By Colin Mieczkowski
The Windy City Bulls lost to the Toronto Raptors 905 for the third time this season, 113-104 off of 22 points by three point shooting specialist, Brady Heslip. It was a blowout early on in favor of the Raptors, but a late run and a couple of big threes from Jarell Eddie closed the gap a little bit.
Eddie was red hot again, scoring 28 points, however, it was just a tad bit late. Some sloppy passing by the Bulls would be the major difference in this game, giving away the ball 21 times.
The Raptors were able to get a ton of inside looks which ultimately played a big role in their victory. The Bulls were able to lock down the Raptors on the inside later on, but then they leaned heavily on Heslip and Bruno Caboclo who hit some threes to extend the lead.
With the victory, it was the largest win margin for the Raptors 905 all season, winning by nine points. The second biggest victory they had was against the Bulls as well, back on Nov. 23 when they won by six.
For the Bulls, Jake Layman was the only player in double figures in points until Alfonzo McKinnie and Eddie did so later in the game. The strong defense down the stretch was a positive, and they started to do good job of defending Raptors 905 7’3” center, Edy Tavares in the paint.
On another note, the Windy City Bulls will not have any players represented in the D-League’s All-Star game. Eddie thinks it’s tough, considering all of the talent surrounding the team.
“It’s tough, because there are some great players in the D-League, but we also have some great players here in Windy City” said Eddie. “It’s tough but it’s something you got to use to motivate you”.
Despite the fact that the Bulls won’t have any all-stars in their first year of existence, they will have a presence in one of the events. Alfonzo McKinnie, who has thrown down numerous monster dunks and ally-oops throughout the season, will participate in the D-League Slam Dunk Contest on Feb. 18 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
So, despite the lost to a very good Raptors 905 team, the Bulls can definitely take some positives out of it. They’ve shot the ball well lately, and the defense continues to improve, and now they have a young player in McKinnie who will get his shot to shine during All-Star weekend.
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.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Bulls Charge For 4 in a row vs Raptors 905
By Colin Mieczkowski
The Windy City Bulls will take on the red-hot Raptors 905 for the third time this season where unfortunately the Bulls are 0-2 in their last couple of meetings. The Bulls are 13-16 overall, trying to break free from last place in the division while the Raptors 905 are having a terrific season, with a 22-9 record, and winning eight of their last 10 games.
The Bulls have played very well, winning six of their last 10 games. They had a terrific showing from Jerell Eddie in the last game against the Grand Rapids Drive where he had a record tying, eight three pointers in the game.
Eddie knew what time it was once he kept hitting those threes that night. When asked what was going through his mind, he gave a simple answer.
“Just keep shooting” Eddie said. “I felt like my teammates found me in great positions and my confidence was rolling so I just had to keep shooting”.
No doubt that if Eddie can shoot it tonight like he did on Tuesday night, it could be a long night for the Raptors 905. But the 2015 D-League Three Point contest champion, and former Virginia Tech star knows that there’s still work to do.
“I just got to do my part, I got to bring as much leadership as I can to the group” Eddie said when asked about what the team needs to do to bring the Bulls back to .500. “If that’s making shots, getting rebounds, guarding, I just got to do my part, and help us get team wins”.
This type of unselfishness is what has made the Bulls team a fun squad to watch this year, despite some unfortunate losses. This game will feature an offense vs defense battle, as the Bulls are one of the better offensive teams, while the Raptors 905 has the best defense in the D-League.
The Bulls ranked eighth in field goals made, sixth in assists and fifth in offensive rebounds. This brings a unique offensive attack as opposed to the popular outside shooting method.
On the other side, the Raptors rank second in the D-League in blocks while they are 11th in steals per game. A very balanced defensive attack has bid well for them this season.
Despite the Raptors 905’s lockdown defensive ways, they have one of the hottest three point shooters of the last few years in Brady Heslip. Heslip still holds the single game record with 13 threes in a game.
The scary thing is that, the last record holder, was Heslip himself, during his D-League debut. He broke his own record just 15 days later, when he beat his debut performance by two threes.
So it will be interesting to see how coach Nate Loenser and the Bulls defend Heslip. Keeping him away from behind the arc and forcing him to drive could play a role in the game plan.
It should be another fun duel between the Bulls and Raptors 905,
You can listen to the game and all other home games as well as read up about the team on the official radio home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com.
The Windy City Bulls will take on the red-hot Raptors 905 for the third time this season where unfortunately the Bulls are 0-2 in their last couple of meetings. The Bulls are 13-16 overall, trying to break free from last place in the division while the Raptors 905 are having a terrific season, with a 22-9 record, and winning eight of their last 10 games.
