There's no board for this game yet, and with a preseason game that's normal. Rotations get set by practice plans more than matchups. The useful question for Wednesday is who plays and for how long, and neither coach has said.
For Chicago, this is Tiago Splitter's first exhibition on the home floor in a camp built around new veterans getting used to a young core. Zach Collins is the name to watch. Splitter said Collins has a soft tissue injury in his toe and wasn't expected to practice Tuesday, which leaves his status for the opener up in the air. Coaches don't push a frontcourt vet in October, so if Collins sits, more minutes go to the young bigs.
With both frontcourts thinned out, the paint is where this game is most worth watching. Phoenix is trying to find out whether Ighodaro or Maluach can hold the starting job. Chicago may be playing without Collins. Neither team will show much of its playbook in early October, but the big-man minutes tell you more than the final score will.
After this, the Bulls host Memphis on Friday and go to Denver on Sunday, so Wednesday is the first of 3 games in 5 nights. Expect starters to play limited minutes and a lot of the fourth quarter to go to camp invites. Watch the first 2 quarters if you're watching for real information.




