NEWSLETTER
The NBA released the entire 2021-22 regular-season schedule on Friday afternoon, which means Bulls fans got a look at the highly anticipated national broadcast slate. Chicago will appear in a total of 12 nationally televised games, which is nine more than the franchise had last season.
I’ll be honest, considering the additions of Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, and DeMar DeRozan, I expected a couple of more thrown into the mix, especially on ESPN and TNT. Seven of the 12 games will be featured on NBA TV, while four will appear on ESPN and only one on TNT. Also, out of those 12 nationally broadcasted games, seven will be on the road.
For a more complete look at all of that, make sure to check out our post here.
• Now, with all of that said, I probably should not get too greedy. The Bulls still received a significant jump in national exposure when compared to last season, and I do think earning one of the two MLK Day doubleheaders on TNT (at Grizzlies) is a great opportunity. Not to mention, two ESPN broadcasts at the United Center against the Bucks and Nets should be absolutely electric. Overall, twelve games feel like the right amount to instill some healthy confidence in this group while also leaving enough room for a “chip on our shoulder” mentality. Seriously, though, how did the NBA not give the Bulls one TNT matchup against the Knicks? Is this a tampering punishment?
• Weird but fun note:
The Bulls finish this season against Minnesota. It will be the first time the Bulls close a season against a team from the opposite conference since 1978-79 when the then-Western Conference Bulls faced the Pistons.
— Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) August 20, 2021
• ZION WILLIAMSON TO THE BULLS CONFIRMED!
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• As much as I wish Zach LaVine was already back on that tampering grind, I closer look at content creator Joshua Gadson’s Instagram tells us that LaVine and Williamson are together for what appears to be an NBA 2k22/Mountain Dew content shoot. Still, it’s pretty damn cool to see LaVine involved in these promotional activities, especially alongside an NBA favorite in Williamson. I think it serves as a good reminder of, not only how far LaVine has come in recent years, but how else the Bulls might gain national attention this upcoming season. Between LaVine, Lonzo Ball, and DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls have three pretty well-known and marketable talents sitting on their roster.
• Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale decided to pick the most underrated player on each team heading into the 2021-22 season, and can you guess who he picked for the Bulls? I bet not! Favale went with DeRozan (*gasp*), and while this first provoked a double-take (double-mouse-scroll?), I kind of came around to the idea. A lot of people around the league have blasted Chicago for this overpay, leaving them to forget exactly the kind of player the team, acquired. DeRozan is a four-time All-Star who averaged 23.0 points and 7.4 assists per 36 minutes last season, which made for arguably one of the best individual seasons of his career. His career-high assist percentage (31.0 percent) helped demonstrate that the 32-year-old is still finding ways to develop his game. Add in the fact he remains one of the most lethal pick-and-roll talents in the league, and he will give Chicago a much-needed secondary halfcourt scorer alongside Zach LaVine.
• Also, speaking of still improving, I loved this quote from DeRozan at his introductory press conference. He is going to be a great veteran leader for this squad.
“My mindset was always, ‘how can I make everybody around me better and use them?’” DeRozan told reporters. “I was always known as a scorer, but as I matured and understood the game a little bit more, I wanted to better the guys around me to make my job easier late in games. It was just a conscious effort of me just understanding, wanting to make the guys around me better, build their confidence.”
• This imagine brings me immense joy.
More signs that the Bulls are #back. pic.twitter.com/vSO4g4DGiT
— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) August 21, 2021
• Asked and answered!
BN Bulls Mailbag: Zach LaVine’s Bulls Legacy, Patrick Williams’ Role, Playoff Potential, Morehttps://t.co/cS9FL8QcMm
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) August 20, 2021
• Mitch vs. Fields!
Looking For a Bounce Back, Cohen’s Message, HBD Punky QB, and Other Bears Bulletshttps://t.co/xmfnjlKAED
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) August 21, 2021
• Make sure to follow our Blackhawks coverage! They are another Chicago team having quite the active offseason.
Shuffling Prospects, USA Tops Switzerland, The Return of a Chicago Legend, and Other Blackhawks Bulletshttps://t.co/THio6dSSCR
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) August 21, 2021
