NEWSLETTER
The NBA’s full 2022-23 regular season schedule is set to drop on Wednesday afternoon, but it appears we already know how the Chicago Bulls will tip off their season.
According to NBC Sports Chicago’s David Kaplan, Zach LaVine and Co. will begin the season on October 19 in Miami – one day after the league’s opening night on October 18. As for the always highly-anticipated home-opener, the Bulls will battle the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center on October 22nd.
I think it’s pretty safe to say those are two tough matchups to start the year. But at least the Bulls will have a chance to prove immediately that they aren’t the same team that dropped game after game to the East’s top squads last season. Miami won all four of the matchups between the two in 2021-22, and they did so by an average of 15 points.
Meanwhile, the Bulls might have held off the Cavaliers in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race last season, but expectations remain high in Cleveland. With All-Stars in the backcourt (Darius Garland) and frontcourt (Jarrett Allen), as well as one of the brightest young players in the game (Evan Mobley), the Cavaliers are in line to be a formidable central division foe for years to come.
I’ll have more comprehensive thoughts on the schedule when it officially drops tomorrow. I’m hoping it’s far more balanced than what we saw last season (the second half was an absurd gauntlet), and the return of the TNT Bulls sure wouldn’t hurt. Stay tuned!
