As it sits right now we are only 2 months away from the beginning of the 2021-22 NBA season. Even better we are only about 5 weeks away from the Bulls kicking off training camp. Today the NBA regular season schedule was released. The anticipation around the Bulls schedule has been much more present than in recent years. After making some huge acquisitions this offseason the expectation for the Bulls is to have more primetime matchups. Well now that the schedule has been released we can see the NBA is still sleeping on the Bulls
Heres’s the #Bulls’ schedule for 2021-‘22. pic.twitter.com/zcw8BlQZWC
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) August 20, 2021
As it sits right now the Bulls will be featured in 12 primetime games if you count NBA TV as primetime. Comparing that to the 4 primetime games the team had last season this is a bit better. But this team deserves much more credit than they are getting. The NBA is too busy focusing on the fact they went 31-41 last season. They should be focusing on the fact that they brought in two brand new starters who are going to lift this team to the playoffs. Either way here we are. The Bulls will have a handful of games on national tv. There will be plenty of great games ahead especially to start the year.
Lonzo Ball revenge game
One of the more exciting games for new Bulls addition Lonzo Ball will occur right away. The Bull’s first home game will be against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 22nd. This will be Ball’s 2nd official game with the Bulls and a chance for him to show the Pelicans they made a mistake.
This will also be a good game to see how the Bull’s defense will play overall. Surely this team will still have to work out some kinks with a new starting lineup but this game is an opportunity for Ball to show his point guard skills. It’s going to be exciting to get a game right away that has some meaning. While it’s only truly going to be meaningful to Bulls fans and Ball it will add excitement to an already hyped season. Let’s hope Lonzo can go out there and show exactly why the Bulls wanted him in Chicago.
Tough storms ahead
While this Bulls team improved drastically this offseason they still have some tough games to come. This schedule has a brutal stretch right away for this team. It starts just four games into the schedule. In that stretch, they play 13 games in 21 days including 5 straight on the road against some tough competition. The Bulls will face off against 11 playoff teams from last season over this stretch. If this team is serious about being a contender this will be a great test for them.
Beginning of November is a GAUNTLET:
Jazz (Oct. 30th)
Celtics
76ers
76ers
Nets
Dallas
Warriors
Clippers
Lakers
Blazers
Nuggets
KnicksWe’re going to see what this team is made of early.
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) August 20, 2021
This stretch of games is going to be a serious test for the Bulls. An early test is just what this team will need. Last season this team was plagued with losing streaks. They had six 3+ game losing streaks last season. One of which was a 6 game losing streak. With this new core, the team simply can’t have stretches like that. This chunk of games along with a couple of others are critical. This is a completely new group for the Bulls and they don’t seem to be the type to be okay with losing streaks. The good thing here is the Bulls were fortunate enough to get some easy breaks in the schedule.
The games the Bulls have to win
In every sports schedule, you are likely to find a stretch of games that are labeled “easy”. The 2021-22 Bulls schedule is no different. The Bulls will be fortunate to have a nice stretch in February where they won’t need to leave home much. It’s also a bonus that the majority of teams they meet in February aren’t top-tier teams.
The Chicago Bulls play 3 road games and 9 homes games in February.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) August 20, 2021
With a lineup of Orlando, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, and other teams in that tier the Bulls have a nice February schedule. These are the games the Bulls 100% need to win. Last season the Bulls were faced with multiple “easy win” games that they ultimately lost. If this team wants to show they belong in the playoffs then stretches like these are a must-win. There’s going to be a lot to pick apart with this schedule but as it sits right now the Bulls look like they can succeed and secure a playoff spot.
We are only 61 days away from watching meaningful Bulls basketball again. The Bulls are officially back and the excitement is high in Chicago.
