Tipping off the 2015-16 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls host the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center in a rematch of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, which ended in a 4-2 series win for LeBron James and the Cavs over Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and the Bulls.
This figures to be one of the biggest rivalries in the NBA this year, as the Bulls have had bad blood between them and LeBron ever since Rose ascended the Bulls to more than just a .500 team back in 2010-11.
Of course, James isn't making much of the first game of the year -- and nobody else should really as far as the rest of the season is concerned.
"It's not even fair to say what we'll look like the first game of the season, because it's not what we'll look like in January, February or even March," James said to USA TODAY Sports. "Your team changes from month to month, and obviously our team will be different from the start of the season compared to a third of the way into the season."
James outlined exactly what this first game means for both of these teams in that quote. The Cavs don't have Kyrie Irving back yet, who is still rehabbing that dislocated kneecap that he suffered during the playoffs last season, and the Bulls are going through a bit of an identity change with Tom Thibodeau out and Fred Hoiberg in as the head coach.
That said, Chicago is still likely seeking a little bit of revenge on this eve of the new season. The question is, will they be able to get it?
The Bulls will feature a rather different starting lineup this year despite the roster remaining mostly the same. Rose, Butler and Pau Gasol will still be the starting point guard, shooting guard and center, respectively. However, Tony Snell has taken over the small forward position with Mike Dunleavy injured, and Nikola Mirotic has supplanted Joakim Noah at power forward, likely in an attempt to spread the floor better.
Meanwhile, the Cavs will start Mo Williams in place of the injured Irving at point; J.R. Smith will start over Iman Shumpert at the two-guard spot; LeBron is again the three; Kevin Love returns at power forward; and Timofey Mozgov is the top center once more.
That said, the Bulls are 4.5-point favorites playing at home and have a full complement of players, unlike the Cavs. And with James not likely to go all out based on his comments, they should be able to get that revenge tonight.
Prediction: Bulls 101, Cavs 96.
Game Time, TV, Line and Live Stream Info:
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
TV: TNT
Line: -4.5 Bulls
Live Stream: Watch TNT
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