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3 Free Agents The Chicago Bulls Should Target

By
Brandon Fryer
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bulls trade center jahlil okafor 76ers

The Chicago Bulls finally started being proactive in the NBA offseason last weekend. They matched the offer sheet of four years, $78 million deal from the Sacramento Kings for Zach LaVine. The front office also was apart of a three-team trade with the Orlando Magic and the Charlotte Hornets. The purpose of the trade for the Bulls was to save a little more money, as they sent Jerian Grant to Orlando and acquired Julyan Stone, whom they likely plan to waive.

If the Bulls waive Stone, they could have roughly a little over $16 million of salary cap remaining. Gar Forman and John Paxson could be done and save that money for next season, to try to target some big-name free agents for 2019. However, they could use that money on short-term deals, fill some more needs on their current roster, and still keep their current plan of targeting free agents in 2019. The Bulls should look at these three free agents, who are still available on the market.

SG/SF Rodney Hood (Restricted)

It feels like Rodney Hood has been linked to the Bulls ever since he joined the NBA. Even with LaVine signed, the Bulls are still reportedly one of the teams interested in the services of Hood.

Hood would give the Bulls a 3-and-D player, who would fit perfectly alongside LaVine on the wing in Fred Hoiberg’s pace and space offense. The 25-year-old also brings along playoff experience and a player with a high basketball IQ. For the Cleveland Cavaliers not to match the offer for Hood, the Bulls could offer a short-term deal worth between $8 to $12 million per year.

PG Shabazz Napier (Unrestricted)

With Grant gone, the Bulls now have Cameron Payne as their backup point guard. If the Bulls want to add a little more depth or competition at that position, they should consider taking a look at Shabazz Napier. Napier had a career year last season. Napier had a career high in points, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, steals, and minutes. The Bulls can offer around $1.5 to $3 million per year to Napier and add a nice punch off their bench.

C Jahlil Okafor (Unrestricted)

The Bulls have a bunch of big men currently on their roster. Omer Asik will be riding the bench all season, Cristiano Felicio has been a disappointment after receiving a contract extension the year before, and Robin Lopez is on the last year of his deal and doesn’t really fit into the young core of the Bulls currently. The Bulls should add young frontcourt player like Jahlil Okafor to their core of Wendell Carter, Lauri Markkanen and Bobby Portis.

Okafor has been a disappointment so far, not living up to his potential from being selected third overall in the 2015 NBA draft. Okafor’s back-to-the-basket playing style does not really fit into today’s NBA game for a big man. Okafor still possesses so much offensive talent that Bulls could offer the league minimum to get an offensive spark off their bench.

The Bulls can give all these players short-term, prove-it deals and improve their team this season, while still maintaining their cap flexibility for the summer of 2019.

Give Back My Derek Holland

By
Matt Enuco
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We need Derek Holland back with the White Sox. (photo: screen grab from San Francisco Giants twitter page.)

Remember the Derek-Holland experiment last season with the White Sox? There isn’t a trade I wouldn’t take to bring him back to the southside. The White Sox are limping into the All-Star break and while we toil in disappointment Holland is getting busy in San Francisco.

I mean, this is seven levels of entertainment far beyond a Sox game right now — even with Hunter Pence‘s upside down belt display and overzealous grumbles.

But Holland — for all his troubles on the mound last season — is an easy invitation back to the White Sox clubhouse considering the state of the union.

Come on back, brother!

There Is Nothing Quite Like A.J. Pierzynski’s Guy-Fieri Phase

By
Matt Enuco
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Fans can grab their limited edition A.J. Pierzynski bobblehead dolls online or at the park while supplies last.

Sports memorabilia has a way of making the calmest fans geek out. And A.J. Pierzynski has a way of triggering the White Sox fan-base. Especially with his Backstreet-Boys hair.

The White Sox and Chicago White Sox Charities will be selling Pierzynski bobblehead dolls at home games beginning Friday, July 13 and online.

