👋 Good morning!
In case you missed yesterday’s big NBA news, the Denver Nuggets fired their head coach and general manager with three games left in the regular season.
Maybe not out of the ordinary for a bottom-feeder late in the year, but the Nuggets are 47-32, hold the fifth seed in the West and are two years removed from winning a championship. What am I missing?
Meanwhile, the Billy Donovan/Arturas Karnisovas tandem is the fourth longest-tenured pairing in the league behind only the Knicks, Heat and Spurs.
How many playoff series wins for the Bulls to earn that job security? Zero.
Bears begin offseason program
The Bears reported to Halas Hall on Monday for their first voluntary offseason program of the year. Clubs with new coaches, including Chicago, are permitted to start two weeks earlier than the rest of the league.
A few key players spoke to reporters from the team’s facility yesterday. I thought I’d share some moments I think you might enjoy:
Tremaine Edmunds on Dennis Allen’s message to the defense: “We want to win; we want to win now. I think saying that and being blunt with it is what we needed to hear because that's our mindset – especially the guys that've been here. We want to win, and we’ve got the pieces to win.”
Jaylon Johnson said Ben Johnson emphasized “the mindset of winning and winning right now and winning a certain type of way” during his opening address to the team on Monday.
What does ‘winning a certain type of way’ look like to the cornerback? “Would you rather win by seven points or 70? To me, you get in a fight; you don’t just want to barely win the fight. You want to whoop the guy in front of you.”
Caleb Williams on the team’s reaction to Ben Johnson’s opening remarks on Monday: “We're excited. Obviously, we have to put in the work. Can't be too excited because the work hasn't been done, but definitely excited for what's to come and the future.”
Well, I’d say the hype around Ben Johnson is real, but as Jaylon Johnson added yesterday, “Hype doesn't win you no games. I've been here a minute; I've been through the hype, and we don't win games.”
Fair enough. It’s easy to sell yourself on hype in April. It’s not wrong if you do, either. But Johnson’s dismissal of the hype is completely understandable.
Johnson was here when the Bears moved on from Mitchell Trubisky. He was here for every “Justin Fields is so close to putting it all together” moment. Then, there was last year, when the arrival of Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze brought playoff aspirations.
Instead, Johnson’s been a part of a franchise that’s won only 29 games in his five seasons in the league. The Bears’ point differential since Johnson was drafted? -310.
That’s also why, despite an abysmal 2024 season, Dennis Allen and Ben Johnson’s “win-now” mentality should quickly resonate with this team, especially those who’ve suffered here for more than a year or two.
But to get everybody to buy into what the coaching staff is selling, the mentality shouldn’t be “win-now” — it has to be “win first.”
Quick Hits
Taking the night off? Resting Coby White, Josh Giddey, Nikola Vucevic and Kevin Huerter ahead of tonight’s all-important tilt against the Heat, the Bulls were stomped by the Cavaliers last night, 135-113. Odd strategy, right? Not entirely.
What’s on the line tonight? The right to possibly/likely/almost certainly host tonight’s loser in a play-in game next week. The Bulls can bring the magic number for a game at the UC down to ONE with a win.
Bury the tape: Two days after beating the Penguins in Chicago, the Blackhawks looked like they were playing an entirely different sport in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, suffering a brutal 5-0 drubbing. On the bright side, Chicago has locked up a top 4 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Good news, bad news… The White Sox’s starting rotation might be a legitimate force in the making and a true building block on the south side. The rotation’s combined 3.17 ERA is top 10 in the majors, but the club’s 2-8 record is tied with the Braves and Rockies for the worst in baseball.
Against all odds: Despite a shaky start from Jameson Taillon and another blown lead from the bullpen, the Cubs managed a four-run eighth inning to clinch their third consecutive series win. What’s helping? Vastly improved baserunning skills. Chicago leads the league in walks, stolen bases and runs scored.
Imminent Front
Scary hours 😈
— #CHGO Bears (#@CHGO_Bears)
3:50 PM • Apr 8, 2025
Today!
📺 CHGO Bears - 12:00 on YouTube
⚾️ Cubs vs. Rangers - 1:20 on Marquee
📺 CHGO Blackhawks - 2:30 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Cubs POSTGAME on CHGO Cubs YT
⚾️ White Sox @ Guardians - 5:10 on CHSN
📺 CHGO Bulls - 6:30 on YouTube
🏀 Bulls vs. Heat - 7:00 on CHSN
📺 CHGO Bulls POSTGAME on YouTube
