Bulls preseason: Exhibition schedule a good tune-up for regular season

With the start of the NBA season drawing closer, the Chicago Bulls will continue their 2012 preseason schedule on Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers from the University of Illinois' Assembly Hall.

Unable to sit around in Chicago after the game, the Bulls will then be forced to immediately fly to Minneapolis late Friday for another game the following day. Hardly indicative of most preseason schedules in other leagues, this back-to-back game situation very much pleases head coach Tom Thibodeau right out of the gate.

"That prepares you for what’s going to happen during the season," Thibodeau told K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. "So I do like that."

Scheduled for eight back-to-back sets before New Years, the Bulls opened their preseason with a win over Memphis on Tuesday despite shooting 1-for-21 from the field in the fourth quarter. Although Thibodeau wants to get an exhaustive look at his bench during the preseason, he still plans to give his starters roughly 25 minutes per night to keep everyone fresh. The rigorous exhibition scheduling offers plenty of time for everyone to get comfortable with their nightly role, even as the organization continues to wait patiently for the return of star point guard Derrick Rose.