The Bulls have played very well, winning six of their last 10 games. They had a terrific showing from Jerell Eddie in the last game against the Grand Rapids Drive where he had a record tying, eight three pointers in the game.
Eddie knew what time it was once he kept hitting those threes that night. When asked what was going through his mind, he gave a simple answer.
“Just keep shooting” Eddie said. “I felt like my teammates found me in great positions and my confidence was rolling so I just had to keep shooting”.
No doubt that if Eddie can shoot it tonight like he did on Tuesday night, it could be a long night for the Raptors 905. But the 2015 D-League Three Point contest champion, and former Virginia Tech star knows that there’s still work to do.
“I just got to do my part, I got to bring as much leadership as I can to the group” Eddie said when asked about what the team needs to do to bring the Bulls back to .500. “If that’s making shots, getting rebounds, guarding, I just got to do my part, and help us get team wins”.
This type of unselfishness is what has made the Bulls team a fun squad to watch this year, despite some unfortunate losses. This game will feature an offense vs defense battle, as the Bulls are one of the better offensive teams, while the Raptors 905 has the best defense in the D-League.
The Bulls ranked eighth in field goals made, sixth in assists and fifth in offensive rebounds. This brings a unique offensive attack as opposed to the popular outside shooting method.
On the other side, the Raptors rank second in the D-League in blocks while they are 11th in steals per game. A very balanced defensive attack has bid well for them this season.
Despite the Raptors 905’s lockdown defensive ways, they have one of the hottest three point shooters of the last few years in Brady Heslip. Heslip still holds the single game record with 13 threes in a game.
The scary thing is that, the last record holder, was Heslip himself, during his D-League debut. He broke his own record just 15 days later, when he beat his debut performance by two threes.
So it will be interesting to see how coach Nate Loenser and the Bulls defend Heslip. Keeping him away from behind the arc and forcing him to drive could play a role in the game plan.
It should be another fun duel between the Bulls and Raptors 905,
You can listen to the game and all other home games as well as read up about the team on the official radio home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
WCB look to Continue Winning Ways vs Grand Rapids
By Colin Mieczkowski
Tonight it will be the Windy City Bulls taking on the Grand Rapids Drive at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates. Both teams are on a winning streak, with the Bulls winning two in a row, while the Drive has won four straight.
In the last game against the Drive, the Bulls lost the game 121-91. They hope to get a little revenge on the Drive, a team that is 16-16 and 5-5 during their last 10 games.
The Bulls are 12-16 and are also 5-5 in their last 10 games. They look to inch closer to winning record if they can win tonight.
The Bulls have also enjoyed some recent success from Jake Layman, one of their newer acquisitions. He has averaged 17 points, and six rebounds to compliment his scoring.
Layman was a very solid player at Maryland, averaging 11.6 points for the 2015-16 college basketball season. He got his shot in the NBA by playing ball with the Portland Trailblazers where he scored 17 points in his NBA debut, including five three pointers.
Layman credits his time, playing with Portland, as a reason for his early success with the WIndy City Bulls.
“My time in Portland, working with the coaches, keeping me ready to playing in the games.” Layman said. “When you’re there, you never know when you’re going to get in, so you have to stay ready, and coming down here (to Windy City), I felt ready from day one”.
Despite his impressive offensive showing, Layman still feels like he could work a bit more on his defense.
“There’s always things you can improve on” Layman said. “For me, it’s on defense for sure, guarding the ball and knowing the right reads”.
Speaking of playing defense, the Bulls will have to contend with one of the D-League’s top five scorers in Jordan Crawford. You may recognize Crawford during his playing days with the Washington Wizards among other teams in the NBA.
In the D-League now, Crawford is averaging 22.9 points per game while a little over three rebounds and assists per game. During his stint with the Wizards (2010, 11 and 12), Crawford averaged 16, 13 and 14 points respectively.
In short, Crawford is no stranger to scoring, but with the additions of Layman among others for the Bulls, it adds some extra depth which is big in the D-League. With so many players bouncing in and out of different locker rooms, it’s hard to keep a deep team.
But, with a team that’s trying to break out of the cellar, and another team hanging around at .500, both teams are hungry. When both teams are anxious, it can lead to a great game, and this could be the case tonight.
Be sure to listen to all home games and read about the team, on the official radio home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com.
Tonight it will be the Windy City Bulls taking on the Grand Rapids Drive at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates. Both teams are on a winning streak, with the Bulls winning two in a row, while the Drive has won four straight.
