The NBA is a results-based industry, and our first look a the 2020-21 schedule reminded us of that.
The league office announced its Christmas Day and Opening Week slate on Tuesday afternoon, and the Bulls revamped roster failed to find itself on the list.
Here is a look at the 12 different teams that will make the NBA’s eight nationally televised games during Opening Week:
The NBA’s Opening Week games on national TV are broken down here. The full 82-game schedule for each team is expected out Friday.
More NBA from me: https://t.co/LGN9cVpeGP pic.twitter.com/HoZQdsJ3oB
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 17, 2021
Nine of those teams will also play on Christmas Day, with the Jazz being the only new team added into the mix.
The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day (Saturday, Dec. 25) for the 14th year in a row, with ESPN or ABC televising each matchup. pic.twitter.com/IEvOgFkXCQ
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 17, 2021
Considering the Chicago Bulls had one of the most active and talked about free agencies of the summer, the lack of a nationally televised game during Opening Week or on the coveted Christmas Day comes as a slight surprise. Not to mention, Zach LaVine is coming fresh off his first All-Star nod and Gold Medal victory, and the Bulls do sit in one of the biggest basketball markets in the country.
At the same time, primetime is earned in the win column, and a franchise that has not cracked the postseason in four years will need to prove they are back to being a consistently competitive team to get handed a marquee game. Perhaps this will give LaVine and Co. more motivation to prove right off the bat that they are one of the more talented squads in the Eastern Conference.
Of course, we also can not forget that there are plenty of more nationally televised games to be announced. The full broadcast schedule for ESPN, ABC, and TNT will be shared on Friday, so it will only be a couple of more days until we get a full feel for how the NBA views this new-look Bulls team.