What to know about the Chicago Bulls' 2023-24 season

The Chicago Bulls their 2023-24 season tonight at the United Center, hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder.

If you haven't followed the Bulls recently, here's a quick primer you can use if you find yourself at an opening night party.

What's happening: The Bulls are back. Well, the same Bulls are back. While other teams in the East spent the offseason trading for superstars, Chicago stood pat, seemingly content with another run at the play-in tournament.

• The Bulls have missed the playoffs in five of the last six seasons.

Reality check: The Bulls are snake-bitten. They have been patiently waiting for superstar point guard Lonzo Ball to return from a knee injury he suffered in 2020, but three surgeries later and he is still sidelined.

• A quick "It's like D Rose all over again," will signal to your friends that you know Bulls history, which is what Bulls fans live for.

Zoom in: The coaching staff wants the team to shoot more three-pointers. The Bulls were dead last in the league on three-point attempts last year, so that tracks.

• They brought in Jevon Carter from Milwaukee and promoted Coby White to the starting lineup.

• "Will the NBA let Craig Hodges come back?" Now you are mixing history AND politics, which is well-rounded.

Bench mob: The Bulls will rely on their stars Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan to carry the team, but they still have Chicago native Ayo Dosunmu and spark plug Alex Caruso coming off the bench.

• "Hey, they ain't Cliff Levinston, but these guys will do."

The bottom line: Take a bow. You just got invited back for the next party.

Read more: Axios Local breaks down the rest of the NBA Central division.