Hump Day Hits- 07/03/13

Hump Day Hits is where I catch you up on what is going on around the sports world, what you may have missed, and what you’ll need to know moving forward.

 

Chicago Blackhawks: The offseason activity has begun with the NHL Draft happening this past Sunday.  Because of the NHL lockout, it was compressed into one action-packed day of draft picks.  Sunday also saw the beginning of the Blackhawks’ wheeling and dealing.  Michael Frolik, a tremendous penalty killer, was traded to the Winnipeg Jets for two draft picks.  Dave Bolland, the player who scored the game-winning goal in Game 6 against the Bruins, meanwhile, was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs for three picks.  While unfortunate, both players were expendable, and it opened up the necessary cap space to sign Bryan Bickell to a 4 year/$16 million deal.  It’s a large deal, but it’s crazy to think that he wouldn’t have gotten that much or more on the open market.  Nothing increases a player’s price like a great postseason, and that’s exactly what Bickell had (9 goals, 8 assists).  More importantly, perhaps, is that the signing of Bickell signals to Blackhawks fans that this team won’t be traded off like the post-2010 Stanley Cup team, meaning that the Blackhawks could have a competitive team for several years to come.

 

Chicago Bulls: The Chicago Bulls also started their post-draft activity, getting SF Mike Dunleavy Jr. to verbally commit to a 2 year/$6 million deal.  Per NBA rules, he won’t be able to sign until July 10th.  This signing, when it is final, has to excite both Bulls fans and management.  In Dunleavy, a high-profile Duke alumnus, the Bulls gain the 3-point threat that they sorely missed last season.  He will serve as the delayed replacement to Kyle Korver.  Last season, Dunleavy shot 42.8% behind the 3-point line.  If he plays to his ability, he will be able to stretch the court, opening up space for Derrick Rose and allowing Joakim Noah to work inside.  He’s a great signing, though it unfortunately means that Marco Bellinelli’s time with the Bulls is likely done.

 

Chicago Cubs: And the wheeling and dealing continues!  The Cubs finally started their fire sale yesterday dealing main trade-piece SP Scott Feldman and catcher Steve Clevenger to the Orioles.  In return, they acquired SP Jake Arrieta, reliever Pedro Strop, and $388,100 in international money.  They were also able to find a taker for Carlos Marmol.  He was officially dealt to the Dodgers along with international cash for reliever Matt Guerrier.  Lastly, minor league second baseman Ronald Torreyes was traded to the Houston Astros for cash.  First of all, this signals that the Cubs have officially given up on the season.  Secondly, I think their first deals were pretty good.  Jake Arrieta is a talented pitcher, but he has yet to put it all together.  With proper coaching, he could potentially become a dynamic #3 or #4 starter.  He will start in AAA.  In the same deal, the Cubs got a great bullpen arm in Pedro Strop.  While Strop has had a difficult season so far, he put up a 2.44 ERA with 58Ks in 66.1 innings last season.  If he returns to those numbers, the Cubs got a steal.  Look for Matt Garza and Kevin Gregg to be next on the trading block.

 

Chicago Sky: The Chicago Sky are still playing pretty well though they have lost a few games now.  Their record stands at 7-4, good enough for 2nd place in the Eastern Conference, three games behind the Atlanta Dream (10-1).  Elena Delle Donne has really come on strong, and as expected, has emerged as the team star.  She is leading the Sky in PPG (18.8), is third in RPG (6.0), and is 2nd in total blocks (22).  She has been an absolute force and was the difference-maker the Sky needed to take the next step in their development as a team.  Delle Donne has to be seen as the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, where she is 1st in PPG and tied for 1st in RPG.  At this point, it’s her award to lose.

 

Chicago White Sox: There’s nothing new to report her.  The White Sox are still in last place.  Hopefully, they take a cue from their crosstown rivals and begin selling off their assets.  It’s time to blow this team up and start from scratch.

