Heightened Expectations
Tuesday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant is a game that fans circle on the calendar anyway, but with the trade rumors involving Kobe at the start of the season, this game has even greater importance for the fans.
A lot of people thought the Bulls were on the verge of getting Kobe Bryant. I don't know if that was ever true - probably not - but people wondered because he's the kind of Jordanesque scoring talent at the top of the NBA in this day and age. That makes this game a bit more "juicy", I guess.
The Bulls have won 6 of their last 9 games once they got out of November and off the Circus Trip to the West Coast. You're seeing the team play better ,but I think this is where we're going to find out what this team is made of starting tonight against the Lakers; then on the road in DC and Boston; at home against the Rockets; at San Antonio after Christmas; at home against Milwaukee; then at New York, followed by a New Year's Eve matinee against Orlando back at the United Center.
This is where you're going to find out if the Bulls have made the turn - if they have made the turn, they'll come out with a positive record against this tough schedule. If not, if they struggle through the games against this stiff competition, obviously, there's much more work to be done.