Bulls 2012 Schedule: Breaking Down the Entire 2011-12 NBA Season for Chicago

In case you have been living under a rock, the NBA lockout is over.

The 2011-2012 season is going to have a condensed 66-game schedule. Each team will play two preseason games, both against the same team. 

So in the case of the Bulls, they will be facing the Indiana Pacers—who they beat in the first round of the playoffs—in the preseason. 

The schedule will be tough, with every team in the league playing three games in three nights at least once and some as many as three times.

Every team will play each other at least once, but when it comes to the Western Conference teams, the Bulls will either travel to them or host them, not both.

So we all know by know that the Bulls face the Lakers on Christmas Day to open the season, but who else do they play and when?

December

Camps open on December 9, and the Bulls will only have a week to get ready for their first preseason game and two weeks to get ready for their first regular season game. 

December 16 at Pacers: Preseason

December 20 vs Pacers: Preseason finale. First game at the United Center since Game 5 against the Miami Heat and only home game until the new year.

December 25 at Lakers: What a nice Christmas present for all the Bulls fans. Let's hope Kobe doesn't have Chris Paul and Dwight Howard playing with him. This is the only time the Bulls will face the Lakers.

December 26 at Warriors: Bulls could be checking out a trade target in Monte Ellis.

December 29 at Kings: Could this be Marcus Thornton's return to Sacramento?

December 30 at Clippers: Should we call this the Caron Butler bowl?

Sacramento is the only one of these four teams which will also travel to Chicago.

January

There is no place like home, and the Bulls will get to enjoy the comforts of home in the month of January with 10 home games. The Bulls have their only three games in three nights set this month. If you think three games in three nights is bad, how about five games in six nights? Ouch.

January 1 vs Memphis: If the Bulls strike out in free agency, they might be eyeing a trade for OJ Mayo.

January 3 vs Hawks: First of four matchups against the team the Bulls beat in the second round last season.

January 4 at Detroit: Could this be the return of Rip Hamilton to Detroit?

January 6 at Orlando: Let's hope Dwight Howard doesn't hurt Derrick Rose in this game like every other time they play in Orlando.

January 7 at Hawks: Usually it's Miami the next day after the Magic, but the NBA is saving those for later.

January 9 vs Pistons: The first of the three games in three nights.

January 10 at Minnesota: Finally get to see Ricky Rubio. Sadly, Kevin Love and company will not make an appearance at the UC this year.

January 11 vs Wizards: Rose vs John Wall is always fun to watch.

January 13 at Boston: First of four matchups with the Celtics. I wonder how they will do with all these games and very few days off?

January 14 vs Raptors: I almost want to chalk this up as a loss now because I think they are going to be gassed. Thank God they only go through a stretch like this once.

January 16 at Memphis: Even though he only spent one year of college there, people in Memphis love Derrick Rose.

January 17 vs Suns: Derrick Rose is trying to repeat as MVP just like Steve Nash did.

January 20 at Cleveland: The Bulls finally get two days off in nearly a month. Should be interesting to see the new look Cavs with Kyrie Irving.

January 21 vs Bobcats: We get to see how rebuilding around Tyrus Thomas and Kwame Brown is going.

January 23 vs Nets: Deron Williams vs Derrick Rose; the winner might get Dwight Howard.

January 25 vs Pacers: Bulls play the Pacers as many times this season as they did in the playoffs last season. That's counting the preseason of course.

January 27 vs Bucks: It would be awesome if Tom Thibodeau and Scott Skiles had a stare off at halftime.

January 29 at Miami: The first of four games with the Heat. The first of a nine-game road trip.

January 30 at Washington: Second of three matchups with the Wizards.

February

With the lockout, the Bulls got lucky and missed out on the "circus" road trip, but they still have to head out on the ice show trip. Chicago starts the month in the middle of their longest road trip by far of the season. The second longest was the opening four games of the season in California.

February 1 at 76ers: I wonder what the new 76ers mascot will be?

February 2 at Knicks: How will Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire do together for a full season?

February 4 at Bucks: Why are the Bulls coming from New York to play in Milwaukee just to go back East for the next game?

