NEWSLETTER
Here is something I probably know the outcome of but will still be incredibly angry when that outcome happens:
Episode CCI (Return of Mitch): BEARS at PACKERS – November 29, 2020 https://t.co/bo6odrE4zr
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) November 29, 2020
Yeah, I’d rather watch some Bulls basketball.
• Last night, Nate Robinson decided to get into the ring with Youtube-star-turned-boxer Jake Paul. Why? Because why not. We have to give the former Bull some props for trying out a new sport, but it didn’t take long into the match for everyone to realize that he may have been a tiny bit outmatched. Okay … maybe super duper extremely outmatched:
Don’t worry Nate, we still love you.
(but … yikes) https://t.co/3GJl8IE6tL
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) November 29, 2020
• DOWN GOES ROBINSON. If it makes him feel any better, I highly doubt Paul could win three dunk contests or drop 34 points in a 3OT playoff game. Also, for those worried about Robinson’s well being, he did take to Instagram to let folks know he’s feeling fine. I admire Robinson’s gusto, but maybe next time he should considering trying a sport with less, ya know, punches to the face.
• The time is now to get excited for the 2020-21 season. The NBA announced that individual player workouts and media week will begin on December 1st. Other than a couple of random interviews here and there with guys like Coby White and Billy Donovan, we haven’t heard much at all from anyone on this team. After a nearly nine month hiatus, we should get a much better idea of what these players have worked on during the offseason and where things currently stand inside the organization. Then, on December 6th, normal group workouts will begin in advance of the preseason games that tip-off on December 11th. In other words, we are staring at a lot of action over the next couple of weeks.
It’s all happening.
First Bulls group practice is Dec. 6. pic.twitter.com/xqt9q3cbV8— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) November 28, 2020
• What I look forward to most about these next few weeks is the fact that we should get an update (if not, several) about the direction of this franchise. A lot of us have been left with more questions about the front office’s future plans after the drafting of Patrick Williams and the generally quiet offseason. I’m curious to know how exactly they perceive this upcoming 2020-21 season and how big of a step in the right direction they hope to make right away. Will they promise a better win column? Do they expect Billy Donovan to be enough? I doubt they will set any kind of playoff goal or be explicit about their intentions to make mid-season moves, but will we get any kind of inkling? The next week or so should hopefully clear some stuff up.
• When we discus Zach LaVine, I think we usually focus too much on what he isn’t – in large part, because the prior regime put him in a very tough position from the get-go. The fact of the matter is LaVine is NOT a superstar or a contending team’s No. 1 talent. He isn’t Damian Lillard or Paul George. And that’s okay. He’s still a very gifted player, viewed as a valuable asset by other teams. The guys still has time to prove me wrong, but it’s far more likely that he’s the second or third star on a competitive team. That doesn’t mean the Bulls should just view him as expendable, though.
• As Sam Smith wisely notes in his latest mailbag, it’s still not easy to find someone of LaVine’s capabilities in today’s league: “I assume the new management/coaching staff get a good look at Zach with the group they have. But I agree it’s not easy to find 25-point scorers in the NBA who are that athletic, can get to the basket and make and take clutch shots. Remember Charlotte. Who does that? It seems easy to dismiss if you are winning 25 games, as if saying we could win 22 games without him, so what’s the problem.”
• Cool video, but the most valuable thing Temple brings to Chicago is his veteran experience. Players reportedly love this man, and he should be a fantastic presence to have in a revamped locker room.
https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1333055617095897090?s=20
• This picture doesn’t exist, in my opinion (but Zach is right).
MJ was still a bad mf! He put up 20+ at 40. Don’t downplay that…
— Zach LaVine (@ZachLaVine) November 29, 2020
