*insert introduction here*
No, seriously, go ahead and throw whatever you want in there; I got nothing.
I was about to express my frustration for the Cubs blowing another game last night, but I’m just going to put that behind me instead of having a day full of anger.
Maybe these bullets will help me forget.
The league is investigating the league. According to ESPN, after a board of governors meeting that took place earlier this month in Las Vegas, the league decided to launch an investigation into the most recent free agent period. Members of the board apparently expressed their concerns toward the flurry of quick free agent signings that took place right as free agent tipped-off at 6:00 p.m. ET on June 30th. ESPN reported that over one billion dollars in contracts were spent over the first 24 hours of free agency. When that much money being thrown around, it normally means you didn’t agree on a contract in a matter of minutes. With that in mind, the league is looking into the early signings of free agency to determine if “tampering” was involved.
I’ll tell you what, the league would probably save a lot of money if they just hired me. “The verdict is… OF COURSE!?” Yes, practically every team around the league tampered prior to the June 30th start of free agency, and I have no doubt. If a team wasn’t, in some way, having direct contact with a player, then you can bet your bottom dollar that a current roster member was. Even the Bulls, who weren’t involved in any high-profile targets, almost certainly had themselves an early discussion with those close to Thaddeus Young before the start time. Paxson on June 29th at 11:00 p.m.: “Thad, u up?”
At the end of the day, the league knows what it is going to find. The league also knows what it’s going to have to avoid: punishment. Unless a fine is placed on nearly every NBA team, there is no proper punishment in order to handle this situation. As the ESPN report points out, if anything, this investigation will demonstrate that the league will have to change their free agency rules. A popular belief is to move free agency before the NBA Draft and even allow teams to begin speaking with players following the NBA Finals. I’m not sure what will be the best route to go right now, but in today’s age of constant communication and social media, people are going to talk. “Tampering” (if you can still call it that) has become a part of the game, like it or not.
Real talk, where do you think LaVine ranks in terms of the league’s best dunkers? I feel like the guy has to be right up there, especially for best in-game dunkers. It’s pretty remarkable to see him still pull off such massive hops after his previous injuries. Let’s hope we get several more highlight-reel plays like this during the upcoming season, but this time, they’re in winning games.
The Zach LaVine appreciation over Twitter continues. Ballislife.com shared this poster dunk from LaVine just to show us a good time.
https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1153825228205613056?s=20
LaVine has garnered his fair share of “hate” over this offseason and toward the end of last season. To be clear, the guy was almost an All-Star and he put up some pretty impressive offensive numbers. I understand the frustration over his defensive abilities, but in today’s league you need sheer-scorers, and that’s exactly what LaVine can do for you. I’ve never really been on the LaVine “hate-train.” I think the 24-year-old has another level to his game, and I’m all-in on seeing how else he can develop.
The Ringer article being discussed above can be found here. I’m all for The Ringer’s content, but this ranking feels a bit impulsive. The Bulls check in at No. 14 behind teams like the Pacers, Suns, Hawks, Magic and Heat. Let me know what you think, I’m thinking some of these rankings are out of place.
Wendell Carter Jr., Bob Love and Benny the Bulls hit up Guaranteed Rate Field (this ballpark name is still gross) on Monday for Bulls Kid Nation Night. The squad hopped around and took some pictures, but the highlight was clearly Benny the Bulls’ first pitch. The Cubs need a fresh bullpen arm, right?
This is #GoodContent
AD, just stop.
In case you are wondering how it feels to be covering the NBA right now, this video sums it up quite well. We are in the dark right now, folks.
NEWSLETTER
