Hoops4theSoul

Nov

7

Los Angeles Clippers versus Chicago Bulls: Game Preview

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Ben Gordon and the Bulls Face a Hot Los Angeles Clippers Team at Home Tonight After losing to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night, the Chicago Bulls had a good 72 hours to stew about its bad start to the regular season. Here’s hoping the team is upset with the start and comes out looking to play tonight. The Bulls better be ready as the Clippers have been scoring in triple digits thus far this year without Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston.

Chicago is not playing a team like New Jersey, Philadelphia or Milwaukee that will go through prolonged offensive slumps and allow the Bulls to hang around. If the Bulls are slow and ineffective on defense, the Clippers could have a field day and run them out of the building.

Here’s hoping that rookie forward Joakim Noah, making his professional debut, can energize the Bulls. With that said, it’s time for the Bulls to Wake Up on the defensive end, as the lyrics from a song by one of the best bands around, The Walkmen, reveal.

by: Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com



Nov

7

On This Day in Basketball History — 1861

Filed Under On This Day . . ., Loose Balls | 1 Comment

Happy 146th Birthday Dr. James Naismith from Hoops 4 the Soulby Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com

James Naismith was born in Ontario, Canada on this day 146 years ago.

While working in physical education at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891, Naismith was challenged by a superintendent to create a game that would offer a break from the more physical sports of the day. What he came up with was the game of basketball. So the next time you change the channel because the officials have let a game get too physical and thus made it a free throw shooting contest, remember that Naismith did not conjure the game this way.

by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com



Nov

6

Los Angeles Clippers versus Chicago Bulls: Post-Game Analysis

Filed Under Analysis, NBA, Chicago Bulls | 2 Comments

Kirk Hinrich and the Bulls Were More Focused Tonight; However, the Execution Wasn’t There When It MatteredLos Angeles Clippers 97, Chicago Bulls 91

The defensive urgency and overall effort were much better tonight for the Chicago Bulls; unfortunately, the end result was the same. Chicago dropped to 0-4 on the young season as the surprising Clippers rode the hot hand of Cuttino Mobley (33 points on 13-17 shooting from the field) to its third victory in three games this year without injured superstar Elton Brand and promising point guard Shaun Livingston.

In simple terms, Chicago’s offense stagnated when it mattered most in the fourth quarter, and the Clippers were able to put together a late run in the final minutes after struggling for most of the second half following a red-hot first 24 minutes that featured the team shooting at a staggering 60 percent clip.

Tonight’s game showed that the Bulls have sensed the immediacy of turning this thing around; however, it also fueled the fire of other’s questions about the validity of this team as a contender as currently assembled. With that said, the season is still too young to make any bold moves or predictions with this team.

by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com



Nov

4

On This Day in Basketball History — November 4, 1988 and 1993

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The Charlotte Hornets Played Its First Game 19 Years Ago On This Day in Basketball History

While the Toronto Raptors were engaged in a thrilling heartbreaker with the Boston Celtics at the Air Canada Center this afternoon, this wonderful city in Canada was awarded an expansion franchise by the NBA 14 years ago to this day. The Charlotte Hornets also played its first game in franchise history 19 years ago today, losing to the Cleveland Cavs by 40 points!

by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com



Nov

4

On This Day in Basketball History — November 4, 1881

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Robert J. Douglass, Founder of the New York Rens, Was Born in 1881 on this Day in Basketball History

Robert J. Douglas was born in St. Kitts, British West Indies on this day 125 years ago.

Who was Robert Douglas? Douglas was founder of one of the greatest teams of the barnstorming era, the New York Rens. The Rens were the first all-black professional basketball team, and its achievements were remarkable considering the racism that the players on the team faced from the early 1920s through the 1940s.

by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com



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