Bulls 2016-17 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
The Chicago Bulls are going to look a lot different when they take the court for the 2016-17 season. The roster underwent an offseason makeover, highlighted by the exit of Derrick Rose and the arrival of Dwyane Wade, as the front office looked to push the team back into contention.
Rose and Wade weren't the only high-profile moves during the summer, though. The Bulls also added Rajon Rondo, Robin Lopez and Jerian Grant to a group led by Jimmy Butler while watching Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol leave during free agency.
The question is whether enough upgrades were made to get the franchise back into the playoffs after falling two games short last season. So let's check out all of the key information following the schedule release along with a prediction for the upcoming campaign.
2016-17 Details
Season Opener: Oct. 27 vs. Boston Celtics
Championship Odds: 40-1 (via Odds Shark)
Full Schedule: NBA.com
Top Matchups
Cleveland Cavaliers (Friday, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. ET)
The Cavs are the biggest roadblock on Chicago's path to success for the foreseeable future. The reigning NBA champions have won the Eastern Conference each of the past two years and also inhabit the Central Division alongside the Bulls.
While it's unlikely Chicago has amassed enough talent to overtake Wade's longtime buddy LeBron James and Co. quite yet, it should be a competitive season series. If nothing else, it's the ultimate litmus test as the Bulls attempt to prove they can make a deep run.
Jim Weber of Lost Lettermen projects them both as top-four seeds in the East:
These are also the games where Butler will need to prove himself most if he wants to get considered among the league's upper echelon of players. He must battle to a draw, or somewhere close, with James and let the games get decided by the other players, which would give Chicago a legitimate chance.
Since the teams are longtime rivals, these matchups always mean a little bit more, regardless of the surrounding circumstances. That said, with the Bulls' offseason moves, the rivalry could take another step back toward the forefront.
New York Knicks (Friday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. ET)
Rose and Noah are obviously the main reason games with the Knicks will garner so much attention. The point guard's exit didn't come as a major surprise because his health prevented him from playing at his previous MVP level, which led to a lot of frustration for everybody involved.
Going to New York gives him a fresh start, and it will be interesting to see the type of reception he, along with Noah, receives in the first game back in Chicago. Beyond that, however, these two teams could very well end up battling for playoff positioning during the latter stages of the season.
The Knicks have generated quite a bit of optimism with an offseason of notable maneuvers. They have added Rose and Noah to the tandem of Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, giving the team a strong foundation and a chance to make some noise.
MSG Networks highlighted the increasing sense of confidence in New York:
With both rosters retooled, it will be interesting to see which team becomes a bigger threat, which depends heavily on how well Rose plays in New York. The best possible outcome from an entertainment standpoint is a first-round playoff matchup between the teams.
Record Prediction
The Bulls are a more complete team on paper. Rondo is still one of the best floor generals in the league, and Chicago has a lot of weapons around him on the perimeter in Butler, Wade, Grant and Denzel Valentine, who should provide plenty of value as a rookie.
That said, the question is how many more wins might the moves equate to given the overall level of competitiveness in the East beyond the top two or three teams. It's possible they are only a handful of wins better despite makings some good moves.
Even if the changes don't lead to a major jump, shaking things up was the right way to go. Sam Smith of NBA.com passed along comments from general manager Gar Forman about the sense he was getting that led him to an aggressive offseason.
"We had this window of opportunity," Forman said. "Obviously, injuries played a part where we couldn't reach our ultimate goal to be a championship team. But we thought we had a window to compete at a high level. But through injuries and age…we felt that window was coming to a close."
Everything would need to fall in place perfectly for the Bulls to contend for a championship this season. That probably includes making a midseason trade for another frontcourt asset if the first half of the campaign suggests they have a legitimate chance.
All told, expect Chicago to challenge for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. It wouldn't be a shock to see the Bulls make a run at 50 wins, but something in the 44-46 win range seems like a safe projection based on last year's results and the offseason changes.
Prediction: 45-37
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