Pierzynski is set in the 2008 “Blackout Game” with Guy Fieri, platinum cabbage. Pierzynski had this to say about the 2008 A.L. tiebreaker.

“We hadn’t been there for a few years and the White Sox haven’t been back since,’’ Pierzynski said.

Each doll includes a limited-edition certificate and costs $35 – shipping rates will apply. Sox Charities has raised over $350,000 the past five years with bobblehead fundraising campaigns as Pierzynski joins the pantheon of White-Sox legends including Bo Jackson, Paul Konerko, Jose Abreu and Hall-of-Famer Tim Raines.

“A.J. has a special place in the hearts of all White Sox fans,” said Christine O’Reilly in a press release, Chicago White Sox Charities executive director. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate one of the most beloved players in White Sox history in a fun way, while also provide fans an opportunity to support the impactful work of White Sox Charities.”

Pierzynski’s grit and fire during the 2005 season placed him among the venerated elite in White Sox history. Hawk Harrelson adored Pierzynski’s brand of baseball and now you can place the pair of Sox icons prominently in your home with commemorative bobblehead dolls.

It’s only a matter of which Harrelson bobblehead you admire the most. Trust me, there are plenty.

Pierzynski will join Harrelson in the booth on “Hawk Day,” Sept. 2 and the pair won’t disappoint.

Sox Charities has awarded $2.2 million to community organizations and various agencies over the past year, and $30 million since 1990.

Frothing Frustration With Lucas Giolito Is Evaporating

By
Matt Enuco
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Lucas Giolito had the worst earned-run average in the league entering his last start against the Astros and many fans have given up on the heralded prospect. (photo: Bob Levey/Getty Images North America via Zimbio)

Cruising around White-Sox twitter the past few months would have found an unraveling batch of fans calling Lucas Giolito (and a bunch of other prospects for that matter) a bust. I get it. We all tend to get a little emotional from time to time, especially in a season where we didn’t realize the White Sox would be 30-61 bad. 

The All-Star break will be a welcomed respite to reevaluate this season and clean up our twitter page of the irrational tweets we sent without taking a deep breath. But Giolito has been the subject of blistering ire, most of the time unfair, but the numbers suggest the criticism might be warranted. Entering Sunday’s game against the Astros, Giolito had a league-worst 6.93 earned run average. His WHIP (1.62) and WAR (-0.8) were also in the major league cellar, pairing with his 5.49 walks per nine innings as the pure vestige of bad. But…

…Here’s the good news: Of the 450 people who voted in a recent poll, Giolito still has the fanbase behind him.

Thank God…

Early on it didn’t look good for Giolito, but he rebounded with aplomb. However, after posting one of his best starts on Sunday against a lethal Astros lineup, I have a feeling more than a few hearts were swayed.

Still, let’s all take a collective deep breath and cut the kid a break. He will turn 24 years old this week and he has only pitched in 31 career games. Chuck Garfein pointed out the silver lining when he tweeted this gem.

We can go farther than Dallas Keuchel. Phillies’ ace Aaron Nola comes to mind as a pitcher with a quick trajectory and early struggles. Nola has hit his stride after two bumpy seasons and shoulder injury, but he leads the National League in wins this season and is an All-Star. Jake Arrieta was another player who really took his lumps early but eventually reached his ceiling. We just hope it doesn’t take quite as long for Giolito.

Jon Lester suffered two seasons with an earned run average north of four to launch his career while Roy Halladay posted a 10.64 ERA in his third season in the majors. Halladay had to be sent down to the minors to adjust his arm slot and figure out how to manipulate his pitches before he became the star that he was. The list goes on but the idea is clear: It takes time to adjust to the major leagues.

It is well documented that Giolito has mechanical issues he needs to tame before he finds a groove. With a lanky frame and loose build, Giolito has to get his body in sync in order to have success. His front foot has to anchor his delivery and he cannot allow his front shoulder to fly open. He’s mentioned this several times in his postgame interviews and it’s easy to see watching him throw across his body. The front shoulder has to rip away from his delivery because he lands closed.