 

Your Chicago daily sports schedule (one game to watch)

White Sox v. Orioles – 6:10 pm

Fire @ San Jose – 7:30 pm

Cubs @ Athletics – 9:05 pm

Meet Your Newest Chicago Bulls- NBA Draft Review

As we come down from an exciting week in Chicago sports, let’s take a quick look at the Bulls’ two newest members, 1st round pick from New Mexico, Tony Snell, and 2nd round pick from Florida, Erik Murphy.

 

Who is Tony Snell?

Quite simply, a tall shooter.  Reports surfaced that the Bulls were targeting a shooter in the first round, and they didn’t disappoint.  They drafted Tony Snell with the 20th pick, making him the highest-drafted player from New Mexico since Danny Granger (No. 17) in 2005.  Snell is 6’7″ and 198 pounds.  However, he is longer than his height suggests.  His reach is 8’10” and his wingspan, 6’11”.  Last season, Snell shot 39% from 3-point range and averaged 12.5 PPG.  Snell is a hit-or-miss pick.  While there were more consistent shooters available, none offered the height and length of Snell, so there is considerable upside, much like the Bears’ 1st round pick, Kyle Long.  Snell has the potential to be great- he was the Mountain West Tournament MVP, averaging 17.7 PPG and shooting 60% from behind the arc.  However, he also has the potential to be a non-factor, scoring just 9 points in New Mexico’s 1st round loss to Harvard in one of the NCAA Tournament’s more surprising upsets.  Scouting takes:

ESPN’s Chad Ford: “The Bulls wanted a shooter, but I wonder about Snell.  With other shooters such as Allen Crabbe and Reggie Bullock left on the board, I think there were safer picks than Snell.  Snell is intriguing, but he was very inconsistent at New Mexico.  He was sort of a workout wonder.  Don’t love this pick.”

ESPN’s Andy Katz- “Like the Chicago pick of Tony Snell.  And good call by Snell to leave to go to a team like the Bulls.  Worked out well for him.”

 

Who is Erik Murphy?

As a Florida fan, I was thrilled to see the Bulls draft another Gator to play alongside Joakim Noah, also of Florida.  With the 48th pick, the Bulls selected Erik Murphy.  Murphy is a similar player to Snell, longer and a better shooter, but not as athletic and not as strong defensively.  Murphy is 6’10” and 240 pounds.  His reach is 9’0″ and his wingspan is 6’11”.  Last season, Murphy averaged 5.5 RPG and 12.5 PPG on 45.3% shooting from three-point range and 51.6% overall.  He doesn’t look to be a significant contributor to next season’s Bulls (especially considering Thibodeau’s stubbornness to play rookies), but with comparisons to Matt Bonner, if Murphy can keep hitting his 3’s, there’s a possibility that he could see more floor time than Tony Snell.  It will be interesting to track.  Scouting takes:

USA Today’s Adi Joseph- “[48th pick Ryan] Kelly and Murphy are very similar players, both three-point shooting power forwards who can rebound inside but prefer to hang out in the corner on offense.  Murphy is more physical, but Kelly is perhaps better suited for the NBA as a better athlete capable of playing small forward at times.  Both were good picks.”

SB Nation- “He fits a team role with the Bulls…  As the team gets ready to move forward with Derrick Rose, a player like Murphy can spread the floor if he can prove he belongs on the floor, which guys in similar roles weren’t able to do this past season.”

 

As always, your weekend Chicago sports schedule (games to watch):

White Sox v. Indians (DH) – Friday, 4:10 pm

White Sox v. Indians (DH) – Friday, 7:10 pm

Cubs @ Mariners – Friday, 9:10 pm

 

White Sox v. Indians – Saturday, 3:10 pm

Cubs @ Mariners – Saturday, 6:15 pm

Sky v. Sparks – Saturday, 7:00 pm

 

White Sox v. Indians – Sunday, 1:10 pm

Cubs @ Mariners –  Sunday, 3:10 pm

Hump Day Hits- 06/26/13

Hump Day Hits is where I catch you up on what is going on around the sports world, what you may have missed, and what you’ll need to know moving forward.

