Chicago Bulls: Advocate Center facility re-opening June 3
Starting in the middle of next week, the Chicago Bulls are planning on opening up the Advocate Center to get the practice facility up and running again.
Although it won’t come as early as some other teams around the NBA, the Chicago Bulls look to be moving to open their practice facility in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic in the near future. A report from K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago shows that the Bulls plan to re-open the Advocate Center (their home practice facility) come next week, on June 3.
Johnson also reported that the Bulls “have worked with state and local government officials to re-open the Advocate Center in compliance with NBA guidelines”. And the players/coaches/team staff and key personnel must be socially distanced once on-court workouts begin on June 3.
This all coincides with “Mayor Lightfoot’s Phase 3 date for Chicago”, as the city and state of Illinois start to re-open in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bulls have worked with state and local government officials to re-open Advocate Center in compliance with NBA guidelines. But voluntary, socially distanced on-court workouts with coaches aren’t to begin until June 3, per Mayor Lightfoot’s “Phase 3” date for Chicago.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) May 29, 2020
The Bulls last played in game action on March 10, in a home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center. Within the next 48 hours, the NBA announced that the regular season would be indefinitely suspended once it was known that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had tested positive for COVID-19.
Entering the NBA season hiatus invoked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bulls carried a record of 22-43 through their first 65 games. The Bulls currently sit eight games behind the Orlando Magic for eighth place (and the final spot in the playoff picture) in the Eastern Conference standings.
The move to re-open the Advocate Center does come later than most other NBA teams. For example, the Dallas Mavericks announced at a similar date to the Bulls when they would re-open their practice facility (announced on May 27 to re-open the following day), per Dallas Morning News reports.
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The Bulls might either be getting a shot to play in a few more regular season games before the impending offseason arrives, or the NBA could elect to jump straight into the playoffs. Either way, the eyes of Bulls fans will be set on what the new look front office does with the coaching staff and roster construction heading into their first offseason at the helm in the Windy City.