Author: staff

Sports

When do the Chicago Bulls pick? What do the mock drafts say? Everything you need to know about the 2022 NBA draft.

What channel is it on? Who are the top prospects? Where do the Chicago Bulls pick — and which players might they target?Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 NBA draft.AdvertisementThe draft begins at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Barclays Center in New York. It’s the ninth time the home of the Brooklyn Nets is host to the event.Malika Andrews speaks during an NBA game between the Warriors and the Suns on Dec. 3, 2021, in San Francisco. (Jeff Chiu/AP)ESPN is broadcasting the draft for the 20th straight year, with former Chicago Tribune reporter Malika Andrews hosting for the first time. College basketball analyst Jay Bilas, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski and NBA draft analysts Bobby Marks and Mike Schmitz will join Andrews on the main set.AdvertisementFor the second year in a row, ABC-7 is airing the first round. Kevin Negandhi returns as the host and will be joined by analysts Stephen A. Smith, Chiney Ogwumike and Jalen Rose. Monica McNutt is the event reporter and will conduct interviews with draftees after their selection.For those who like this sort of thing, ESPN also will air a red-carpet pregame show from 4-5 p.m., hosted by Cassidy Hubbarth with analysts Perkins and Richard Jefferson. The three will preview the draft and interview prospects, team personnel and celebrities.The Bulls have the No. 18 pick in the first round but have no second-round selection because of the 2021 sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs for DeMar DeRozan. They didn’t have a first-round pick last year, having dealt it to the Orlando Magic for Nikola Vučević. They selected Illinois and Morgan Park product Ayo Dosunmu in the second round at No. 38, and he was named to the All-Rookie second team.The Bulls’ last first-round pick was Patrick Williams at No. 4 in 2020, the first selection of the Artūras Karnišovas-Marc Eversley regime.LSU forward Tari Eason celebrates a basket during a game against Mississippi on Feb. 1, 2022, in Baton Rouge, La. (Matthew Hinton/AP)Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Of 14 mock drafts listed below, six have the Bulls taking LSU forward Tari Eason. Here’s a sampling of “expert” opinions.The Athletic: Tari Eason, F, LSUBasketball News: EasonBleacher Report: E.J. Liddell, F, Ohio StateCBS Sports: Jalen Duren, C, MemphisESPN: Jalen Williams, F, Santa ClaraNBADraft.net: EasonNBC Sports: Ochai Agbaji, SG, KansasThe Ringer: LiddellSB Nation: EasonSports Illustrated: LiddellStadium: WilliamsTankathon: EasonUSA Today: AgbajiYahoo Sports: EasonWith championship trophies gleaming, B.J. Armstrong is all smiles as he tells the media that he “is the veteran on this young Bulls team”, on Sept. 1, 1999. (DAVID TROTMAN-WILKINS)Once. In 1989, they drafted Iowa guard B.J. Armstrong at that spot. He was the second of the Bulls’ three first-round picks that year — they took Stacey King of Oklahoma at No. 6 and Jeff Sanders of Georgia Southern at No. 20.Joe Dumars, whom the Detroit Pistons drafted in 1987, is the lone Hall of Famer. According to Basketball Reference, of the 20 players drafted at No. 18 to have at least 20 career win shares, Mark Jackson (1987, New York Knicks) tops the list at 91.8, followed by Dumars (86.2), David West (2003, New Orleans Hornets, 85.9), Ricky Pierce (1982, Pistons, 72.2) and Vern Fleming (1984, Indiana Pacers, 52).Other notables in the top 20 are Armstrong (10th with 45), Dave Corzine (1978, Washington Bullets, 13th with 37.3) and Quentin Richardson (2000, Los Angeles Clippers, 14th with 32.8).AdvertisementAuburn forward Jabari Smith (10) reacts after making a 3-pointer against Alabama on Feb. 1 in Auburn, Ala. (Butch Dill/AP)The consensus No. 1 is Auburn forward Jabari Smith going to the Orlando Magic (full draft order). Most mock drafts have Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey and Iowa’s Keegan Murray among the top selections.Other than Ivey, who is the son of Notre Dame women’s coach Niele Ivey, and Liddell, a two-time Mr. Basketball of Illinois winner out of Belleville West High School, draft hopefuls with area connections include:Patrick Baldwin Jr., Milwaukee (son of ex-Northwestern player and assistant Pat Baldwin)Max Christie, Michigan State (Rolling Meadows HS)Kofi Cockburn, IllinoisAJ Griffin, Duke (son of former Bulls player and assistant Adrian Griffin)Ron Harper Jr., Rutgers (son of former Bull Ron Harper)Scotty Pippen Jr., Vanderbilt (son of former Bull Scottie Pippen)Blake Wesley, Notre DameTrevion Williams, Purdue (Chicago native/Mount Carmel HS before moving to Detroit as a sophomore)NBA free agency — a big concern for the Bulls considering two-time All-Star Zach LaVine is an unrestricted free agent — begins at 5 p.m. Aug. 2.

