The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #12 Scott Williams

Scott Williams
Scott Williams was a McDonalds All-American coming out of high school and decided to take his talents across the country as he moved away from California to attend the University of North Carolina. He had a good, although not great collegiate career, as he averaged double-digit points during his final three years while being a good rebounder. It was pretty amazing for Williams to do as well as he did in college as during his sophomore year, his parents died when his father committed a murder-suicide at their home in California.

Williams went undrafted in 1990, but the Bulls signed as a free agent shortly after the draft. This is where Williams' luck started to change. As a North Carolina graduate, Michael Jordan immediately took a liking to him. It also helped that the Bulls only draft pick that year, Toni Kukoc, chose not to sign with the team despite repeated attempts by Bulls management.

Even though Williams never set the world on fire, his contributions increased every year he was with the Bulls. During his rookie season, he was the last guy off the bench throughout the regular season. But when the playoffs hit, the Bulls liked his energy so much that he ended up taking Stacey King's minutes in the NBA Finals and getting significant playing time in all of the wins over the Lakers. In fact, the Bulls went 12-0 when Williams saw playing time during the 1991 playoffs.

In 1991-92, Williams continued his trend of making a bigger impact when it counts the most. Throughout the season, he had two games where he scored double-digit points, but in the playoffs, he managed three such games. He was the second-to-last person off the bench during the regular season, but he was the first big man off the bench for the playoffs as the Bulls relied on his energy and versatility to play both the power forward and center positions.

For the Bulls final title of their first threepeat, Williams had solidified himself as an essential part of the team. He was the first guy off the bench in both the regular season and in the playoffs. Although Williams didn't light up the box score, he provided good defense and rebounding and was a key in solidifying the bench unit of that final championship season.

Before we get to his post-Bulls career, how about you take a seat, listen to some funky beats and watch Scott Williams highlights for four minutes (Spoiler alert: Williams puts on some weight)?


He would last one more year with the Bulls, and let's just say he wasn't thrilled with how he was treated by the team.

So, yeah, he chose to get out of town and join up with the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent. He would then play for Milwaukee which led to my favorite nugget when researching Williams. He was involved in a trade along with a current NBA player when, in 2001, the Milwaukee Bucks traded him and a 2004 first round pick to the Denver Nuggets for Aleksandar Radojevic and Kevin Willis. That future first rounder would be used to select Josh Smith who is kind of current since he played a few games for the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this season. Williams would also play for Phoenix, Dallas, and Cleveland before retiring in 2005. After retiring, he has spent his time bouncing between basketball coaching and announcing.

And if you needed any evidence that YouTube is the absolute best, here is Scott Williams allegedly seducing some ladies at a Suns game.

I love the internet.

Previous Entries:

#45 - Jack Haley

#44 - Rory Sparrow

#43 - Chuck Nevitt

#42 - David Vaughn

#41 - Jo Jo English

#40 - Ricky Blanton

#39 - Matt Steigenga

#38 - Joe Courtney

#37 - Keith Booth

#36 - Mark Randall

#35 - Ed Nealy

#34 - Rusty LaRue

#33 - Corey Williams

#32 - Joe Kleine

#31 - John Salley

#30 - James Edwards

#29 - Robert Parish

#28 - Darrell Walker

#27 - Rodney McCray

#26 - Dennis Hopson

#25 - Trent Tucker

#24 - Dickey Simpkins

#23 - Bobby Hansen

#22 - Scott Burrell

#21 - Bison Dele

#20 - Craig Hodges

#19 - Jud Buechler

#18 - Randy Brown

#17 - Cliff Levingston

#16 - Stacey King

#15 - Jason Caffey

#14 - Bill Wennington

#13 - Will Perdue

Why the Chicago Bears Traded So Much for Mitchell Trubisky

The Chicago Bears gave up a lot to move up one spot in the draft. All Bears fans lost their shit, and admittedly, I wasn't too happy about the trade either. Then they shocked the world even more and drafted Mitchell Trubisky from North Carolina, hoping to finally solve their quarterback issues. Again, Bears fans erupted in anger, but that part isn't as big of a deal, because most Bears fans are morons (this goes for most football fans in general) and have likely never even seen Trubisky play. I'm never going to stop singing Trubisky's praises, but even I'm still having trouble justifying the Bears aggressive trade to move up just one spot.

