Whenever I’m asked if I have been watching the NCAA Tournament, I say, “No. I haven’t.” That raises some eyebrows in my home state of Connecticut, where both genders of Huskies basketball have been winning national championships for nearly a generation and are followed religiously by the Nutmeg State’s hoops fans. But among the many reasons I don’t go mad in March is because over that same generation, the college game has become less and less of a barometer for NBA success.
Photo of the Day: Bulls Visit the White House
The Chicago Bulls took a nice trip through the White House on Thursday on their day off. The team is in Washington, D.C. for their road game on Friday against the Wizards. I don’t know much about politics or the White House, but it looks like a few of them could stay behind and would fit right in with Mr. Obama and his staff. [Read more…]
Rookie Rankings, Week 6: Injuries Hurt Development, Too
When looking at the lottery picks of the 2014 NBA draft, it’s almost easier to list those who are healthy than those who are not. The torn ACL suffered this week by No. 2 pick Jabari Parker was devastating news for the Milwaukee Bucks, who have been surprisingly competitive throughout the first third of the season, currently 6th in the East, and appeared to have the Rookie of the Year favorite in their starting lineup. But Parker’s injury also continued a trend among the most
Photo of the Day: Bulls Rookies at Bowling Night
The Chicago Bulls were enjoying their time off on Tuesday night after a loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. The team took part in some group therapy bowling to help ease the pain. Rookies Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic spent some time snapping photos in their snazzy Bulls bowling shirts. Benny the Bull, the Bulls mascot, also spent some time at the bowling alley with the team. I’m pretty sure things got weird. [Read more…]
Rookie Rankings, Week 5: Young Wolves Showing Some Bite
Which team has the best rookie duo this season? Coming out of the draft, you had to like the Chicago Bulls, who traded into the lottery to grab Doug McDermott and finally signed Nikola Mirotic. But while Mirotic has been a pretty steady contributor, McBuckets might need a new nickname – like McD-League. The Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic each had two first-round picks that looked like they might be able to crack the rotation. But James Young has been
Rookie Rankings, Week 1: Will Elfrid Payton Wreck the Ferrari?
This is the third season of Rookie Rankings at SheridanHoops. In each of the first two seasons, a highly trusting coach has given a point guard the keys to the Ferrari and these instructions: “Try not to wreck the thing, OK, kid?” Two years ago, it was Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, who became the first rookie to lead the NBA in minutes played since Elvin Hayes in 1970. Last year, it was Michael Carter-Williams of the tanking rebuilding Philadelphia
Pau Gasol could be Bulls’ missing link to a title contender
Pau Gasol has everything the Chicago Bulls were missing in the past. Clearly Chicago needs a healthy Derrick Rose to compete for a championship, but Gasol looked every bit of the team’s missing part in Wednesday night’s 104-80 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Gasol scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 29 minutes in the win and added a lot to the team that they lacked last year, according to Bulls players and head coach Tom Thibodeau. “He’s
Five Things to Watch: Chicago Bulls
For the first time in years, the Chicago Bulls entered the offseason with salary cap flexibility and great expectations in the free agent market. But they finished second in the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes, whiffed on Kevin Love and settled for veteran Pau Gasol as a consolation prize. However, if this team has the look of the same old Bulls, that may not be all bad. Derrick Rose returns from what amounts to a two-year layoff, and if the former MVP can