Alec Hansen has a similar issue in the minor leagues and the lack of a consistent and repeatable delivery is what led to Hansen’s sunk draft position. At one point he was considered for the top pick in 2016 before he fell apart. Yet, he led the minor leagues in strikeouts in 2017.

Players develop at their own pace and minor-league experience does not equate to much in the show. Giolito lasted 7 1/3 against the Astros on Sunday limiting a fearsome lineup to just a few runs. Command of his secondary pitches and outsmarting hitters contributed to his success.

“Smitty worked really well with me, calling a lot of two-seamers, just kind of sinking it in,” Giolito said. “One of the big points of the game that got me deep was being able to throw my changeup for strikes and throwing it down in the zone, which I had been struggling with this year. I had good feel for [the changeup] today, so I threw that a lot because they were cheating on the heater. Just kind of sink it in there and [let them] put it in play.”

Giolito is a pitcher. From his interviews and the way he articulates the troubles while self-evaluating his performances eases my fears that he is a bust. Give the kid a break and give him some time to grow into his body.

The stuff is there. He just needs some time to settle into a groove.

Complete Bears Madden Rankings Come With Lots of Controversy

By
Erik Lambert
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bears madden

The rumored Chicago Bears Madden rankings have been a source of major debate. However, the official numbers still hadn’t come out so it was difficult to get a feel for where the developers actually saw the Bears as a team. At last those numbers are out and but the list of controversies haven’t diminished.

Suffice to say the Bears remain a team that is widely viewed with an air of pessimism. They have some individually talented players but all told the belief is that “okay” is the best they can hope for against the other teams in the league. So where exactly were the big surprises this time around? Scattered everywhere.

If there is one thing to say about it, the Bears have plenty of motivation at their disposal without fear of running out this season.

Bears Madden rankings have their share of good and bad surprises

The ongoing argument over Adrian Amos will be a fascinating one. Somehow he’s the highest-ranked player on the entire Bears roster. Do people remember he was actually benched in favor of Quintin Demps at the start of last season? He’s not a bad safety. That’s not the issue. It’s merely the fact that he’s being ranked above guys like Kevin Byard, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Glover Quin despite all those men making significantly more plays.

On the flip side, Allen Robinson being an 87 is actually solid. Keep in mind he missed all of last year with a torn ACL and the year before he failed to top 900 yards with just six touchdowns. That’s how much credibility he’s built since his Pro Bowl year in 2015. At 24-years old he can still be that dominant force again.

The big problem centers on Mitch Trubisky. A 74? Just by itself, that’s an insult to the progress he made last season it pretty crappy circumstances. Then to know that every first round quarterback in this draft class has a rating as good or better than him? Not to mention Patrick Mahomes. It’s a joke. He’s done more than all of those guys so far in this league and to get a rating like that is a slap in the face.

People wonder why Madden has steadily seen it’s total sales slacken over the past couple years. Not only are the game impossible to differ from one to the other for the most part, they’re also hard to take serious.

Blackhawks’ Prospects With Best Chance Of Cracking NHL Roster This Season

By
Tony Gianares
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As the 2018-19 NHL season draws nearer, it is always fun to speculate and make predictions for the team’s upcoming season. Here, we will take a closer look at the Blackhawks’ top prospects and I will let you know which prospects I believe are ready to don the legendary Blackhawks’ sweater.

Top 5 Prospects That Are NHL Ready

Victor Ejdsell – C/LW

I believe Victor Ejdsell is one of the most NHL-ready prospects in the Blackhawks’ system right now. Ejdsell plays Center and can also go out wide as a Winger. He is coming off a red-hot AHL Calder Cup playoff run with the Rockford IceHogs. Ejdsell was a big part of the IceHogs’ success, as he tallied 12 points (7G, 5A) in 13 playoff games. Of those 7 goals, 4 of them were game-winning goals. Ejdsell is a big-bodied guy who plays a power forward game but also has some great stick handling, shooting, and passing abilities.