Sports

Commentary: 50 years later, Title IX gains are fragile. And there’s much more work to do in the next 50 years.

The 50th anniversary of Title IX is a chance not only to celebrate the girls and women who compete in today’s world, but also to acknowledge that we are on a long journey.The gains are elusive if not appreciated and recognized as a foundation for what comes next. We girls, no matter where we are in life, must support and help one another to keep this going.AdvertisementI was a tomboy before it was fashionable and, fortunately, had parents who encouraged me when school offered nothing. In the pre-Title IX days, I had a scholarship to the University of Missouri from the Missouri Girls Golf Association and played intercollegiate golf, softball and basketball when the university’s contribution to uniforms was to buy us shirts and we did the rest. Bitter still? Maybe just a little.[ [Don’t miss] Illinois women who led programs through Title IX reflect on the growth — and continued challenges: ‘They need to know how it was fought for’ ]As a WNBA fan in general and a Chicago Sky fan in particular, I am so happy to see young fans at games. There’s a saying that you have to see it to be it. It matters that WNBA athletes embrace a leadership role and know that young people — boys and girls — are watching as they model success and civic responsibility. That is also the case for our local college teams. I feel so blessed to have had sports be such a big part of my life. Sports have greatly enriched my career and my life.AdvertisementYes, there is progress, but it has been difficult. There is a tendency for the change resisters to conflate issues and people, lashing out at the women they resent for what is happening. If only, they think. Their resistance to change can be ugly and personal. That was true 50 years ago and throughout my journalism career. Even if things are better now, that strain still surfaces.Fans celebrate during a parade and rally for the WNBA champion Chicago Sky at Pritzker Pavilion on Oct. 19, 2021. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)Women in sports media still have to deal with things that are amplified by the nastiness of social media trolls. Women talk about microaggressions, as if they feel that somehow they might be overreacting. Uh, no. Those slights are significant, just as they are in other arenas where diversity is playing out.We all benefit as the young women who grew up under Title IX prosper now. Title IX has always been about more than sports. We need to support women and realize that it’s still tough.As part of its coverage of Title IX’s impact, The Associated Press recently conducted a poll in partnership with the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the National Women’s History Museum. The AP reported that 61% of men say the country has made a great deal or a lot of progress toward gender equality, while only 37% of women said the same.On a continuum, we have made significant progress from the early days of Title IX, and that’s good. But the gains are fragile, and there is more to do in the next 50 years.Holt was the first female sports editor at the Chicago Tribune from 1993-95. The former standards editor, she left the Tribune in January 2022.