In the last game against the Drive, the Bulls lost the game 121-91. They hope to get a little revenge on the Drive, a team that is 16-16 and 5-5 during their last 10 games.
The Bulls are 12-16 and are also 5-5 in their last 10 games. They look to inch closer to winning record if they can win tonight.
The Bulls have also enjoyed some recent success from Jake Layman, one of their newer acquisitions. He has averaged 17 points, and six rebounds to compliment his scoring.
Layman was a very solid player at Maryland, averaging 11.6 points for the 2015-16 college basketball season. He got his shot in the NBA by playing ball with the Portland Trailblazers where he scored 17 points in his NBA debut, including five three pointers.
Layman credits his time, playing with Portland, as a reason for his early success with the WIndy City Bulls.
“My time in Portland, working with the coaches, keeping me ready to playing in the games.” Layman said. “When you’re there, you never know when you’re going to get in, so you have to stay ready, and coming down here (to Windy City), I felt ready from day one”.
Despite his impressive offensive showing, Layman still feels like he could work a bit more on his defense.
“There’s always things you can improve on” Layman said. “For me, it’s on defense for sure, guarding the ball and knowing the right reads”.
Speaking of playing defense, the Bulls will have to contend with one of the D-League’s top five scorers in Jordan Crawford. You may recognize Crawford during his playing days with the Washington Wizards among other teams in the NBA.
In the D-League now, Crawford is averaging 22.9 points per game while a little over three rebounds and assists per game. During his stint with the Wizards (2010, 11 and 12), Crawford averaged 16, 13 and 14 points respectively.
In short, Crawford is no stranger to scoring, but with the additions of Layman among others for the Bulls, it adds some extra depth which is big in the D-League. With so many players bouncing in and out of different locker rooms, it’s hard to keep a deep team.
But, with a team that’s trying to break out of the cellar, and another team hanging around at .500, both teams are hungry. When both teams are anxious, it can lead to a great game, and this could be the case tonight.
Be sure to listen to all home games and read about the team, on the official radio home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Q&A with Aaron Thomas
By Colin Mieczkowski
Aaron Thomas has put together a nice season for the Windy City Bulls, the newest team in the NBA Development League. Thomas has been one of the league’s best scorers, averaging over 16 points per game.
In a recent game against the Erie Bayhawks on Jan. 11, Thomas dropped 22 points. When he’s playing, he can score at will, and the former Florida State Seminole has taken advantage of the opportunity.
I had a chance to sit down and talk to the Bulls star about the D-League experience, playing under coach Nate Loenser and playing overseas among other things. Below is the full interview.
Colin Mieczkowski: You were a good player in college, and now you’re playing professional basketball in the D-League with a ton of of other great young players, what has that experience been like for you so far?
Aaron Thomas: There’s definitely a difference between college and pro. Guys are bigger, more athletic, and strong, it’s just a different level. Not saying that college was a breeze but, the D-League experience has been good. Just to see where I’m at, and all of the hard work I put in at the next level, and see what happens after that.
CM: What goes through your mind, when you hear your name called on game night?
AT: *Laughs* it’s a good feeling. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you but it’s a real good feeling. It’s unexplainable honestly, you just go out there and do what you do and not worry about what’s going on on the outside. Just appreciate that you’re here, and take advantage of the opportunity.
CM: Working with Coach Loenser, how would you best describe him as a coach, and what are some key things you’ve learned from him so far?
AT: Coach Nate, he’s a good coach. He always has a plan, no matter if it’s practice, film or a game. He always has a plan. It’s just on us to execute it and pay attention. He’s always big on playing hard, and just being together and playing together as a team. He’s big on togetherness.
CM: What are some things that you want to improve on as a player?
AT: Everything. I’d be lying if I told you I don’t need to work on anything. I just work on all aspects of my game, on the court and off the court, just being a professional, period. Just getting prepared for the next level and just life in general.
CM: You’ve had a chance to play with some guys from the Chicago Bulls roster when they came here to play for a few games. Did you learn some things from the experience of playing with these guys?
AT: Yeah definitely, from each of them. Because the level is different between the NBA and D-League. Just asking them about what the experience was like as far as like the style of play and things like that.
CM: You had a chance to play overseas. What are some differences between playing in the Euroleague, and playing in the NBA D-League?
AT: It’s just different. You’re out overseas by yourself, so you have to be real mental when you go overseas. You have to be mentally tough and ready for the grind. It’s that simple.
CM: Any site seeing while playing in Europe?