Henri Jokiharju – D

Henri Jokiharju is a 19-year-old Finnish defenseman with a bright future. He is right up there with Victor Ejdsell as far as NHL readiness goes. Jokiharju is a two-way defenseman who has been said to have “no real weakness” on the ice. He is a great skater and possesses great on-ice awareness and vision. This allows him to make passes with pinpoint accuracy. His shot can also sneak up on goalies in a hurry. Jokiharju will definitely help out on the Power Play as well.

Dylan Sikura – W/C

Dylan Sikura is another name to be on the lookout for this upcoming season. Sikura is a playmaker who is not afraid to get to the dirty areas around the net when necessary. He has elite skating, stick handling and puck control to go along with his spot-on passing and shot accuracy. Sikura can also make things happen on the defensive end as well. If you give him any type of space or time, something good is bound to happen. He plays a similar game to Patrick Kane and you can see that here in this video.

Collin Delia – G

Collin Delia came on strong for the Rockford IceHogs at the end of the season. Delia had a respectable regular season in Rockford and finished the year with a 17-7-4 record with 1 shutout, 2.72 GAA, and a .900 save %. He also had a lights-out AHL Calder Cup playoff showing where he amassed a 7-3 record with a 2.34 GAA and a .924 save %. I am a strong supporter and advocate for Collin Delia. Nobody knows what we are going to get out of the 34-year-old Cam Ward this season. In addition, if Corey Crawford is unable to play this season or winds up with another injury, it is just a matter of time before StanBo calls Delia up to the big leagues.

Darren Raddysh – D

The Blackhawks officially signed Darren Raddysh to a 2-year entry level contract on May 21, 2018. He won the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman award in 2017 with Erie Otters. Raddysh is a reliable two-way defenseman who is also a fantastic skater.

Raddysh has nice hands and puckhandling. Raddysh will add some depth to the defensemen position and he can put up some big-time numbers. Here are his impressive career stats.

Darren Raddysh previously played with Alex DeBrincat on the Erie Otters of the OHL, so I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities to rekindle some of their chemistry in the future.

Other top prospects to watch out for: Dominik Kahun, Evan Barratt, Ian Mitchell, Luc Snuggerud, Dennis Gilbert, Lucas Carlsson, Chad Krys, Alexandre Fortin, Matthew Highmore, Roope Laavainen, Fredrik Olofsson, Joni Tuulola

Jordan Howard Explained Why He Struggles to Catch Passes

By
Erik Lambert
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jordan howard

People have offered their own explanations for why Jordan Howard hasn’t been able to master pass catching yet as a running back. Most chalk it up to the simplest idea. He has bad hands. Case closed right? Here’s the thing. That’s an easy copout for people who don’t see the bigger picture. Many things can go into poor receiving prowess. It’s not always a simple case of bad hands.

Why does this matter for Howard? Think about this. He has had 12 dropped passes in his career to date. That’s not too good. Yet at the same time, he’s only fumbled three times in his career. If he had bad hands, then wouldn’t he struggle to hang onto the football all the time? By contrast, there’s Carlos Hyde.

The former 49ers running back, who made the top 100 instead of Howard, has also dropped 12 passes over the past two season. Over that same span, he’s fumbled six times as well, double what Howard has. Still, people label Hyde as a far superior receiving threat. Could it be that he might just have more experience at it, thus people give him the benefit of the doubt?

Jordan Howard blames lack of coaching for his poor pass catching

Howard himself is aware of the situation. He knows in order to be a success in the Matt Nagy offense, he has to learn to catch the football better. He spoke with the Chicago Tribune recently and didn’t hide from the problem. In fact, he gave an explanation for where this entire thing originated. Most of it has to do with two factors.

“It started being a problem in high school, just not having my hands in the right position,” he said. “I didn’t work on it that much in college because we didn’t really throw to the backs that much. But I’m going to fix it.”

