The good news from the Bulls’ victory over the Raptors on Tuesday night is that they played like they cared. Most of the time, anyway. That 23-point lead was disappearing like Gar Forman’s credibility, but it ultimately held.
The bad news is that the win would only encourage management wonks to tinker with a team barely worthy of a playoff spot instead of trading Jimmy Butler for a ransom that sets off a weapons-grade rebuild.
The Cavs’ rotation and depth appear stressed after news that Kevin Love underwent knee surgery Tuesday. Believe in Channing Frye all you want, but the exhausting things LeBron James is doing to win games now and will have to continue to do could drain both him and the Cavs before they can win another title, and you have to think the rest of the Eastern Conference sees it. The East sees weakness, real or imagined. Vulnerability.
The East, of course, could learn another painful lesson about the relentlessly spectacular talents of a guy bidding to steal Michael Jordan’s trophy as the greatest of all-time, but this looks like something more than a prayer.
The Raptors appear to think so, trading for power forward Serge Ibaka. For any other team looking to go all in, Butler is the biggest trade chip. Bigger now. He could be a human bidding war. He could be a one-man rebuilding project.
As long as the Celtics have the Nets’ first pick this year — maybe the first overall — I won’t give up this campaign because trading Butler would assure a Bulls death spiral in the standings that would have them rocket up the lottery list, and bang, two lottery picks in what looks like a great draft year.
Photos from the game on Feb. 14, 2017, at the United Center.
Our Bulls guru K.C. Johnson reported that league sources say the Celtics don’t plan to move that Nets draft choice, but then, by the Feb. 23 trade deadline, the Celtics will likely determine they probably won’t be able to move out of the conference in May without doing something big.
I realize John Paxson and Forman have brought us first-round Hall-of-Famers such as Marquis Teague, Tony Snell, Gary Harris, Jusuf Nurkic, Bobby Portis and Denzel Valentine, and I realize Paxson and Forman apparently will get another chance to do their standup act, but anything different than what they’ve done this season is worth a shot. I’m at the point where I’ll lobby for anything that might help the Bulls accident their way into a contender.
Asked if he appreciates the Heat and president Pat Riley more being away from the organization, Dwyane Wade told "The Vertical” podcast: "Definitely." Take a bow, everyone from Chairman Reinsdorf down to Fred Footwipe.
Joe Maddon came out with four new slogans for this season — "Authentic," "Uncomfortable," "That’s Cub," and "Don’t forget the heartbeat." But it seems like it all still comes back to "Embrace the target."
By the way, the actual saying was "That’s so Cub." Or "So Cubs." "So" is the key word. "So" makes the saying work, as in "That’s so lame."
The Choice (and remember, death is not an option): Maddon’s many new slogans or Maddon’s last few pitching decisions?
Joe Maddon on Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez, and future gimmicks
Cubs manager Joe Maddon on Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez, the "That’s Cub" slogan and future gimmicks at spring training on Feb. 14, 2017. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)
Cubs manager Joe Maddon on Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez, the “That’s Cub” slogan and future gimmicks at spring training on Feb. 14, 2017. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune)
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Travis Wood: Have no shirt, will travel.
Former Falcons wide receiver Roddy White watched from a casino as his former team blew a 28-3 lead and lost the Super Bowl to the Patriots in overtime, and what did he think of Falcons’ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan passing the ball instead of playing it smart late?
"I’m glad I wasn’t a part of that team because I probably literally would’ve fought him," White told the “We Never Played The Game’’ podcast.
No former Cubs talked about almost fighting Maddon in Game 7, right?
In the Blackhawks’ win over the Oilers last weekend, Patrick Kane passed the puck up to Brent Seabrook, who crossed the blue line and tried to pull off a spinnerama. Shouldn’t that play go the other way around?
Kevin Durant heard boos and saw nasty signs in his return to Oklahoma City to play with the Warriors. Gotta love those Oklahomans: They steal Seattle’s basketball team, then scream when someone steals their star.
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