Let's get the biggest problem out of the way. The Bears were negotiating from a position of weakness. In their minds, they NEEDED Trubisky, and my guess is that the Bears are as high on him as I am, so I totally get it. Their only thought was, "We can't miss out on this guy." Anytime you have that thought, you aren't going to win the trade on value, and there is no way to say that the Bears got more draft value than the 49ers.

The Bears got their guy, and that has not been a trend in recent years. In 2015, the Bears drafted seventh and were in desperate need for a defensive lineman. Things were working out perfectly as Leonard Williams was falling on down to them, and then at pick number six, the Jets took him. The Bears then drafted Kevin White who has played about as many snaps in the NFL as me over the last two years.

The year before that was even worse. The Bears picked 14th and a stud defensive tackle kept dropping down in the draft. The Bears held their ground, and sure enough, the Rams selected Aaron Donald at 13, one pick before the Bears. They then took Kyle Fuller who, let's be nice, is a cornerback who plays in the NFL. He is not Aaron Donald.

In both of those cases, the Bears have to look back and think, "Man, I really wish we would have overpaid to get those guys." Sometimes you gamble and win. Sometimes you gamble and lose. The Bears may have gambled by trading that much to get their guy, but they got their guy. If he turns out to be a top notch quarterback, then the combination of Solomon Thomas, a third, a fourth, and 2018 third won't equal the value of Trubisky.

The 49ers may have gotten better draft pick value, but that misses the point, the Bears got their guy. If he turns out to be what the Bears think he can be, there is no way to overpay on that.

Who Should the Bears Draft at #3?

The draft is almost upon us. Hopes and dreams are alive. Will they be dashed this weekend? Most likely, but right now, I am feeling great about the future. The Bears are going to make smart trades, take great players, and build a Super Bowl contender. Okay, so even if they do the first two, they have so many holes that the latter simply ain't happening. But how can they get off to a good start? Let me break down the three best options.

3. Solomon Thomas - Defensive End - Stanford
You know what gets me excited? Guys who sometimes don't look as if they're human. And Solomon Thomas has a lot of those plays. It seems that when he decides he's going to destroy the world, he goes out and destroys the world.

Although Solomon Thomas's build is more ideally suited for a 4-3 defense, I think he's big enough as a 3-4 end to hold up against the run while absolutely causing havoc in the passing game. Also, from what he's shown on the field, he's so good that he can be good no matter your put him.

Before I really started looking at guys, I had Jonathan Allen ahead of Thomas, but after watching tape, I just loved the explosion that Thomas showed. That put them close, and honestly the deciding factor was Allen's abysmal combine numbers. It's rare for someone with those sort of athletic numbers to make a big impact, and with the third pick in the draft, I don't think it's worth the risk.

2. Malik Hooker - Safety - Ohio State
Malik Hooker is the most sure-thing Pro Bowler in this draft. He is ideally built for today's NFL, and his skill-set is one that will make an immediate impact on the team that drafts him. He's got incredible range in the secondary, and he has the instincts to be an ideal ball-hawking Safety. He's already learning to bait quarterbacks into throwing it his way. Oh yeah, and when he does get an interception, he is looking to score, as he is dynamic when he gets the ball in his hands.

The skills he has translate to any level for any team. The biggest reason the Seahawks have a dominant defense is Earl Thomas, and that is what Malik Hooker could be for the team that drafts him. I know that Safety is nowhere near the Bears biggest need as they actually have solid options, but you don't pass up on the next Ed Reed because you have solid options. I would be ecstatic to see him join the Bears.

