Bulls right back at it Saturday vs Delaware

By Colin Mieczkowski

 

Tonight, the Windy City Bulls will take on the Delaware 87ers under the bright lights of the Sears Centre Arena. Similar to the Bulls, the 87ers have had a roller coaster start to the season as they now sit at 2-2 on the year.

 

 

This will feature one of the D-League’s better offensive players in Dionte Christmas, averaging almost 20 points, and a little over five assists a game. Maybe the biggest threat that the 87ers have right now however, is center Shawn Long, who went off for 30 against the Greensboro Swarm.

 

 

No doubt that Long will be coming into the Sears Centre full of confidence. Long played for UL-Lafeyette in college, and he, along with Elfrid Payton, helped carry the Ragin’ Cajuns to the NCAA Tournament in 2014.

 

 

He was also made the U.S. Pan American Men’s basketball team in 2015. Among others featured on that squad was current Chicago Bull, Denzel Valentine.

 

 

Long may be a hand full for the Bulls as he looks to try to get the 87ers over the .500 mark. A big advantage (no pun intended) that the Bulls have is that Alec Brown has the size (7’1”) to beat the undersized Long (6’9”) on the inside.

 

 

Long may have a speed advantage, but Brown can go toe-to-toe with jump shots. Brown is more willing to take outside shots however, as he took three triples in the loss to the Texas Legends.

 

 

He took just one in the game against the Swarm. Although he’s shorter, he plays more like a traditional center as oppose to Brown, who plays like a stretch big. 

 

 

The Bulls also need to get shots off quicker. Numerous times during the game against the Legends, they’d pass the ball, and fight against the shot clock.

 

If they can get a smoother flow going, then this will lead to better shot selection, and at the right times. Ball movement isn’t the issue, but it’s where they pass the ball.

 

Many times, it seemed like they were just passing the ball, and not thinking about where. A lot of it may have to do with the Legends’ tight defense.

In order to try to misdirect the defense, the Bulls will have to rely heavily on off-ball movement. This will lead to great catch and shoot situations, especially for guys like Brown, who excels at a standing jump shots.

 

It’s also effective for guys who are good at shooting off the dribble, like Spencer Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie also is known for his sneaky ability to dish the rock off, just before he shoots and this is something he did a lot as a Detroit Piston.

 

He quietly has a nice crossover, as well, even getting NBA MVP Steph Curry tied in knot during a game between the Pistons and Golden State Warriors. Dinwiddie’s ability to get the assists will be just as crucial as movement without the ball.

 

If the Bulls do this, then they should be in great shape.

 

 

Be sure to listen to all home games and read up about the team on the official radio home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com. 

Bulls Give the Blues of OKC the Blues After All!

The Windy City Bulls pulled off the upset and defeated the Oklahoma City Blue 88-78 at the Sears Centre Arena. It was their second win of the season and their first victory since their first game of existence on Nov. 11th.

 

Spencer Dinwiddie, who has been the Bulls most consistent player, was at it again, with an 18 point, 10 assist effort and added six rebounds as well. There were a few moments when he dished it off mid-shot, which was something he did several times in the NBA.

 

It’s Dinwiddie’s second double-double of the season as he continues to shine as the Bulls’ biggest star so far. The game against the Blue was also his second 20 point effort of the season as well, as he has carried a ton of the scoring load.

 

Before Dinwiddie however, it was J.J. Avila who was red-hot scoring 13 points by the end of the second half. Avila would finish the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

 

He fell just short of a double-double in the season opener of the inaugural season. In that game against the Long Island Nets, Avila had 21 points and nine rebounds.

 

 

Former Chicago Bull Jannero Pargo led the Blue in scoring, coming off the bench with 20 points. After draining multiple shots in a row during pre-game warm ups, Pargo was ready to roll, and he didn’t disappoint.

 

Reggie Williams joined Pargo, as well as two others, who had double-digits in the points category to help give the Blue a seven-point lead at halftime. Williams had 16 but only made six of his 20 shot attempts.

 

D-League Player of the Week, center Dakari Johnson was quiet scoring wise, dropping 12 points for the game. However, with 11 rebounds, Johnson finished with a double-double, to help boost the Blue’s chances at their sixth win.

 

However, the Bulls came out red-hot in the third quarter, to outscore the Blue by nine points as they took a two-point lead going into the fourth. Big buckets by Thomas Walkup and Alfonzo McKinnie pushed the lead to double-digits for the Bulls making it a 67-57 advantage.

 

From there, it was all Windy City, as the Bulls would go on to defeat the Oklahoma City Blue by a final score of 88-79. This is the Bulls first win since the historic opening night, while the Blue lose their first game since their season opener.

 

 

Make sure to listen to all the home games and read up about the team, on your radio station for Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com. 

Bulls suffer 1st Home Loss of the Season

The Windy City Bulls lost to the Texas Legends by a score of 107-98, as they fall to 1-2 in their inaugural season. The Bulls showed signs of making a comeback but end up falling well short, despite an incredible game by Aaron Thomas, who dropped 30 points to lead the game in scoring.