Lifestyle

Ask Amy: Grandmother’s problems should prevent visits

Dear Amy: I have been with my boyfriend for four years. Our daughter recently turned three. He also has a daughter from another relationship. She is 15.My boyfriend is white. I am Black. His older daughter’s mother is biracial.AdvertisementMy boyfriend’s mother, “Shelly,” has a long history of drug and alcohol abuse.She also has a habit of calling us when she is in an altered state and crying about other issues in her life.AdvertisementRecently, we had a birthday party for our daughter. Shelly attended.My parents take care of our daughter during the day. She sees a speech therapist, occupational therapist, and a behavioral therapist during the week.Our daughter puts her fingers in her ears when noises are too loud and overwhelming for her. She did this several times throughout her party.Afterward, Shelly called my boyfriend (while high) and said that her feelings were hurt because our daughter put her fingers in her ears when she was trying to talk to her. She said that our daughter is unsocialized/uncivilized because she is Black.For me, this was the last straw. Since our daughter’s birth, her grandmother has excluded her, neglected to treat her as well as her other grandchildren, and has overall been a troublesome, toxic presence.He doesn’t want to cut ties with his mother, and I would never ask him to. He is conflicted about this.I have no intention of being around his mother or of letting our daughter visit.Do you think I am unreasonable?Advertisement– Unsure in DecaturDear Unsure: First this. Your daughter has another parent – her father. You two should talk this through and try your hardest to come to an agreement on a response to his mother’s conduct.I do agree that for the time being, you should not have your young daughter spend time with her grandmother – certainly unsupervised.First off, even when she is sober, this grandmother obviously does not understand or have the capacity to cope with your daughter’s sensory processing issues. Your daughter’s response to noise and chaos is her (very logical) way of trying to cope when her brain is overloaded with too many different cues coming from different directions.Second, “Shelley” is rarely sober. The way you describe her behavior, she could inspire any thinking person to stick their fingers in their ears.Third: Your partner’s mother is a racist, and your daughter is a person of color. As you no doubt know from your own life, you cannot protect your daughter from encountering racism or prejudice. But protecting her now – when she is young and vulnerable – is a start.AdvertisementDear Amy: My partner and I are in the habit of watching TV together in the evenings. Recently he’s grown restless with the choices and checks out on his earbuds listening to music or other videos.Earbuds are hard to see, so I’ve asked him several times to let me know when he’s popping them in so I don’t try to start a conversation.He never does.Should I just let it go, or do you agree that saying, “I’m going to listen to music now” is such a huge ask?I suspect I’m not the only one with this peeve.– Falling on Deaf EarsAdvertisementDear Falling: It occurs to me that the modern ability to enjoy personal entertainments has passively resolved many disputes over who controls the remote. (Remember those?)Your husband might believe that saying, “I’m going to listen to music now” would interrupt your flow and your enjoyment. He wants to sit alongside you and experience a parallel enjoyment.Maybe you should just assume that at some point during your evening routine he will pop in the old earbuds – so you can double-check with him by tapping on his knee: (“Hey, do you have your earbuds in?”) before you try to start a conversation.Dear Amy: No no no! I could not believe your response to “Charlie,” who had three photos of his long-ago ex-wife taken during their youth in a photo album.Charlie’s wife wanted him to destroy these photos and you suggested that he completely disregard her discomfort and wishes! This is not how to stay happily married, Amy. I’m very surprised.Ask AmyDailyNo-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. For a limited time, sign up for the Ask Amy newsletter and get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.– DisappointedAdvertisementDear Disappointed: My response to “Charlie” inspired a wave of universal “NO, NO, NO” from readers. (Finally, everybody agrees on one of my answers!)I was overly focused on the idea of “destroying” these photos.But yes – removing them from the album would be a good idea.Got a question for Amy? Enter it here and we’ll send it to her.Sign up here to receive the Ask Amy newsletter to get advice e-mailed to your inbox every morning, and for a limited time — get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.©2021 Amy Dickinson.