AT: Oh definitely! I was in Germany so I was in a good city so I was able to see things, as in the history. I tried to learn some German but couldn’t stick with it. So that’s pretty much it, just real different.
CM: What are some things that you like to do on your down time, when you’re away from the basketball court?
AT: Just talk to my daughter and my girlfriend and play the game. I watch a ton of Netflix so I just be chilling. When I’m here at the gym, it’s time to focus on hoop, but when I’m outside of the gym, I focus on things other than hoop.
CM: Who are some players that you looked up to as a kid?
AT: I liked Kevin Durant. I pretty much didn’t have a hero. I just had so many guys I liked. I didn’t have anybody specific I favored. I just had a variety of guys I liked.
CM: Being in the Chicago area, what are some your favorite restaurants that you’ve been to so far?
AT: I’m a big fan of eating, so there’s a lot of food places I’ve been and been interested in. Alfonzo (Mickinnie) is from here so he showed us a couple of things, and places to go, and just some chill spots and just to see what’s fun.
Don’t forget to listen to all home games and read up about the team on your exclusive radio home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com.
Aaron Thomas has put together a nice season for the Windy City Bulls, the newest team in the NBA Development League. Thomas has been one of the league’s best scorers, averaging over 16 points per game.
In a recent game against the Erie Bayhawks on Jan. 11, Thomas dropped 22 points. When he’s playing, he can score at will, and the former Florida State Seminole has taken advantage of the opportunity.
I had a chance to sit down and talk to the Bulls star about the D-League experience, playing under coach Nate Loenser and playing overseas among other things. Below is the full interview.
Colin Mieczkowski: You were a good player in college, and now you’re playing professional basketball in the D-League with a ton of of other great young players, what has that experience been like for you so far?
Aaron Thomas: There’s definitely a difference between college and pro. Guys are bigger, more athletic, and strong, it’s just a different level. Not saying that college was a breeze but, the D-League experience has been good. Just to see where I’m at, and all of the hard work I put in at the next level, and see what happens after that.
CM: What goes through your mind, when you hear your name called on game night?
AT: *Laughs* it’s a good feeling. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you but it’s a real good feeling. It’s unexplainable honestly, you just go out there and do what you do and not worry about what’s going on on the outside. Just appreciate that you’re here, and take advantage of the opportunity.
CM: Working with Coach Loenser, how would you best describe him as a coach, and what are some key things you’ve learned from him so far?
AT: Coach Nate, he’s a good coach. He always has a plan, no matter if it’s practice, film or a game. He always has a plan. It’s just on us to execute it and pay attention. He’s always big on playing hard, and just being together and playing together as a team. He’s big on togetherness.
CM: What are some things that you want to improve on as a player?
AT: Everything. I’d be lying if I told you I don’t need to work on anything. I just work on all aspects of my game, on the court and off the court, just being a professional, period. Just getting prepared for the next level and just life in general.
CM: You’ve had a chance to play with some guys from the Chicago Bulls roster when they came here to play for a few games. Did you learn some things from the experience of playing with these guys?
AT: Yeah definitely, from each of them. Because the level is different between the NBA and D-League. Just asking them about what the experience was like as far as like the style of play and things like that.
CM: You had a chance to play overseas. What are some differences between playing in the Euroleague, and playing in the NBA D-League?
AT: It’s just different. You’re out overseas by yourself, so you have to be real mental when you go overseas. You have to be mentally tough and ready for the grind. It’s that simple.
CM: Any site seeing while playing in Europe?
AT: Oh definitely! I was in Germany so I was in a good city so I was able to see things, as in the history. I tried to learn some German but couldn’t stick with it. So that’s pretty much it, just real different.
CM: What are some things that you like to do on your down time, when you’re away from the basketball court?
AT: Just talk to my daughter and my girlfriend and play the game. I watch a ton of Netflix so I just be chilling. When I’m here at the gym, it’s time to focus on hoop, but when I’m outside of the gym, I focus on things other than hoop.
CM: Who are some players that you looked up to as a kid?
AT: I liked Kevin Durant. I pretty much didn’t have a hero. I just had so many guys I liked. I didn’t have anybody specific I favored. I just had a variety of guys I liked.
CM: Being in the Chicago area, what are some your favorite restaurants that you’ve been to so far?
AT: I’m a big fan of eating, so there’s a lot of food places I’ve been and been interested in. Alfonzo (Mickinnie) is from here so he showed us a couple of things, and places to go, and just some chill spots and just to see what’s fun.
Don’t forget to listen to all home games and read up about the team on your exclusive radio home of Windy City Bulls basketball, SportsTownChicago.com.
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