A rather desolate news cycle not just for the Chicago Bulls, but in the entire sports world, looks set to continue on March 15.
It is now the fourth day without any NBA action, or college basketball for that matter. The Chicago Bulls last played a game on March 10, when they knocked off the Central Division foe Cleveland Cavaliers at home at the United Center by the final score of 108-103. The Bulls were then supposed to take on the Orlando Magic on the road on March 12. But that obviously never came to fruition.
With no action really going on anywhere in the sports world at the moment, outside of one UFC fight that took place in front of no crowd on March 14, there’s a silence that was never before known to fans. It could be a long time before sports action is back around the world too. The New York Times estimates this novel coronavirus pandemic could last into the summer.
However, the NBA is on this current hiatus for 30 days, stemming from an announcement from commissioner Adam Silver earlier in the week. On March 12, Silver released that official announcement that the NBA would be on hiatus for at least 30 days. That could mean no NBA game action at least until the end of the month of April. But all we can do is just wait and see what happens in the midst of the COVID-19 precautions.
Head coach Jim Boylen will have a loaded plate once the NBA resumes, but that might be a long wait until that happens. For now, Boylen and the Bulls are sitting around with a record of 22-43 through their first 65 games.
Given that the Bulls are still without any light at the end of the tunnel for where they can go from here on the fourth day without NBA action, here are my thoughts on the hiatus.
Updates on the Bulls
Reinsdorfs join the train of teams/players announcing pay for arena workers/hourly employees
There was a release on the Bulls official team Twitter page on March 14 announcing that they would be paying their “day-of-game” employees through the end of the scheduled season. This announcement also encompassed the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, who share the United Center with the Bulls.
STATEMENT FROM ROCKY WIRTZ AND JERRY REINSDORF:
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 14, 2020
The United Center ownership and the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks, on behalf of our front offices and players, will pay day-of-game employees through the remainder of the originally scheduled season. (1/2)
NBC Sports released a piece on March 14 encompassing how all NBA teams and players are trying to take care of their employees during this hiatus.
Other news and updates around the NBA (and further ways to keep entertained)
The first player that was announced to test positive for COVID-19 in the NBA, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, had news break on March 14 that he would be donating $500,000 to Oklahoma, Utah, and French efforts to deal with the pandemic.
More and more videos are dropping from NBA players on their status updates in the midst of the hiatus. The most significant one that was released on March 14 came from Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, who gave an update on his improving situation after testing positive for COVID-19.
A message from @spidadmitchell pic.twitter.com/YtChd3eNng
— NBA (@NBA) March 14, 2020
While other NBA big market teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Brooklyn Nets, have short-term problems to worry about as title contenders, the Bulls aren’t in that position. Remaining big market teams like the Bulls and New York Knicks can take this extra time to focus on their rebuilds and the 2020 NBA Draft.
Boylen is running into a weird situation with the Bulls as they are about to end the third year of the rebuild on a very disappointing note. There is not much progress since the first year of the rebuild after trading Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Keeping Bulls fans entertained right now shouldn’t be too difficult since the focus should already be on the 2020 NBA Draft. The ESPN “30 for 30” documentary series “The Last Dance” is also set to start releasing in early June.