Thomas, who was once a star on the Florida State Seminoles in 2014, leading the team in scoring, brought that shining light with him to the pros. This brand new basketball team is showing that they have guys that can heat up on any given night.

On the historic opening night, it was J.J. Avila who poured in the scoring, with 21 points and he also added six assists and nine rebounds. Avila is also a player who had one of the most legendary statistical seasons for the Naval Academy, where his 357 point year was good for third all-time in school history.

As for Thomas, he is no stranger to putting the ball in the basket, as he averaged over 14 points during his junior year at Florida State. He also was known for his impressive ball handling skills at Brewster Academy high school, and was even dubbed the “Quiet Assassin” by the Basketball Diary.

Quietly, he nearly helped bring the Bulls back from a double-digit deficit along with some continued solid play from Spencer Dinwiddie among others. Dinwiddie’s play may not come as a surprise for people who watched him during his short time with both the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls in the NBA.

Despite what already seems to be a roller coaster career for the young guard, having played for a few teams between the D-League and NBA, he has proven to be quite a spark plug. That spark showed as early as college, as, during his freshman year, he helped the Colorado Buffaloes reach their first NCAA tournament since 2003.

Dinwiddie even has some national team experience, having played in the Universiade in Russia in 2013. There, he led the team with 44 assists, showing that he is more than just a solid scorer, and he was also the only Pac-12 player represented on the team.

Despite the scoring outburst by Thomas and balanced play of Dinwiddie, Manny Harris and the Texas Legends were just too much to handle. Harris dropped 22 points, just a game after he racked up 49 against the Maine Red Claws, a game in which they lost.

The 27-year old Harris has played virtually everywhere, including the NBA, D-League and overseas. Harris enjoyed a very solid college career at Michigan, where he was a Big Ten All-Conference player three years in a row, and a two-time Big Ten Academic All-Conference as well.

Unfortunately for Harris, injuries have slowed down his professional career which included playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. But, it’s fair to say that he has found a home with the Texas Legends, as he is already becoming one of the D-League’s most dangerous scorers.

As for the Bulls, they have proven once again that they have an extremely versatile, where anybody can come out of nowhere to have a great game. But, some lockdown defense by Texas made it tough for the Bulls to get some baskets.

They also continue to struggle behind the three-point line as well. Texas also had issues, shooting a lower percentage than the Bulls behind the arc, but their defense and ability to score on the inside, helped them cruise to the win.

Let’s see if the Bulls can turn it around in their next game against the Oklahoma City Blue on Nov. 25th. Be sure to catch all of the action on the official broadcast home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com. 

Season Preview

The Windy City Bulls season is almost under way, and it’ll be a fresh, new experience for fans of the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls. Having a D-League team gives plenty of opportunity to build their fan base, as now, fans can enjoy a professional basketball experience right in the suburbs.

 

The team is full of young talent, including a couple of players with NBA experience in Spencer Dinwiddie and R.J. Hunter. Hunter had just signed with the Chicago Bulls  after the Boston Celtics let him go.

 

Now, the former Georgia State star has a chance to make an early impression with the upstart Windy City Bulls. Dinwiddie, who played very well for Chicago during preseason games, will join Hunter, as they look to build a dangerous dynamic duo on the hardwood this season.

 

When playing for the University of Colorado, Dinwiddie averaged 14 points a game. In the NBA, he averaged almost five points per game with Detroit and Chicago. 

 

During his D-League career, he’s averaged a little over 14 points a game. With all the experience Dinwiddie has already in his young basketball career, there is no doubt that he will be a key asset to any success the Windy City Bulls have this year.

 

Hunter averaged an impressive 18.4 points per game during his three-year career at Georgia State. This includes playing stellar defense, averaging almost two steals a game and what’s somewhat ironic is that former Chicago Bull, Ron Harper is his godfather who was also a terrific defender in his day.

 

 

After a slow start to his NBA season, Hunter came out and got buckets, going 5 for 6 and scoring 12 points in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. With his solid defense and the ability to heat up on the offensive end, it should be a treat for fans to watch Hunter this season.

 

 

The teams also has some stretch bigs as well, which could prove to be a dangerous weapon for the Windy City Bulls, as basketball has become a three-point shooting game. One man stands out, and that is the 6’10” Coreonte DeBerry who, during the first practice of the week, was drilling long mid-range shots and three-point bombs and had a small streak going, hitting at least five in a row.

 

 

Over the years, the sport has seen more stretch bigs come out of college and play professionally. Some of the current centers and power forwards in the NBA developed three-point shots such as Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. 

 

 

Basketball is already mostly a big man’s game anyway, and the fact that some of these guys can drill three pointers just makes the four and five positions that much more vital to team success. This is why the Windy City Bulls could open some eyes during their very first season as, with a well balanced offensive and defensive squad, there’s a little bit of everything that the team has to offer.

 

It should be an exciting season of Windy City Bulls basketball and the Sears Centre will no doubt be rocking with pumped up fans. First game is Nov. 11th vs the Long Island Nets.