February 6 at Nets: They are still the New Jersey Nets for now. Thankfully, this is the only time they travel to the Nets this season.

February 10 at Bobcats: Seriously, why is this team still called the Bobcats? Can't Michael Jordan just name them the Air or something?

February 12 at Boston: Finally, the end of the nine-game road trip. Second trip to Boston, which means the next two games are in Chicago.

February 14 vs Kings:The Bulls return home for the first time since January 27. Nine games in 17 days.

February 16 vs Boston: Seeing a lot of games with the same opponent within about a week of each other. Game is only four days after their last game.

February 18 vs Nets: The last we will see of the Nets unless they make the playoffs.

February 20 vs Hawks: I wonder if the Hawks would take Carlos Boozer in exchange for Joe Johnson?

February 22 vs Bucks: The last game before the All-Star break. I bet this might be the one year where people are happy they don't make the team.

February 28 vs Hornets: If Chris Paul is no longer on this team, there is no way I'm going to this game.

February 29 at Spurs: I bet you didn't know it was leap year. The Bulls will spend this extra day playing the Spurs for the only time this season.

March

Just like in January, the Bulls will have the benefit of playing at home 10 times in the month of March. The trading deadline will happen at some time this month.

March 2 at Cleveland: Two cities united in their hatred of Lebron James and the Miami Heat.

March 4 at 76ers: Will Doug Collins be thinking about joining ESPN or TNT for the playoffs already?

March 5 vs Pacers: If they meet in the playoffs, they may play 12 times this season.

March 7 at Bucks: If the Bucks stay healthy, they might be able to give the Bulls a race in the Central.

March 8 vs Magic: Only time the Magic come to Chicago. Surprisingly, the NBA gave the Bulls four games each against the Heat and Celtics, but only three against Magic. Can we trade one of the Atlanta games?

March 10 vs Utah: Devin Harris is fast and is probably one of the few guys in the league who can stick with Rose.

March 12 vs Knicks: They may only host the Magic once, but they get the Knicks twice.

March 14 vs Heat: These two play three times over the next month.

March 16 vs Portland: Luol Deng must be bummed this is the only time the Bulls will play the Blazers.

March 17 vs 76ers: The Bulls are playing on St. Patrick's Day, which means green jerseys. 

March 19 at Magic: Last time they see the Magic until a possible playoff matchup.

March 21 at Toronto: The first of two matchups within a week.

March 24 vs Raptors: They haven't played them in over two months, but then play twice in a matter of days. Strange.

March 26 vs Nuggets: JR Smith, Wilson Chandler and Kenyon Martin might all be back from China in time for this game. I wonder if any of the three will be in a Bulls uniform for it.

March 28 at Hawks: Seriously, enough with the Hawks already.

March 30 vs Pistons: I would assume that Detroit will be out of the playoffs by this point.

April

Normally, April is a light month for games, but with the NBA adding an extra week this year, it is very different. Instead of the playoffs starting in the middle of the month, they won't start until April 28.

April 1 at Thunder: This is a cruel April Fools Day joke, right? This is the only time the Bulls will see Kevin Durant and the Thunder. So the Lakers, Spurs and Thunder don't come to Chicago at all this year.

April 2 vs Rockets: Only matchup against Houston. Rockets will be scouting Omer Asik and hoping the Bulls will give him up for Courtney Lee over the summer.

April 5 vs Boston: Final matchup of the season between these two.

April 8 at Knicks: First of a home-and-home series.

April 10 vs Knicks: The Bulls get all the major contenders four times except the Magic.

April 12 vs Heat: They play again just a week later.

April 15 at Pistons: If they weren't eliminated from playoff contention before, I am sure they are by now.

April 16 vs Wizards: Washington should be playing for next season by now.

April 18 at Bobcats: Seriously, it is hard to come up with things for every game.

April 19 at Miami: Home court could be determined by this game.

April 21 vs Dallas: The Bulls were supposed to open the season in Dallas and now had to wait almost all season to play them. 

April 25 at Pacers: I really hope they don't play in the playoffs.

April 26 vs Cleveland: Bulls get to end the season at home and get ready to open the playoffs the same way, hopefully.