Sports

Andrew Vaughn’s 4-hit night includes 1 of 3 Chicago White Sox homers in an 8-7 win vs. the Toronto Blue Jays

Andrew Vaughn was aware he needed a triple for the cycle when he came to bat in the sixth inning Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays.“You’ve got to keep it out of the back of your head,” Vaughn said.AdvertisementVaughn didn’t get the triple, but he did single to match a career high with four hits in the Chicago White Sox’s 8-7 victory in front of 22,482 at Guaranteed Rate Field.Vaughn had an RBI double in the first, singled and scored in the third and hit a solo homer in the fourth. His sixth-inning at-bat finished with a single to left.Advertisement“His stroke (Monday) was as pure as it could be,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “(Blue Jays starter José) Berríos, we hit some good pitches. We stayed on the ball good because that guy’s tough.“But we talked about it before, that’s what (Gavin) Sheets has shown, (Jake) Burger, they’re hungry hitters. They go up there every at-bat trying to make something happen, and Vaughn, he’s got that nailed.”It’s the third time Vaughn has had four hits in a game. He has five multi-hit performances in his last seven games.“Just learning from last year,” Vaughn said. “Learned how to take care of my body better. It’s 162 games. It’s long. Just being smart and being proactive about it.”Vaughn’s home run was the third of the night for the Sox. Josh Harrison’s two-run homer in the second gave them a 3-2 lead. Luis Robert made it 5-2 with a two-run homer one inning later.The Sox had production up and down the lineup, finishing with 13 hits. Eight of the nine starters had at least one hit. Leadoff batter Tim Anderson singled twice and scored a run in his return from the injured list.[ [Don’t miss] Tim Anderson is ‘excited to be back’ from the injured list for the White Sox, but Yoán Moncada heads to the IL ]“I was seeing the ball real well,” said Anderson, who last played for the Sox on May 29, when he suffered a strained right groin. “If I just stay right there where I’m at, just continue to keep pushing, I’ll be in a good spot.”La Russa said of Anderson: “His stroke is a thing of a beauty. I mean, he can get to anything.”AdvertisementHarrison was getting to almost anything defensively. He made several impressive plays, including a tremendous diving stop and throw from his knees to get Gabriel Moreno for the first out of the fifth.“He had a great game,” La Russa said of Harrison. “A clutch home run, he hit a couple of balls hard, but the defensive plays — every time you take an out away from that club is a huge step in the right direction.”Lance Lynn benefited from the defense in his second start of the season and his first at home. The right-hander allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks in five-plus innings.There was a questionable ball four to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the sixth. Teoscar Hernández followed with a two-run double, getting the Blue Jays within 8-4. That was Lynn’s final batter.Asked about the progress from his first start to his second after returning from right knee surgery in the spring to repair a torn tendon, Lynn said: “I don’t know. I gave up five runs in five innings. It’s still horse(bleep).”La Russa had a slightly different assessment.Advertisement“The ball was coming out great,” La Russa said. “He was very aggressive. I watched him closely in that sixth. That lineup is tough. You saw what they’ve done all year long. And he was very sharp. Didn’t get bothered by the first two (runs on a homer by Raimel Tapia in the second) and kept shutting them out until the end.”White Sox reliever Reynaldo López celebrates after getting the last out in the top of the seventh inning against the Blue Jays on Monday, June 20, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)Reynaldo López followed Lynn and struck out two in the sixth. He came back for the seventh and stranded a runner on second with another strikeout.With closer Liam Hendriks on the injured list, the Sox opted for Kendall Graveman in the eighth and Joe Kelly in the ninth. Kelly surrendered a two-run homer with one out in the ninth to Cavan Biggio but rebounded with two grounders — including another nice play by Harrison — to help the Sox begin their homestand on a positive note.“The decision point there was that Graveman, we felt, could get the last out in the seventh (if necessary) and come back in the eighth,” La Russa said. “They can both pitch the ninth, both pitch the eighth (and) the seventh.“But to me, one of the stars brighter than anybody was Reynaldo López. (To) come out there and also pitch that seventh as effectively as he did, you’ll meet no bigger star than him.”