It’s a fair point. In college between the University of Alabama-Birmingham and Indiana, Howard ran the ball 647 times. He caught a grand total of 24 passes in that same span. The offenses he played in never really tried to use him extensively in the passing game. Is it any surprise after three years of this he came to Chicago with such issues?

Not everybody takes to this part of the job so naturally. It can take time to learn. Now that he’s under a coaching staff who plans to feature it, they’ll be able to teach him exactly what to do and how to do it. Give him a chance to learn. If he’s still bad after that, then it will just have to be an unfortunate downside to his game.

Former UNLV Assistant, Interim Head Coach Tim Grgurich Honored

By
Kevin Fiddler
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Former UNLV Men’s basketball assistant Tim Grgurich has seen it all from the sidelines. An NCAA national championship. An NBA title. Now, the well-liked coach is being honored for his contributions as an assistant after being named the 2018 Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact Award winner by the National Basketball Coaches Association Tuesday morning.

For a man who has worked with generational talent and Hall of Fame athletes, being the honoree is a complete reversal. Usually he is the one cheering from behind the curtain, but now — deservingly so — the rest of the basketball world can applaud Grgurich for the dedication and impact he’s made on the game itself.

“Simply put, Tim Grgurich is the godfather of modern player development,” said Dallas Mavericks Head Coach and National Basketball Coaches Association President Rick Carlisle. “Not since the great Pete Newell has there been anyone who has impacted modern NBA teaching techniques and procedures the way our beloved ‘Grg’ has.

“He has positively impacted the lives and careers of hundreds of NBA players and coaches since joining the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics in the early 90s. Congrats to Coach ‘Grg’ on this prestigious and well-deserved recognition.”

Grgurich, in typical fashion, was modest in his response.

“I am humbled by this recognition,” he said. “I always felt Tex Winter was the gold standard for all coaches. I am pleased to accept this award in honor of his great legacy.”

As UNLV’s top assistant, Grgurich helped fine-tune the stifling amoeba defense that helped build arguably the greatest college basketball team in NCAA history in 1990-91. His work with UNLV greats Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony helped make them the players they became as NBA stars. Vegas will never forget what Grgurich brought to the city and the program.

When the former UNLV Men’s basketball head coach, the late-Jerry Tarkanian, was run out of town by a combination of the NCAA powers-that-be and UNLV’s own administration, and — after UNLV fired Tark’s replacement Rollie Massamino days before the first official practice — Grgurich was tapped as UNLV’s new head coach in October of 1994. The whole ordeal was something out of a Hollywood film.

Many within the Runnin’ Rebels family were ecstatic.

But, with the weight of a continually unsupportive UNLV administration and a slow start, Grgurich was hospitalized with symptoms of exhaustion before stepping down from the post after seven games.

“You know nobody works harder than Tim and nobody gives more of himself than Tim,” Tarkanian said at the time. “I just think that he just came here with all of the inner frustrations that he had and all of the feelings that he had inside him. It was very, very difficult to overcome.”

Grgurich began his NBA career as an assistant coach with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1991, and, after his short stint as UNLV’s head coach, he returned to help guide the SuperSonics to two Western Conference Finals and a trip to the NBA Finals in 1996.

He scored his first NBA championship ring in 2010-11 as an assistant coach with the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks and went to the Western Conference Finals with the Portland Trail Blazers twice and the Denver Nuggets. Over the course of his highly successful NBA coaching career, his teams reached the playoffs 23 times, winning seven division titles.

Needless to say, the man has a way with players — especially on the defensive side of the floor.

“Assistant Coaches often operate behind the scenes and may not receive public recognition for their team’s success,”National Basketball Coaches Association Executive Director David S. Fogel said. “However, if you ask any Head Coach, they would say that their team could not operate without the hard work of these men and women.

“Coach Grgurich certainly exemplified these values on and off the court, and his tireless work ethic led to successful seasons in each of his coaching stops.”

