3. October 30th: Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz
The Bulls open their season with five very winnable games: a home and away split with the Detroit Pistons, an away game against the new-look Toronto Raptors, and the aforementioned home games against New Orleans and New York.
Their sixth game of the season and final matchup of October presents a new challenge in the Utah Jazz. By far the best team the Bulls will have faced at that point, the Jazz are a team with title aspirations.
Led by three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and two-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz are a force to be reckoned with.
Utah bodied the Bulls last season, winning both games 120-95 and 113-106 respectively.
If Chicago can at least prove themselves a worthy challenger of the Utah Jazz, they can cement themselves as a serious playoff contender in the early stages of the season.
Another blowout loss, however, would bring up further questions about their risky offseason moves.
DeRozan is talented, but can he help the Bulls win? Can LaVine really lead a winning team? Is Ball a starting point guard, or a draft bust? What about Patrick Williams?
A home result against the Utah Jazz could answer some or all of those questions.