2. Milwaukee Bucks
Although the Milwaukee Bucks are the NBA’s winningest team over the last seven years (going 357-198 in that span), they may actually be the best matchup for the Bulls to start the season off next year. Chicago beat Milwaukee twice last year to split the season series, and if all goes well, they could do the same again this time around.
A big reason why I believe the Bucks are an ideal target is due to the fact they’re one of the few teams who have important players recovering from injury like the Bulls. Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely be held out of the FIBA World Cup this summer as he recently had a cleanup procedure conducted on his knee one month ago, while Khris Middleton also underwent a surgical procedure on his knee at the end of last season.
The Bucks are a dangerous team, but the Bulls would benefit from playing them on opening night.
The Bucks are a team that’s known to use their size and physicality to their advantage, but they likely won’t come out of the gate firing on all cylinders following these setbacks. That much is especially true for Middleton, as we saw him regress in a big way last season. Middleton posted the worst field goal percentage of his career and his fewest points per game since 2017 last season, and may take time some getting back up to full speed next season as well.
Milwaukee is never going to be an easy matchup as long as Giannis is in town, but it would be good to get things out of the way early and play them before they have a chance to reach full strength.