The man still finds his way back to the Las Vegas community every year for his free, highly-regarded offseason player development camp. While the camp is generally for rookies and second-year players, the well-respected coach opens it up to veterans and coaches as well.

Many don’t realize Grgurich’s fate was often tied to Tark’s, even so far as — along with Tarkanian — filing a lawsuit against UNLV after the school’s treatment of the staff. He eventually forgave the school, and supported other later UNLV coaches, especially former head coach Dave Rice, during their years at the helm.

When one looks back on UNLV’s rich history, Grgurich’s 11 years with the Rebels proved to be its “golden years” in program history. His dedication to defense, and to the young men he mentored far exceeds most head coaches in UNLV lore, let alone assistants.

Truthfully, there is no better assistant in UNLV history — but don’t expect ‘Grg’ to tell you that. He’ll just smile and point out your footwork is a tad slow. And, why wouldn’t he? He’s been coaching this game this for 54 years of his life. Without a doubt, this award was a long time coming.

 

Former Runnin’ Rebel, First Round Pick Returns To Las Vegas For NBA Summer League

By
Alex Tarkanian
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Rashad Vaughn’s basketball career has not developed exactly as planned. The former McDonald’s All-American and UNLV superstar finds himself in a situation where, after playing three years in the NBA, he must play well in the NBA Summer League just for a training camp invite.

So far, Vaughn has played well for the Miami Heat in the NBA Summer League and, at the age of 21, he has the opportunity to score a training camp invite after being released by the Orlando Magic back in March.

“You get to the league, you’ve got to specialize in one thing,” Vaughn told the Las Vegas Review-Journal Sunday afternoon. “Teams bring you there to do that one thing. I just wasn’t able to do it. It’s the league. It’s the business that I signed up for. It’s just about perseverance. Staying focused.”

Vaughn is a former Runnin’ Rebel (2014-15) and Milwaukee Buck. Before suiting up in a Rebel jersey, he played for the nationally dominate prep school team, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.).

Sadly, Vaughn has only played 23 games at UNLV before he was sidelined due to a torn meniscus. At UNLV, he averaged 17.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. The athletic guard’s biggest accomplishment as a Rebel was when he helped lead UNLV to a 71-67 victory over the No. 3-ranked Arizona Wildcats.

Following his freshman season, Rashad declared for the NBA draft and went in the first round to the Milwaukee Bucks as the 17th pick. Primarily a bench player, Rashad has not posted impressive numbers. His career high is three points and one rebound and he played in just a few games for Milwaukee from before being traded to the Nets in early February of 2018.

He saw very little playing time with the Nets and was traded again three days later to the Pelicans before being waived by the team after two days. Vaughn then signed a 10-day contract with Orlando. He was once again let go after the contract expired because of the knee injury.

While in the NBA, Rashad spent some time in the G league with the Canton Charge, a Cavaliers affiliate, and the Westchester Knicks, who are affiliated with the New York Knicks. He played a grand total of seven games, averaging 9.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Vaughn has played well in the 2018 Summer League. The guard had a solid shooting night against the Pelicans in a 111-84 loss. He registered 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting with two steals and a block in 25 minutes of play.

Despite his health concerns, Vaughn is a solid shooting guard in this league who has the advantage of being just 21 and a free agent. With an impressive showing in the Summer League, Rashad can increase his stock and the chance to score an invite to a mini camp with another team once the season starts.

If not, he joins a handful of other former Rebels who left UNLV far too early and now sitting the athletic wasteland of the developmental leagues. Heck, you could put together an NBA Summer League team of former Rebels who left UNLV’s program far too early and have found the professional ranks far more difficult than the snake-ish advisors who misled them into leaving early in the first place.

With his young age, solid basketball IQ, and his ability not to make major mistakes, it would be surprising if he does not at least receive a training camp invite from one of the 30 teams in the league. Whatever happens, I’m sure Vaughn is happy to be playing in a familiar place for the time being.

