4 Sports
PAW PRINT October 2013
Season Preview: Chicago Bulls
Season Preview: Chicago Blackhawks
Bulls fans, it’s that time of year again and by the looks of it, basketball in Chicago will have a little more buzz this season. The best news a fan could hear is the return of star point guard Derrick Rose, who is finally back and ready for the upcoming season. Questions surround Rose asking whether he will be rusty, or if the knee will affect him physically and/or mentally, and can the Bulls once again return to the top of the Eastern Conference by beatin teams like the Heat, Nets, Pacers, and Knicks. But what should Bulls fans expect to see this year? Despite Rose’s return, do not set high expectations for the league’s youngest MVP and the Bulls this season, as teams in the East have improved drastically. The biggest improvements occurred in Brooklyn as a blockbuster deal sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry to the Nets. The Pacers added Luis Scola to the bench and get Danny Granger back from his season-ending injury last year. The Heat may have found a potential big-man threat in Greg Oden’s return to the NBA playing for the Heat. With a sleeper team in Cleveland, adding star center Andrew Bynum, along with Earl Clark, Jarrett Jack, and first-round draft pick, Anthony Bennett, during the offseason to accompany Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson, and Anderson Varejao, look for Cleveland to make some noise as they have potential to reach the playoffs and beat many teams with their new talent-base. Derrick Rose unquestionably has looked amazing this preseason. You can see more explosiveness and speed in his game. To go along with Rose’s speed, his jump shot has improved drastically as well, and his moves have been un-guardable so far this preseason. Expect Rose and the Bulls to compete with elite teams as they build their way to a championship. However, this year is not the
There is no question that Chicago is the new “Hawk-ey Town” of American hockey. The Chicago Blackhawks have hoisted the Stanley Cup twice in the last four years. The championship in 2010 was spectacular as the ‘Hawks were finally back on top of the NHL after decades of mediocrity. The Blackhawk’s game six win versus the Boston Bruins in the 2013 Stanley Cup finals with the famous two goals in 13 seconds to win the Stanley Cup will forever be a treasured NHL historical moment. Moving on from a championship year for the ‘Hawks, the focus is on a brand new NHL season as the ‘Hawks begin their quest to defend their title. Unfortunately, history says that the chances of winning the Stanley Cup two years in a row are highly unlikely and rare. If any team were capable of repeating as Stanley Cup champions it would be the 2013-2014 Blackhawks. Unlike in 2010, the 2013 championship ‘Hawks team is still intact. The only significant loss for the ‘Hawks is Dave Bolland who scored the Stanley Cup winning goal. The Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane trio is still intact and provides leadership and experience for a ‘Hawks team who is still pretty young. Another plus for Chicago this season is the Detroit Red Wings being moved to the Eastern Conference. Even if the Blackhawks lose their long-time rivals, what they are also losing is another elite opponent they would have to face. The loss of the Red Wings pro-
By Ryan Krull Staff Writer
Derrick Rose is back and should be as good as ever. Photo by Ryan Krull championship year that Chicago fans have been looking for since the Jordan era. The team from 2011 that dominated the Heat with the “bench mob” and a Derrick Rose who was at the top of the league, is no longer intact. There has been a lot of change to the team since Rose has played before the injury. Look for the Bulls to develop and grow with each other this year. The bright side is the Bulls have a very solid lineup as the shooting guard of the future has blossomed into the starting lineup in third year player, Jimmy Butler. As Deng, Boozer, and Noah are playing in their fourth year together plus now adding a better Derrick Rose, the sky’s the limit for the Bulls. The only question for the Bulls going forward will be how effective the bench will be and if the Bulls can stay healthy for an 82 game season. I believe Derrick Rose has enough magic up his sleeve to surprise all his doubters and carry this team this season to new heights. In order to reach that championship caliber, the Bulls seem to still lack that one piece, and once the Bulls gain that missing piece, Chicago will see its seventh NBA championship. But for this season, in order to be a happy fan, keep expectations at a minimum and be excited when and if Rose and the Bulls meet and/or surpass any expectations.
By Ryan Krull Staff Writer
Chicago fans will be able to raise their Blackhawks flag high again this year. Photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org
vides the Blackhawks with lesser teams to worry about and gives them a better chance of succeeding this year. Although it’s rare for NHL teams to repeat Stanley Cup championships, the Blackhawks have a chance to write history this season by winning a cup for a second straight year. However, still there are many obstacles in the way of this happening. Early into this season, one struggle of the ‘Hawks has been their defense and maintaining the lead in games. If this trend continues, then it will hurt the ‘Hawks chances of succeeding at an elite level this season. Also, the loss of backup goaltender, Ray Emery, who played extremely well last season, may hurt the Blackhawks. Their replacement for Emery is former Blackhawk goaltender, Nikolai Khabibulin, who is a solid net-minder, however he is an older
player who may not produce the way the Blackhawks would need him to. Coming off a season where the Blackhawks were third in penalty kills and led the league in both goals scored per game and goals allowed, the Blackhawks should produce the same this year. When considering the ‘Hawks have gained more than they have lost, they are in great shape to win the division and head back to the playoffs this year. With the championship team still intact for the most part, if the ‘Hawks avoid injuries and correct any minor issues, look for the Blackhawks to have another successful season this year. Don’t be surprised if the Blackhawks come home with the cup again, but for right now, it’s just one game at a time.
International Judo champions visit Payton Photos by Brian Tam
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