Sports

Tampa Bay Lightning bounce back for a 6-2 win that cuts the Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup Final lead to 2-1

TAMPA, Fla. — Steven Stamkos, Pat Maroon and Ondrej Palat each had a goal and an assist, and the Tampa Bay Lightning scored four times in the second period to beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 Monday night in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.Anthony Cirelli, Nicholas Paul and Corey Perry also scored to help the two-time defending champion Lightning bounce back after playing poorly while losing the first two games on the road. Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman had two assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 37 shots.AdvertisementStamkos, Paul, Maroon and Perry scored in the second period, when the Lightning chased Avalanche goalie Darcy Kuemper while pulling away to trim their series deficit to 2-1.Gabriel Landeskog had two goals and Mikko Rantanen had two assists for the Avalanche. Kuemper gave up five goals on 22 shots before he was replaced by Pavel Francouz, who finished with nine saves.AdvertisementGame 4 is Wednesday night at Amalie Arena, where the Lightning have won a franchise-record eight straight playoff games and where the Avalanche lost on the road for the first time this postseason.Two nights after being limited to 16 shots in a 7-0 loss in Denver, the Lightning rebounded by finally finding a way to neutralize the Avalanche’s speed and solve Kuemper to avoid falling to the brink of elimination.The defending champs became the first team since 1919 to win a Stanley Cup Final game after losing by seven-plus goals the previous game.The Avalanche lifted Kuemper after Maroon scored a soft goal that put the Lightning up 5-2 with 8:45 remaining in the second. Perry reached behind Francouz to tap in a rebound that came off the right post to make 6-2 with 5:02 left in the period.The Lightning overcame a 2-0 series deficit in the Eastern Conference finals to eliminate the New York Rangers in six games. They’re looking to do it again against the Avalanche to complete their quest for the NHL’s first three-peat in nearly 40 years.Cirelli and Palat scored in the first period for the Lightning, who played with a lot more energy than in Games 1 and 2, when they appeared to be a step or two slower than the speedy, high-scoring Avalanche.The seven-goal loss in Game 2 raised the question of whether a team that has played 68 postseason games since 2020 — the most by one team over a span of three playoffs — is running out of gas as it tries to become the first franchise to win at least three consecutive Stanley Cup titles since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83.And while coach Jon Cooper discounts the toll playing so much playoff hockey has taken on his players, the Avalanche clearly looked like the fresher team in Games 1 and 2 after going 12-2 against the Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers in breezing through the first three rounds.AdvertisementSpurred on by a sellout crowd of more than 19,000 and playing with a sense of urgency absent for much of the first two games, the Lightning scored twice in a span of 1:51 to wipe out a 1-0 lead the Avalanche took on the first of Landeskog’s two power-play goals.Cirelli crossed in front of Kuemper to make it 1-1 at 13:03 of the opening period. Palat delivered his 10th goal of the playoffs off a pass from Stamkos to give the Lightning a lead for the first time in the series.Vasilevskiy yielded a second power-play goal to Landeskog, who briefly trimmed a two-goal deficit to 3-2 before the Lightning pulled away for good.After allowing the most goals he ever has given up in the playoffs in Game 2, Vasilevskiy had 13 saves in the first period, 12 in the second and 12 in the third.The Lightning became the third team in NHL history to score six goals in a Stanley Cup Final game after yielding at least seven the previous game.Both teams played without one of their top forwards.AdvertisementLightning center Brayden Point, who missed 10 games after being injured during the series-clinching victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, was scratched after playing in Games 1 and 2 in Denver.Avalanche forwards Andre Burakovsky and Nazem Kadri sat out. Coach Jared Bednar said both are day to day.Paul scored for the Lightning after sitting out a portion of the first period with what appeared to be a right leg injury.The Avalanche entered Monday with a franchise-record seven-game postseason winning streak. The Avalanche also suffered their first road loss, dropping to 8-1. The Lightning improved to 8-1 at home this postseason.