Cavaliers at Bulls
LeBron James claims he will be ready to play in Cleveland's season
opener and Chicago Bulls point guard Derek Rose is expressing similar
sentiments about Tuesday's contest in Chicago. James missed two weeks of
practice due to lower-back issues but is ready to help the Cavaliers
return to the NBA Finals, while Rose is back after breaking an orbital
bone earlier this month.
Cleveland coach David Blatt plans to rest the 30-year-old James more this season to save wear and tear during a campaign the team expects will again last into June. "There's a lot of questions about my health and about my durability and things like that over the last couple weeks," James told reporters. "So it's just all about my mind frame and how I approach the game and how I approach practices and how I approach my team when we go out there. We will be great, and how great is up to us." The Bulls parted ways with coach Tom Thibodeau after losing to Cleveland in the second round of the playoffs and the new leader is former Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg. Rose played for the first time in the preseason finale on Friday and only a setback would prevent him from playing on Tuesday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (2014-15: 53-29): Cleveland begins the season without star point guard Kyrie Irving (fractured kneecap during the NBA Finals) but most of the key supporting cast members return. Power forward Kevin Love opted to stay by landing a five-year, $110 million contract while backup power forward Tristan Thompson didn't sign his five-year, $82 million deal until last week. “I’m a veteran – I know what my niche is and what I bring to this team,” Thompson told reporters. “How can I help this team get better and bring us back to that stage that we were just in back in June? That’s me playing hard, guarding multiple positions, finish around the rim, block shots. That’s what I bring to this team and I just need to make sure I keep doing that."
ABOUT THE BULLS (2014-15: 50-32): Rose has constantly dealt with injuries over the past three seasons and is ready to hit the court after feeling comfortable in Hoiberg's offense in his preseason debut. "I saw openings and I got all the way to the basket so I can take this and put it in the bank," Rose told reporters. "It's very encouraging. It's scary for my confidence right now. The last thing I need is any more confidence. I'm going to take this and run with it." Shooting guard Jimmy Butler teams with Rose to form a strong backcourt and Chicago is solid up front while being led by power forward Pau Gasol and center Joakim Noah.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Cleveland went 3-1 against Chicago in the regular season before winning the second-round playoff series in six games.
2. Bulls SF Mike Dunleavy (back) is sidelined for at least another six weeks after undergoing surgery in late September.
3. Cavaliers SG Iman Shumpert (wrist) will miss the first two-plus months of the season after undergoing surgery in late September.