1. Mitchell Trubisky - Quarterback - North Carolina
Is this a risk? Without a doubt. In fact, it's by far the biggest risk. But there is no such thing as a perfect quarterback prospect. At first, I was a hater. Mitchell the Bitchell were what all the kids were calling him. Why did he only start on year? I mean, that's a pretty big red flag that he couldn't beat out Marquise Williams. But I kept my ears open and heard that Coach Fedora kept Williams as the starter, because of his leadership. As an Iowa fan, that sounds like something Kirk Ferentz would definitely do, so I believe it. And when Trubisky did play in 2015, he was 40-47 for 555 yards and 6 touchdowns.

But really, it's what I saw on tape. Nobody is really pointing out deficiencies in Trubisky's play. He wasn't as good against the top notch competition, but yeah, that makes sense, because those teams are better on defense. The only game where he really struggled was Virginia Tech. That was a game with heavy rain, and even though Trubisky was not at his best, his teammates didn't help him out at all.

Really, the best teams that he faced last year were Florida State, who he absolutely torched, and Stanford, where he may have not had pretty stats, had a couple picks, but he was also dropping some dimes that receivers were not helping him out on.

There is also the argument that he can't come through in big moments. I mean, just look at this last drive (starts at 6:28) against Stanford.

Here's what happened.
44 yard strike down the sideline.
Nails his receiver between the numbers in the end zone but it's dropped.
Drops the ball into his receivers hands in the end zone but it's dropped.
Nails his receiver between the numbers to put it at the 1-yard line.
Throws a beautiful back shoulder fade but it's dropped.
Rolls to his right, nothing is there, so it's a broken play. He spins past a defender, ends up 18 yards behind the line of scrimmage and then throws across the field a strike that hits his receiver between the numbers for a touchdown.

What more do you want from the guy? He has all of the traits you would look for in a quarterback. Accurate throws, good arm strength, excellent pocket presence, and an ability to quickly scan the field. The consensus is that #3 is too high to take a quarterback in this draft, but fuck consensus. Trubisky has game changing skills, and the Bears would be lucky to have him with the third overall pick.

I Love Not Making Decisions

I love not making decisions. Now, usually I'm a fairly decisive person, because decisions simply need to get made, but sometimes it is wonderful to just let go and have other people make decisions for you. I learned this when I went to Charlotte. Why Charlotte? Well, I didn't have a choice in the matter, because it was for work.

Since it was a work trip, my only free time was a lunch, a dinner, and a breakfast before everything else was pre-scheduled. Instead of going through the hassle of making decisions, I let the decisions be made for me, and it was phenomenal.

Since I was in the Carolinas, I figured I needed to have some barbecue. There was only local option that was within the hotel shuttle's one-mile radius, so I was headed to Midwood Smokehouse for lunch. I looked over the menu, humming and hawing, trying to come up with the perfect option. I was asked if I wanted a beer, and that sounded good, so I asked for a recommendation of a good, local IPA. The waiter brought me back my beer, and it was delicious. I would tell you the name of that beer, but I'm really bad at remembering what types of beer I've had.

I still had to work through the menu, but the waiter did mention that the special was a French dip sandwich made with beef brisket that sounded pretty good. When I asked him what side he'd recommend, he said the mac and cheese, so that was going to be my side. The ease that I felt in not making these decisions was extremely comforting.

And this comfort and lack of thought proved to be quite prescient as my meal was delicious. I started moaning as the mac and cheese mixed with the brisket in my mouth. I am not ashamed; no, I was quite proud, because this lack of decision turned out to be a great decision.

On my way to Midwood, the driver highly recommended a place called Viva Chicken that had Peruvian food. Since I'm a cultured individual, I do not fear adding a little culture to my trip. I went with a chicken combo and asked what their popular sides were, and they recommended the green beans and the sweet potato fries. Since I was just a passenger in this culinary vehicle, I let the driver guide my decision and enjoyed my ride.

And boy am I happy I did. It was another phenomenal meal. I ate the meal like a starving child, but I just couldn't stop stuffing this delicious food in my face. I let the world guide me, and the world did not let me down.

