The Bulls were one of the fashionable preseason picks to dethrone the Heat this season, considering the return of Derrick Rose, the way Chicago has historically defended under Tom Thibodeau, and the fact that Miami is trying to become the first team to reach the Finals in four straight seasons since the Celtics did it 27 years ago.
Chicago may very well round into form over the grind of the 82-game season and ultimately give the Heat some problems. But they are a long, long way away from that goal, and opening night in Miami showcased that fact.
While the Bulls struggled to find their rhythm offensively, the Heat’s team defense looked ready to defend the team’s back-to-back titles from the opening tip. Miami had no trouble in its first game of the season, and led by as many as 25 points before ending up with the 107-95 opening night victory.
The scary thing for the rest of the league after this one might be the fact that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh didn’t have dominant individual performances offensively. They finished with 17, 13, and 16 points respectively, and did so combining to shoot less than 50 percent from the floor.
Instead of the stars taking over under the national spotlight, it was the bench of the Heat that was the difference in this one. While the Bulls were forced to roll out rookie Tony Snell (who was brutal), Nazr Mohammed, Kirk Hinrich, Taj Gibson, and Mike Dunleavy, the Heat countered with veterans who were more than capable of producing. Miami’s bench outscored Chicago’s 42-26, and did so by shooting a much higher percentage.
Derrick Rose returned to his first regular season NBA action since suffering a torn ACL injury in the 2012 playoffs, and while he looked explosive early, he struggled against the swarming team defense of the Heat. Rose finished with 12 points, four assists, and five turnovers in 34 minutes of action, while getting the majority of his looks from outside. Rose ended up just 1-of-7 from three-point distance, and shot just 4-of-15 from the field overall.
What this game showed more than anything is that the Bulls have a journey ahead of them to get to a level where they can challenge an elite team like the Heat. Miami showed us that despite the long offseason, the fact that the majority of the championship roster returned intact makes it seem like they’re already several steps ahead of their would-be challengers.