National Basketball Association

Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls: Game Outlook

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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It’s time. The Chicago Bulls open their season at home against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. This will mark the first game in a Bulls uniform for Dwyane Wade.

There are going to be many storylines running when the Bulls tip off against Boston on Thursday night. It’s the first game of the season, the first home game, Dwyane Wade’s first regular season game as a Bull and in the United Center. What about Jimmy Butler, or the Rajon Rondo experiment, or the ever-complex power forward situation? And then there are all the players vying for the primary backup minutes – Doug McDermott, Denzel Valentine, Michael Carter-Williams, Jerian Grant, Cristiano Felicio, Bobby Portis.

There are more and more angles to look at every single day, never a dull moment in Chicago. But this is going to be the launching of a campaign and not a state of the union address. Still, the Bulls are lacking for a true statement of purpose, which falls primarily on the front office and their inconsistency. It’s all going to play out.

The first game of 82 is our focus today. The Celtics are in town, fresh off a 122-117 win over the Brooklyn Nets. After Chicago, Boston will be off to Charlotte to take on the Hornets on Saturday.

Though not necessarily fair, Brad Stevens is to Boston what many expected, or hoped, Fred Hoiberg would be for the Bulls. The two teams were also rumored to be partners in unsuccessful trade negotiations at the deadline. The game will be an opportunity for Chicago to measure themselves against the Celtics, one of the top teams in the conference.

Oct 8, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade (3) reacts during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

From Chicago – Dwyane Wade

All the positive vibes that Chicago can offer will be pointed squarely at Wade. He’s the man of the hour, the free agent who got away once before and the addition to the roster that the Bulls splashed cash for which they truly believe makes them a playoff threat.

The reality is that Wade probably plays the lowest minutes per game of his career. Still, due to the deficiencies of the rest of this squad, he should still get his fair share of buckets. He’ll miss a lot of games and doesn’t make Chicago any more of a contender than they were before signing him for big money.

What the Bulls get is a continuity in having a native son. It will make everyone feel better when the starting lineups are announced, and blaring from the speakers, reverberating off every surface, gathering what enthusiasm can be mustered from the beleaguered Chicago fan base we all hear, “From Chicago…”

The shine will eventually fade, but for now, Chicago has a new champion in Wade. Much like LeBron James performed in the Cavaliers home opener on ring ceremony night, he probably wants to have a statement game in his first appearance as a home team player on the United Center floor.

Oct 15, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) and guard Avery Bradley (0) battle for a loose ball during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

How do the Bulls Stack Up?

The Bulls were one of the best teams in the conference for about half a decade. Tom Thibodeau pushed this team to the maximum and got not maximum results. For several years, Chicago was one of the best teams in the East, pushing LeBron and the Miami Heat, keeping the pressure on everyone during the regular season.

Things have changed. We’re in year two of Fred Hoiberg and the first season of Hoiberg without resistant veterans like Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose. They’re also predicted to finished at or under the 40-win mark. It’s an ambiguous number that doesn’t really explain if Chicago is expected to succeed and make the playoffs or if they are destined to win too many games, push themselves out of high end of the lottery and miss the playoffs.

On the other side of the ball, Boston is the real deal this year. Stevens keeps showing himself to be the best young coach in the league. This Celtics squad is projected to finish either first or second in the East, pushing the Cavaliers better than anyone else.

Everyone knows that Boston is the better team. Just how much better is what we don’t know at this point. Tonight, we’re going to get a good look and just how far apart they are.

Oct 8, 2016; Uncasville, CT, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) dunks in a preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The Trade (That Wasn’t)

On draft day, the league was on fire with rumors about what the 76ers and Lakers were going to do with the top two picks. But the interest in a potential trade between Chicago and Boston or the Bulls and Timberwolves was the looming transaction that everyone was waiting for right up to the moment when the Wolves selection came and went and nothing happened.

There was the portion of the rumors that centered around a Kris Dunn-for-Jimmy Butler trade for Minnesota and Chicago, but the real talk was about the Celtics and Bulls. With multiple picks, Boston had all the pieces to work with in any trade scenario. Ultimately, nothing they had was enough to pry Butler free from Chicago.

Two things to watch for will be how Jimmy plays against the Celtics. Is he going to be sending a message to the team that wouldn’t cough up enough assets to secure a trade or does he use this game as motivation to open strong and let Bulls management know that he’s still one of the top wing players in the entire league?

The other side of this is rookie Jaylen Brown. We don’t know if Chicago was interested in Brown, but we do know that he was the player selected at No. 3, the pick that Boston was rumored to be dangling in a Butler trade offer. In his debut on Wednesday night against Brooklyn, Brown put up nine points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks in 19 minutes.

Oct 20, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott (11) attempts a shot against the Atlanta Hawks at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Atlanta defeated Chicago 97-81. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

All Hands on Deck

The Bulls have a considerably healthier team than they did for what amounts to almost the entire season last year. Whether it was Mike Dunleavy, Nikola Mirotic, Derrick Rose or Joakim Noah – among others – the Bulls were almost always missing important pieces due to injury. Heading into their season opener on Thursday, the team is in good health.

Cristiano Felicio was dealing with a neck injury, but could go full practice heading into the opener. Denzel Valentine missed almost the entire preseason schedule because of an ankle injury, but he’s probable to make his Bulls debut during the season opener on Thursday night.

If Valentine can make his rookie debut, it would give the fans a little more to talk about and that’s a good thing. The health of Felicio is particularly important because he is the backup center.

Boston will be shorthanded; Kelly Olynyk will be out with a shoulder injury. He probably doesn’t figure into any of the short-term plans for the Celtics. Marcus Smart is a different story. He’s injured but should be ready to roll soon. However, he will miss the game at the United Center.

With Smart and Olynyk missing, this will be the best chance for Chicago to steal a game. They already have a lot to play for, but the pride of being one of the best teams in the East will be put to the test when they take on a team that will be one of the best in the East. At least they have their health.