My alma mater is throwing it back this weekend with the retro Illinois helmets! Speaking of which, why are most throwback looks so freakin’ awesome? Is it just nostalgia intoxicating our brains? Will we treat modern uniforms the same way in 20-30 years?
If one thing is for sure, I refuse to believe nostalgia is corrupting our perception of the Bulls’ old Chicago script jerseys! I wholeheartedly believe those are some of the cleanest looks in the history of sports, and I wish the organization would find a way to bring them back as a permanent alternate. GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT, JERRY!
- Chennedy Carter was back in the practice gym on Thursday. The Chicago Sky’s leading scorer and breakout guard was away from the team for multiple days due to an illness. She was reportedly able to practice in full, but her availability remains up in the air ahead of a matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks later this evening. Carter has averaged 17.1 points per game this season and is one of only nine players who have managed to score 400+ points this season on 50.0 percent shooting from the field.
- The Sky couldn’t be adding Carter back into the mix at a better time. They have lost six of their last seven games and are now at risk of falling out of the playoff hunt. The team has seven games left to fend off the Atlanta Dream, who have an identical 11-22 record and face the Sky later this month. When asked about the postseason upon her return, Carter set the tone for the final few weeks …
“I want to make a run. I’m here to do that. Let’s f***ing go. We can do it. We can turn the page. Let’s forget about these last couple of games and let’s worry about these next couple that we have,” Carter told reporters (h/t Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune).
- The good news for the Sky is they face three straight opponents who currently sit below them in the standings – the Sparks, Wings, and Mystics. If they can string together a winning streak, their odds of securing some playoff experience for their youngsters will shoot way up.
- While we’re talking Sky, Angel Reese debuted the first episode of her new podcast “Unapologetically Angel” this week. The emerging superstar wasted no time clearing up the narrative around her “rivalry” with Caitlin Clark.
- Also, while I understand Clark is having an absolutely outstanding season, let’s not forget how insane it is to win MVP in your first year. No one will top Candace Parker’s rookie campaign in the WNBA. Pure dominance.
- The Dallas Mavericks announced on Friday morning that they are the newest franchise to have signed a multi-year agreement with a local affiliate. The games will now be broadcast for free over the air on ABC. The Phoenix Suns recently started this trend under new owner Matt Ishbia, who chose to ditch the RSN path and allow fans to watch for free.
- So why do I bring this up? Well, the Chicago Bulls are less than a month away from debuting their new broadcasting plan. They joined both the White Sox and Blackhawks in leaving NBC Sports Chicago for their very own network. Despite the announcement being made months ago, we have yet to hear really any updates on what the new channel will look like and who will be able to access it. They’re really bringing this thing down to the wire!
- Bleacher Report shared players they believe to be hidden gems heading into this season, and Jalen Smith made the list of ten players! When we consider his rock-solid 2023-24 campaign, the inclusion makes a lot of sense. Smith finally started to look like the player many thought he could be coming out of college by spacing the floor, gobbling up offensive rebounds, and running well in transition. He averaged nearly 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in just 17.1 minutes of action for the Eastern Conference-bound Pacers. And this included a 42.4 percent clip from behind the arc on solid volume (2.4 attempts per game)! While he’ll have to prove he can keep up this level of play with a bigger workload, the Bulls signing him to a three-year, $27.0 million deal felt like a win.
- Indeed, I think B/R’s Zach Buckley hit right on the head when writing that the Bulls “have the makings of a hugely helpful modern big.” If Smith can start the season strong, the urgency to move on from or limit Nikola Vucevic could grow exponentially. We talked more about that whole situation yesterday.
- The Bulls need to do this with Matas Buzelis and Coby White.
- ICYMI: Big news for BN this week!
- Always important!
- Last night got me so ready for Sunday.