It’s time. The Chicago Bulls open their season at home against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. This will mark the first game in a Bulls uniform for Dwyane Wade.
Next: Celtics vs. Bulls: Game Info and How to Watch
There are going to be many storylines running when the Bulls tip off against Boston on Thursday night. It’s the first game of the season, the first home game, Dwyane Wade’s first regular season game as a Bull and in the United Center. What about Jimmy Butler, or the Rajon Rondo experiment, or the ever-complex power forward situation? And then there are all the players vying for the primary backup minutes – Doug McDermott, Denzel Valentine, Michael Carter-Williams, Jerian Grant, Cristiano Felicio, Bobby Portis.
There are more and more angles to look at every single day, never a dull moment in Chicago. But this is going to be the launching of a campaign and not a state of the union address. Still, the Bulls are lacking for a true statement of purpose, which falls primarily on the front office and their inconsistency. It’s all going to play out.
The first game of 82 is our focus today. The Celtics are in town, fresh off a 122-117 win over the Brooklyn Nets. After Chicago, Boston will be off to Charlotte to take on the Hornets on Saturday.
Though not necessarily fair, Brad Stevens is to Boston what many expected, or hoped, Fred Hoiberg would be for the Bulls. The two teams were also rumored to be partners in unsuccessful trade negotiations at the deadline. The game will be an opportunity for Chicago to measure themselves against the Celtics, one of the top teams in the conference.