Finally, I went to the only breakfast spot near the hotel. After I was seated, the waitress asked me if I would like some blueberry grits. Well, shit, I hadn't really thought about it, but why not?

And guess what? They were delicious.

But then I made a mistake. I strayed from the plan. I went rogue and decided that I should have some pancakes. What made me do this? Well, I had gone for a run that morning, and my body craves sugar after a run, so I figured pancakes were a safe bet to get me there. The pancakes were fine, but the syrup was bland, so I didn't even get the sugar rush that I craved. I should have asked the waitress for her recommendation. Instead, I made a decision, and I failed.

But man, it was really great to not make decisions. I should really do that more often...or not. I haven't decided.

I Ate At Cook Out, And It Was Amazing

In November, I moved to Florida with my wife. A few weeks later, she forced me to drive to Ohio. I was not happy about this for a couple of reasons. I had just driven a 26 foot truck for 24 hours to move us down there, and I wasn't real keen on more driving. Second, it was nearly December, and I was not looking forward to going from sunny skies to bitter cold.

The drive wasn't so bad, as I caught up on some podcasts and learned some Spanish while on the road. The temperature was another story. It was pretty depressing when I saw the temperature had dropped 25 degrees before we had even got out of the state. It would drop another 40 degrees and give me a couple inches of snow before it was all said and done.

My wife visited friends both on the way up and on the way back, but I only had one request for this trip. We must go to Cook Out. Cook Out is a burger joint that are all over North Carolina and spreading to some surrounding states. I learned about Cook Out from Drew Magary's Deadspin article (and let's face it, this is just a ripoff of his work, as I will be recounting my own amazing experience with this place).

On the way up, we were unable to go as we got into North Carolina late and had to get back on the road early. I would not be denied on the way back.

So, blah blah blah, had Thanksgiving with the family, went to a wedding, danced my ass off, watched a variety of Iowa teams kick some ass, and throughout all of it, I had one thing on my mind: Cook Out. All of those things were great, but they paled in comparison to what was ahead.

I strategically planned our trip back to reach a Cook Out in Columbia, South Carolina around 12:30 where I knew my stomach would be growling and waiting to devour anything that was set in front of me. I saw the sign, and was unable to hide the smile across my face. As we pulled into the parking lot, I wanted to sprint out of the car and leave the wife behind. I controlled these animalistic instincts and did my best to hide my excitement.

When I walked through the door, playing it cool was thrown out the window. I know that I looked like a kid on Christmas. I stared up at that majestic menu, unsure of what I wanted to unwrap and put in my belly. I ordered a combo with one main dish, two sides, and a drink. I decided to get a double cheeseburger with everything but mayo. As sides, I got french fries and chicken nuggets. Yep, chicken nuggets as a side. Finally, I upgraded my drink to a Caramel Cheesecake Shake. All for about $6.

The gentleman behind the counter asked me if that was all, and I promptly replied that yes it was. It was at this point that my wife piped up and said, "Uh, I still need to order." "Oh yeah, go ahead honey." She ordered something too.

Then I (technically we) sat down and waited. They called my number, and I was nearly sweating with anticipation. I opened up my Styrofoam container to reveal so much food. The double cheeseburger was great. The fries were fantastic. The nuggets were delectable. The shake...oh, that shake. Words cannot describe it, because at this point, I was in an orgasmic haze of pure food joy.

I stopped speaking to my wife, outside of a thank you when she gave me a hush puppy. I'm not sure what she thought about her food, but there weren't any leftovers, so we both did pretty good that day.

Honestly, I wasn't too keen on the trip up for Thanksgiving, but that combo at Cook Out made it all worthwhile. So much so that I'm a little bummed out that we're not heading back up for Christmas.

The nearest Cook Out is in Statesboro, GA. I love you Cook Out and can't wait to see you again. According to Google Maps, that will be in 6 hours, 59 minutes. Oh, the things we do for love.