicago, that is!
The Black Hawks looked good in their game 6 win at Philadelphia, which gave them the series win, and therefore, the Stanley Cup! The Flyers played tough, aggressive, just as they have for most of this series. But the Hawks matched them, and their superior skill level finally brought the game home.
You could see, when the Flyers tied it up in the 3rd period, that the Hawks sort of settled back into a protection mode, not attacking the puck or the passing lanes with the same furor they had exhibited at home and in the 2nd period. But after the Flyers tied it, they woke back up and started playing aggressively and with finesse, and it carried over into the overtime sudden death. Death (for the Flyers' hopes at least) came on a laser by Patrick Kane through Leighton's legs, and for a few moments the puck was lost - lost in the folds of the net on the opposite side of the where the shot came from.
Antti Niemi played out of his mind! Yeah, he let 3 goals in, but they were hard earned goals by the Flyers, who showed the world that, as a 7th seed (I believe) they deserved to be in these finals as much as the Hawks did. Great series! Great outcome for me as a Chicago sports fan! Great for hockey, as it can't hurt to have the Cup residing in a large market like Chicago!
Congratulations, Hawks!
...Over to Chicago, that is!
The Black Hawks looked good in their game 6 win at Philadelphia, which gave them the series win, and therefore, the Stanley Cup! The Flyers played tough, aggressive, just as they have for most of this series. But the Hawks matched them, and their superior skill level finally brought the game home.
You could see, when the Flyers tied it up in the 3rd period, that the Hawks sort of settled back into a protection mode, not attacking the puck or the passing lanes with the same furor they had exhibited at home and in the 2nd period. But after the Flyers tied it, they woke back up and started playing aggressively and with finesse, and it carried over into the overtime sudden death. Death (for the Flyers' hopes at least) came on a laser by Patrick Kane through Leighton's legs, and for a few moments the puck was lost - lost in the folds of the net on the opposite side of the where the shot came from.
Antti Niemi played out of his mind! Yeah, he let 3 goals in, but they were hard earned goals by the Flyers, who showed the world that, as a 7th seed (I believe) they deserved to be in these finals as much as the Hawks did. Great series! Great outcome for me as a Chicago sports fan! Great for hockey, as it can't hurt to have the Cup residing in a large market like Chicago!
Congratulations, Hawks!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Cubs, White Sox 2010 Amateur Draft Picks
*****
The Cubs selected Hayden Simpson, a 6'0" right handed pitcher from Southern Arkansas. Baseball America ranks him 191 out of their top 200 prospects, and say that he throws a low 90's fastball and hard breaking stuff. He went 35-2 at an NCAA Division II school.
*****
The White Sox, selecting 4 picks before the Cubs (13 vs 17) selected Chris Sale, a left-handed pitcher from Florida Gulf Coast. Baseball America has Sale ranked as their third best pitcher in the draft, and fifth overall. He's 6'6" but only weighs 183, and they say he throws two plus pitches for strikes.
*****
As a Cubs fan, I have to have faith in Tim Wilken. So far he's done an admirable job of rebuilding the Cubs' farm system. Tyler Colvin and Andrew Cashner are two of his picks who are up and contributing at the major league level.
*****
The Cubs selected Hayden Simpson, a 6'0" right handed pitcher from Southern Arkansas. Baseball America ranks him 191 out of their top 200 prospects, and say that he throws a low 90's fastball and hard breaking stuff. He went 35-2 at an NCAA Division II school.
*****
The White Sox, selecting 4 picks before the Cubs (13 vs 17) selected Chris Sale, a left-handed pitcher from Florida Gulf Coast. Baseball America has Sale ranked as their third best pitcher in the draft, and fifth overall. He's 6'6" but only weighs 183, and they say he throws two plus pitches for strikes.
*****
As a Cubs fan, I have to have faith in Tim Wilken. So far he's done an admirable job of rebuilding the Cubs' farm system. Tyler Colvin and Andrew Cashner are two of his picks who are up and contributing at the major league level.
*****
Monday, June 7, 2010
Black Hawks Game 5
The Black Hawks came out with fire in their skates on Sunday night, looking like a different team than the one that lost Game 4 in Philadelphia. They were physical without catching a lot of dumb penalties. They were aggressive, quick to the puck, their passing was crisp and their defense was tough.
They didn't keep it up the entire game. There were a few defensive lapses and the Flyers adjusted and played a lot better in the second and third periods, but the damage had been done in that first period. The three goals they scored unanswered in that first period proved to be the margin of victory. Final score: 7-4. Series score: Hawks 3, Flyers 2.
Let's end this in Philly on Wednesday night!
They didn't keep it up the entire game. There were a few defensive lapses and the Flyers adjusted and played a lot better in the second and third periods, but the damage had been done in that first period. The three goals they scored unanswered in that first period proved to be the margin of victory. Final score: 7-4. Series score: Hawks 3, Flyers 2.
Let's end this in Philly on Wednesday night!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
3 Game Series...
I came in late, after the Flyers had already taken a 3-1 lead, and I figured that this one was over.
The Hawks made a late run in the third, scoring on a 5-on-3 power play, then scoring again on one that a Flyers' player held on to, sort of lost track of it, then it dribbled in without really being touched by a Hawks player. But the Flyers had already stretched the lead to 4-1, and when the Hawks pulled Niemi, Duncan Keith lost a puck at center ice and a Flyers' player took it in for a goal.