 

Wimbledon:  In case you’ve missed it, Wimbledon started on Monday morning.  The tournament already has seen Rafael Nadal upset in the first round (his earliest exit from a major tournament).  I have never claimed to be a Nadal fan, in fact, some would call me a Nadal hater, so I was thrilled to see the 135th-ranked Steve Darcis pull off the upset.  Darcis has since withdrawn with a shoulder injury.  Speaking of injuries, other withdraws within the last day include John Isner and Victoria Azarenka, shaking up the bracket for this tournament.  All of this means one thing– if Andy Murray does not win Wimbledon this year, a Brit will never again win the tournament.

 

Chicago Blackhawks: I’ve probably written enough about the Blackhawks over the last month, but seeing as they are currently the only major competitive team in Chicago sports, they were due the attention.  My season review will post tomorrow, but I wanted to use this time to give a shout-out to the injured players that still produced in the Stanley Cup Final.  I wrote yesterday about Andrew Shaw getting hit in the face with a puck, but it hasn’t been revealed yet if any facial bones were fractured.  Other players skating injured: Blackhawks’ Marian Hossa- slipped disk that caused him to lose feeling in his legs at times; Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron- broken rib, torn cartilage muscles, separated shoulder; Bruins’ Nathan Horton- dislocated shoulder.  Hockey players are tough!

 

Chicago Bulls: The NBA Draft is tomorrow night and the Bulls have two selections, the 20th and the 49th.  After seeing how shooters were able to spread the court for the Heat and Spurs, reports are that the Bulls are interested in another 3-point shooter, having played last season without Kyle Korver and learning what it was like to be without a true 3-point threat.  Of the shooters, look for the Bulls to pick from Reggie Bullock (North Carolina, 43.6% 3-pt shooting) or Tim Hardaway, Jr. (Michigan, 37.4%).  Jamaal Franklin from San Diego State is also an option here, though he isn’t a typical long-range shooter.  Apparently, the Bulls are also in discussions about exchanging Luol Deng for a top-5 pick, having targeted the Wizards at number 3.  This would be a great deal for the Bulls!  Deng’s contract runs out after next season, and it is believed that the Bulls would let him walk to free up cap space to sign a legitimate #2 to Derrick Rose.  If they’re able to pull this off, it would be a great job by upper management, but it remains to be seen what all the Wizards would have to gain from this.  It’s worth monitoring though.  In the 2nd round, look for the Bulls to choose Illinois’ Brandon Paul, who had a 2nd workout with the Bulls on Monday.

 

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs inch closer and closer everyday to becoming the first sellers of the 2013 MLB season.  Already, Carlos Marmol is gone, but that was due to general suckage (I think that’s the appropriate term?).  I think Kevin Gregg will be gone soon, as he has yet to blow a save and is outperforming his ability, so the Cubs will want to deal him before he comes back down to Earth.  Nate Schierholtz, who like Gregg is outperforming his ability, could be another option.  Stay tuned, because when the selling starts, it is going to take off.

 

Chicago Fire: Don’t look now, but the Chicago Fire are starting to play some really good soccer.  When I last discussed the Fire, they had just drawn 2-2 with the Portland Timbers.  Since then, they’ve defeated Colorado 2-1 away, and Columbus 2-1 at home.  In those two games, Mike Magee has scored a goal apiece.  Magee has been big since coming to the Fire, and while they still have a long way to go to get back into contention, two consecutive wins, their first such streak of the year, is a fantastic way to get things started.

 

Chicago White Sox: In case you missed it, this happened last night (MLB doesn’t allow embedded videos, so you’ll have to follow the link):

A Classic White Sox Blunder

Yes, the White Sox dropped an infield pop-up to give up a tying run in the 9th.  While they ended up winning in the bottom of the 9th, this blunder comes one game after this:

The Pre-Blunder Blunder

That team actually cost the team a victory.  So it’s quite clear that this team is currently learning how to catch a ball.  When they’ve mastered that, they’ll learn how to throw.  If there is still time in the season, they’ll move to hitting.  But they are improving.  They’re taking baby steps towards becoming better than your average Little League team.

 

Your Chicago daily sports schedule (one game to watch)

Sky v. Liberty – 11:30 am

White Sox v. Mets – 7:10 pm

Cubs @ Brewers – 7:10 pm