McBride Makes All-Star Push With Excellent Start For Las Vegas Aces

By
Ryan Rastovac
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If you haven’t heard the name yet, Las Vegas, it’s time to learn it. Meet Las Vegas Aces point guard Kayla McBride — catalyst and veteran team leader for the city’s new WNBA franchise.

There is much to be said about the 5-foot-11, 26-year-old shooting guard. Absent at the beginning of the season while playing overseas in Turkey, McBride joined the squad in late May after missing the first two games of the season, helping lead the Aces to its best stretch of play since it moved to Sin City.

The Notre Dame product is one of the Aces’ seasoned veterans, playing in the WNBA since 2014. She is averaging 19 points per game with 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.  Teamed with surefire Rookie of the Year candidate A’Ja Wilson, the duo have become a “dynamic duo” for the Aces, who have already matched last year’s win total in San Antonio before the team relocated to Vegas.

Selected third overall in the first round of the 2014 WNBA Draft by San Antonio, McBride the is the longest tenured player on the team sitting, with four years of service time. McBride has much to offer this team in a leadership role.

“I’ve been working for this moment,” McBride told the Review Journal. “Now that I’m in Vegas with a clean slate and a great coach, a great situation. I’m just trying to take advantage of it.”

Her teammates, especially Wilson, defer to the veteran when it comes to leadership.

“I call her my vet,” said Wilson in the same story. “She really keeps me sane through games. … When I’m having a bad game, or missing a shot, I can always count on K-Mac.”

Even best-selling author Shea Serrano in on the Kayla McBride Bandwagon. The Ringer writer has been a vocal supporter of McBride, even lobbying a massive voting campaign to help get the Vegas standout a spot in the WNBA All-Star game.

What can we say? The dude loves the Aces — and The Office — like a Vegas high school kid loves Raising Canes.

McBride seems to constantly improve her game every season. In her college days at Notre Dame, she averaged 8.7 points per game her first year and kept moving up from there. Unfortunately, she was pulled from her first year of college play due to academic reasons thus only playing in 19 games that season.

The heady guard quickly got back to work and in her second year, averaging 11.6 points per game and 15.9 points per game her junior season. During her fourth and final year at Notre Dame, she averaged an impressive 17.9 points per game and was named first-team All-American and one of five players inducted into the school’s Ring of Honor on Nov. 11.

Every year of McBride’s college tenure, she reached the Final Four and played in the championship game four times.

The transition to the WNBA has been seamless for McBride. She averaged 13.0 points per game then 13.8 points per game her second season. She was having her best year yet in 2016 but a foot injury sidelined her for the season. Coming back from injury for the 2017 season, her fourth WNBA year she averaged 15.4 per game. She seems to continue to improve her game as seasons go by and proves that she is a force to be reckoned with.

McBride has a built hefty list of accolades to her name as well. She played with three teams as an overseas player in the EuroLeague. In 2014–15, McBride played with Uniqa Sopron of Hungary, then with Nadezhda Orenburg of Russia in 2015-16 before finishing with Yakın Doğu of Istanbul Turkey in 2016-17 and 2017-18. McBride was able to capture a Turkish Cup and Euro Cup in 2017.

Kayla has one WNBA All-Star appearance thus far (2015). She contributed 18 points in the Western Conference’s win yet she has only been part of one postseason run in her career. No doubt, she is looking to improve in that category as well.

All in all, McBride is a three-point shooting slasher, posing quite the threat. The pairing of McBride and Wilson has been a major catalyst for the Aces both offensively and defensively. Just a few games back in the standings with plenty of season left, look for them to keep gelling and make some big waves the rest of the season.

With things seemingly on the rise for the Las Vegas Aces, the savvy vet might see her second All-Star nod this year. Even if she gets snubbed, there’s no doubt — here in Las Vegas — McBride is a welcome addition to the Sin City sports community. If you didn’t know McBride before…now you do.

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