Wade opens Bulls career vs. Celtics

The Chicago Bulls will have, perhaps, the most fitting opponent of any team in the NBA for a season-opening game Thursday night at the United Center.

Chicago will debut its retooled roster against the Boston Celtics, with the Bulls' "Three Alphas" -- otherwise known as guards Jimmy Butler, Dwayne Wade and Rajon Rondo -- leading the way.

It is a familiar structural concept to Rondo, the veteran point guard who signed with the Bulls in the offseason. In the early stages of his career, Rondo was a member of the Celtics when the "Big Three," of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce led Boston to the 2008 NBA title.

Rondo and Wade are both aging, but feel they can help Butler bring the Bulls back to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference -- if not achieve loftier goals.

Outside of the Bulls and their "Three Alphas," expectations are low. Butler, however, said he isn't paying attention to prognostications.

"I don't think (criticism) motivates us to do anything," Butler told the Chicago Sun-Times. "They're going to say and do whatever they're going to say and do whatever they want to do and say anyways. So ... motivation? Nah. Motivation is we get to go out and compete and put on for this organization every day."

Wade and Rondo weren't the lone additions to the Bulls' roster, however.

After trading former point guard Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks, the Bulls blew up last season's roster with a significant overhaul for coach Fred Hoiberg's second season. They will start out with 14 players, one short of the NBA maximum, and will have eight faces making their Bulls regular-season debut.

Along with Rondo and Wade, Chicago will unveil center Robin Lopez, recently acquired backup guard Michael Carter-Williams, rookie guard Denzel Valentine, guard Jerian Grant, guard Isaiah Canaan and German rookie forward Paul Zipser.

Wade, Rondo and Butler will start, along with Lopez and power forward Taj Gibson -- who earned a starting role over Nikola Mirotic. That starting five is geared more for slugging it out in the paint than spreading the floor and draining 3-pointers.

"We feel like (Gibson) has played excellent basketball throughout the preseason," Hoiberg said this week. "He's been good in practices. We've talked to our guys about that. Niko has had a couple good practices in a row now. You try to get him in a good rhythm coming out of the gate, but that's the way we're going to start."

The Celtics will be a good test for Chicago, after opening their season Wednesday night with a 122-117 win over against the Brooklyn Nets -- to whom they traded Garnett and Pierce in a deal that is paying dividends for Boston in a bevy of draft picks that were acquired.

Isaiah Thomas led Boston with 25 points and nine assists against Brooklyn, and Jae Crowder added 21 points.

The Celtics are coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, and they added four-time NBA All-Star Al Horford, who signed a four-year free agent contract worth $113 million. Horford's veteran experience up front is expected to mesh nicely with Boston's young core group.

He contributed 11 points, six assists and five rebounds Wednesday as Boston held on to top the Nets. Brooklyn trailed by 21 with 5 1/2 minutes left yet had two chances to tie in the late going.

"That's the NBA for you," Horford said. "I think it will humble you sometimes. We had a comfortable lead and we thought it was fine, but this is a good learning experience for our group."

Role players Marcus Smart (ankle) and Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) are injured to start the season, but the Celtics are confident their replacements can grant enough rest to the starters.

In the opener, the Celtics chalked up 36 assists on 48 baskets -- the most assists by a team in an NBA opener since 2001. They also committed 19 turnovers.

"We could have even had more assists if we knocked down our open shots," Thomas said.