The Hawks look slow compared to the Flyers. They look unagressive, confused, and overmatched. The Flyers, on the other hand, are on every pass, every possession, skating toward the puck aggressively and staying in the passing lanes, challenging every Hawks possession. They are physical, and while the penalty disparity shows that the refs are either looking the other way, or the Flyers are simply good at picking their times to get dirty, the Hawks are not a bunch of blameless Boy Scouts when it comes to taking dirty shots. They just aren't as good at it.
It would seem to me, the uneducated Johnny-come-lately Black Hawks fan, that they have to get back to doing what they do best. They have to challenge every Flyers possession in the manner that the Flyers are challenging them. They have to be faster, and they have to be better on defense. Niemi is stopping a lot of shots, but the law of averages is coming into play.
Game 5 is now a must-win for the Hawks.
*****c
The Hawks made a late run in the third, scoring on a 5-on-3 power play, then scoring again on one that a Flyers' player held on to, sort of lost track of it, then it dribbled in without really being touched by a Hawks player. But the Flyers had already stretched the lead to 4-1, and when the Hawks pulled Niemi, Duncan Keith lost a puck at center ice and a Flyers' player took it in for a goal.
The Hawks look slow compared to the Flyers. They look unagressive, confused, and overmatched. The Flyers, on the other hand, are on every pass, every possession, skating toward the puck aggressively and staying in the passing lanes, challenging every Hawks possession. They are physical, and while the penalty disparity shows that the refs are either looking the other way, or the Flyers are simply good at picking their times to get dirty, the Hawks are not a bunch of blameless Boy Scouts when it comes to taking dirty shots. They just aren't as good at it.
It would seem to me, the uneducated Johnny-come-lately Black Hawks fan, that they have to get back to doing what they do best. They have to challenge every Flyers possession in the manner that the Flyers are challenging them. They have to be faster, and they have to be better on defense. Niemi is stopping a lot of shots, but the law of averages is coming into play.
Game 5 is now a must-win for the Hawks.
*****c
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Whoa, Hawks!
I got to watch most of last night's game.
It seemed to me that the Flyers were much more aggressive, much quicker to the puck than were the Hawks. The Hawks looked like they were content to play catch with the puck instead of attacking the Flyers' players when they were coming forward with the puck and instead of trying to outskate the Flyers' players.
The Hawks look like the better team to me. But they are not going to win it with efforts like yesterday. Their goals look effortless and almost lackadaisical. The Flyers' goals look like they're all working their butts off to get them. I'm sure the Hawks are putting in just as much effort to score but can they work a little harder? I don't know. I don't claim to be a hockey expert.
But for someone who is usually pretty uninvolved in the hockey season, I sure am getting into this playoffs.
*****
It seemed to me that the Flyers were much more aggressive, much quicker to the puck than were the Hawks. The Hawks looked like they were content to play catch with the puck instead of attacking the Flyers' players when they were coming forward with the puck and instead of trying to outskate the Flyers' players.
The Hawks look like the better team to me. But they are not going to win it with efforts like yesterday. Their goals look effortless and almost lackadaisical. The Flyers' goals look like they're all working their butts off to get them. I'm sure the Hawks are putting in just as much effort to score but can they work a little harder? I don't know. I don't claim to be a hockey expert.
But for someone who is usually pretty uninvolved in the hockey season, I sure am getting into this playoffs.
*****
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Top Five Sports Films
I was listening to Waddle and Silvy this morning on ESPN1000 and Waddle mentioned that his favorite sports film of all time was Hoosiers, which apparently was aired twice on Tuesday night on the Versus network (where you can also find NHL hockey). It made me think - what are my favorite sports-themed films?
I haven't seen a whole bunch of recent movies, or even some older ones like Remember The Titans, so I have to go back a bit. But not too far. I've also not seen some of the old movies like the one about Lou Gehrig or the one about Jimmy Piersall. Anyway, here are my top five:
It's heavy on the baseball movies; if I was to go further, I'd have included Field Of Dreams next, and then probably Breaking Away (the movie about bike racing). I don't know if I could make a list of 10 sports movies, though maybe if I thought about it long enough I could come up with more.
My guilty pleasure is a movie I haven't seen in years: Fast Break. It was a basketball movie starring Gabe Kaplan and a few pro basketball players. It also starred Michael Warren, who was, I believe, a point guard for UCLA and went on to TV stardom in Hill Street Blues. It was silly and probably not particularly well made, but something about it really resonated with me.
I'm purposely avoiding writing about the Black Hawks - after tonight's game perhaps I'll relax a bit about their quest for the cup...
I haven't seen a whole bunch of recent movies, or even some older ones like Remember The Titans, so I have to go back a bit. But not too far. I've also not seen some of the old movies like the one about Lou Gehrig or the one about Jimmy Piersall. Anyway, here are my top five:
- Bull Durham
- The Natural
- Hoosiers
- Slap Shot
- A League Of Their Own
It's heavy on the baseball movies; if I was to go further, I'd have included Field Of Dreams next, and then probably Breaking Away (the movie about bike racing). I don't know if I could make a list of 10 sports movies, though maybe if I thought about it long enough I could come up with more.
My guilty pleasure is a movie I haven't seen in years: Fast Break. It was a basketball movie starring Gabe Kaplan and a few pro basketball players. It also starred Michael Warren, who was, I believe, a point guard for UCLA and went on to TV stardom in Hill Street Blues. It was silly and probably not particularly well made, but something about it really resonated with me.
I'm purposely avoiding writing about the Black Hawks - after tonight's game perhaps I'll relax a bit about their quest for the cup...
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