The schedule isn't even here. Charlotte plays in Boston on Wednesday before this one, so it arrives with a game in its legs and whatever that rotation shows. Memphis has nothing on its calendar in between, which leaves it a full stretch to rest and settle its group at home. Both teams open the real season on October 21, the Hornets at Brooklyn and the Grizzlies against Utah, so expect coaches to manage minutes more than chase a result.
Charlotte's injury report is almost all guards, and that is the story of this game for them. Coby White strained his left calf in camp and is out for the preseason. Grayson Allen sat a game with right knee soreness, Christian Anderson has an ankle problem, and Kylan Boswell is still rehabbing his knee. Add Knueppel, and Grant Williams with a hamstring that wipes out his preseason, and the Hornets could be handing a lot of ball-handling minutes to players fighting for the end of the bench. That's a real look at their depth, even if it isn't a pretty one.
Memphis is thinner up front. Isaiah Stewart is out at least 2 weeks with an ankle injury, and Micah Peavy has been held out with an ankle of his own. That puts the focus on Zach Edey, who played only 11 games last season and is the biggest health question this franchise has. Every healthy minute he logs in October is worth watching. Boozer next to Edey is the pairing Memphis is betting its next few years on.
So go in with preseason expectations. The final score matters less than how Miller handles being the lead option without his co-star on the floor, and whether Boozer already looks like a 3rd overall pick against NBA bodies. Tipoff is 7:00 PM CT.