The Chicago Bulls will open their 2019-20 regular season tonight against the Charlotte Hornets. Here are four things to watch for.
The NBA season is finally here! That means we can stop speculating about how good the Chicago Bulls will be and we can actually watch it play out.
No more wondering what the rotation will look like. No more wondering if Zach LaVine’s actually ready to be an All-Star. No more wondering if Tomas Satoransky is a good fit at the starting point guard spot. No more wondering if Coby White is ready to contribute right away. We will finally have the answers to our questions.
Of course, we won’t have concrete answers to our questions right away. But at least any evidence we get is real evidence now – not Summer League, not preseason.
Here are four things to keep an eye on in the Bulls’ first game of the 2019-20 NBA season.
Who will be the first guy off the bench?
This is basically a two-man race.
Coby White and Thaddeus Young appear to be the Bulls’ two most important bench pieces until Chandler Hutchison returns from injury.
During the preseason, White took on an off-ball role for the second unit. This seems to be where he’ll make the biggest immediate impact. He has a jumper with impressive range, the quickness to frighten opposing reserves and the wherewithal to take advantage of a mismatch when a big switches on him.
Young, on the other hand, doesn’t have the raw skill or offensive firepower that White has, but he brings the luxury of positionless versatility that might make for more intriguing lineup options.
Lauri Markkanen’s role on offense
The Bulls need Lauri Markkanen to be an elite second option in the 2019-20 season. Zach LaVine is making Bulls fans believe it’s his team, and he’ll be the go-to guy. But every Batman needs a Robin. Every Michael Jordan needs a Scottie Pippen. Markkanen possesses the skills to be a fantastic sidekick, he just needs to take advantage of every opportunity he gets.
During the preseason, Markkanen’s play was confusing. At times, he showed the dynamic shot-making ability and athleticism that Bulls fans love. But at other times, he would disappear for large stretches on offense. Let’s hope that was just some weird preseason stuff and not an accurate depiction of his future.
Zach LaVine’s time to prove it
Bulls fans have been (rightfully) freaking out over Zach LaVine’s 2019-20 preseason. He was simply outstanding. He looked like a top-tier NBA scorer. Of course, whenever good things happen during the preseason, fans have the right to wonder whether or not that will translate when the competition picks up.
Zach needs to prove that his preseason was no fluke. It’s time for him to prove he belongs among the NBA’s elite. Luckily, he gets to start the season against arguably the worst team in the association.
Jim Boylen’s coaching stance
Will Jim Boylen coach from the infamous defensive stance that Bulls fans have come to know and love (or hate)? We’ll surely find out when the Bulls hit a lackadaisical stretch.
If all goes well, Chicago will start the season with a convincing win over a bottom feeder in Charlotte. 1-0 sounds nice, right?