Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
Every year, the NBA schedule comes out and—shocker alert—it contains 41 road and 41 home games for all 30 teams.
And yet it was studied like some ancient scroll, parsed for sleights — 12 back-to-backs and that team had 11!—and favorable stretches.
Although the Chicago Bulls schedule, which was released on Thursday, only consists of 80 games—40 road and 40 home—as two will be finalized depending on the results of the inaugural In-Season Tournament in NBA, who are we to interrupt history?
Here are the seven most important games from the Bulls’ regular-season schedule:
Oct. 25 vs. Oklahoma City
The opener always gets the first nod. It’s a first real chance to see what work management has done in the offseason.
Who will start at point guard between Jevon Carter, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu or Alex Caruso? Who will start at power forward between Patrick Williams, Torrey Craig and Caruso? And while those questions will likely be answered throughout training camp—and, as an aside, the fact that Caruso is being discussed at these two positions is wild—it will still be a tumultuous atmosphere. at the United Center.
It’s against an upcoming team in Oklahoma City where Chet Holmgren is expected to make his NBA regular-season debut after missing his rookie season due to injury and with a star-on-the-rise coach in Mark Daigneault. who trained under Billy Donovan made it even more interesting.
November 4 in Denver
This game is unique not only because it is against the defending NBA champions and the former team of ArtÅ«ras KarniÅ¡ovas. But it qualifies as one of those “tough schedule” games—the second of a home-and-away back-to-back played at altitude and at a location that is usually part of a multi – game road trip.
So will the Bulls fold or show strength? This game will be a sneak preview of the team’s collective mental toughness.
Let’s also not forget that Nikola VuÄević dominated Nikola Jokić in one of the best games of the Bulls last season, a 117-96 victory where VuÄević posted 25 points, 15 rebounds and three assists.
November 18 against Miami
The NBA started this practice a few seasons ago, scheduling two consecutive games in the same city in a series that has some playoff vibes to it. Last season, the New York Knicks and old friends Tom Thibodeau and Derrick Rose visited.
This season, old friend Jimmy Butler and the defending Eastern Conference champion Heat, who lost to the Bulls in a play-in game before Miami rallied and advanced all the way to the NBA Finals.
With a second straight home game scheduled for Nov. 20, this two-game series usually has many coaching changes. That gives Donovan and his staff a fighting chance against Erik Spoelstra and his. Spoelstra is considered one of the league’s elite coaches.
And the fact that this two-game set was repeated in Miami on December 14-16 makes the season series even more intriguing.
December 20 against Lakers
Not only is LeBron James at home, but it begins a season-high, six-game homestand and a high-profile set of back-to-back games featuring hyped rookie Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in town the next night.
Two of the six games are against Central Division opponents. And it ends against a Philadelphia 76ers team that may or may not feature James Harden but with Joel Embiid.
A win against a revamped Lakers team that added Gabe Vincent to James, Anthony Davis, DeAngelo Russell and Austin Reaves could start a stretch where the Bulls are home for the holidays.
January 22, 2024 in Suns
This matchup begins with a three-game road trip that includes the Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers, who may or may not be working with Damian Lillard at the time but will feature hyped rookie Scoot Henderson.
This will be the second time for Torrey Craig to compete with the team where he started 60 games and played in 79 last season. But this time, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker should have more chemistry than when they make their November 2023 trip to the United Center.
This is a tough test.
March 23, 2024 against the Celtics
The Bulls opened the season with a three-game homestand against one of the elite teams in the Eastern Conference.
The Bulls finished 2-2 last season against the Celtics, who traded away Marcus Smart and Grant Williams while adding Kristaps Porzingis.
April 12, 2024 at Wizards
The opponent is not flashy. But this is the Bulls’ consecutive game of the season and ends the last of their 13 sets of back-to-back games. It comes as part of a three-game road trip that opens last night against the Detroit Pistons.
Winning two road games against rebuilding teams will be crucial for playoff seeding, especially since the final game of the season will be a tough test at Madison Square Garden against Jalen Brunson, Thibodeau and company two days later.
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