Bulls vs. Thunder 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online on Christmas

Two former college coaches leading NBA teams for the first time face off on Christmas.

Dec 25, 2015, 4:30 PM UTC

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

You're going to hear a lot of talk about college coaches making the transition to the NBA if you tune into this one. But while both the Thunder and Bulls boast strong records this season, Fred Hoiberg's tenure in Chicago is not going nearly as well as Billy Donovan's in Oklahoma City.

It’s not just that the Bulls have dropped towards the middle of the Eastern Conference’s standings. More problematic is the team’s impotent offense, the very thing Hoiberg was brought in to fix. Only three teams are scoring fewer points per 100 possessions than Chicago, who have yet to fully buy into Hoiberg’s preferred pace-and-space approach. That lack of belief in their new coach led to star Jimmy Butler calling out Hoibgerg’s laid back style earlier this week.

“I believe in the guys in this locker room but I also believe we probably have to be coached a lot harder at times,” Butler said. “I’m sorry, I know Fred is a laid back guy and I really respect him for that but when guys aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do, you have to get on guys --€” myself included.”

Butler later attempted to walk the comments back, but his feelings have been made clear. If not for their stellar defense the Bulls would find themselves towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

That said, this matchup against the surging Thunder should still be an intriguing one. Kevin Durant is playing as well as ever, averaging 27 points per game on 52 percent shooting. Russell Westbrook is averaging 24. The Thunder have been dominant offensively, and seeing how their attack fares against Jimmy Butler and the stout Bulls' defense should be fun.