Despite low expectations, Chicago Bulls ready for regular season opener
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The NBA regular season opens this week and the Chicago Bulls tip-off on Wednesday night in New Orleans.
With a guard-heavy roster lacking a legitimate superstar, wins may be hard to come by but don't tell that to the optimistic Bulls.
Head coach Billy Donovan said there's excitement for every team just before the season, even for a Bulls team that doesn't have high expectations.
"It's not gonna be easy for us, you know, we've talked a lot about that," Donovan said. "It's great we're excited for the first day of training camp, it's great we're excited for the first game, but how are we gonna confront the adversity, the challenges that are gonna be in front of us, and there's gonna be certain things athletically, physically, maybe even talent-wise that we're gonna have to overcome collectively."
New Bulls guard Josh Giddey said he doesn't have a chip on his shoulder after Chicago did not extend his contract by Monday's deadline, making him the highest pick from the 2021 draft to not get one.
"You've got to earn these contracts," Giddey said. "They don't just hand them out. So, I thought my third year probably wasn't deserving of what those other picks got, so it's up to me to go out there and earn that type of money."
Donovan said guard Lonzo Ball will continue to be limited to around 16 minutes a game and probably won't play in the second game of back-to-backs, but he's impressed with how he had handled playing in limited stints in the preseason. The coach is also excited to see that play in the regular season starting on Wednesday.
