Who: Phoenix Suns (0-1) vs. Chicago Bulls (0-0)
When: 5:00pm Arizona Time
Where: United Center — Chicago, Illinois
Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports, Suns+
Listen: KMVP 98.7
The Suns checked out of Heartbreak Hotel with a one-point loss in preseason game number one. That hotel is kind of like the one you check into for five hours of shut-eye on a long trip – not memorable – as these games don’t count.
Our starters were mostly solid, and the team built a 19-point first-half lead. Things got sloppy as the team committed 22 second-half turnovers. Coach Jordan Ott will want to see a cleaner game tonight, especially as the Suns have had a game to dust things off while the Bulls are playing their opener. This is Tiago Splitter’s first game as Chicago’s head coach.
It’s another chance to monitor all those season storylines: how it looks during the minutes Phoenix’s starters play, which players fighting for rotation spots perform well with the core, and who steps up on the back end of the roster.
Tale of the Tape
All of the statistics listed below are from last season.
Probable Starters
Injury Report
Suns
- Mark Williams — OUT (Shoulder)
Bulls
- Nicolas Claxton — OUT (Hamstring)
- Zach Collins — Game Time Decision (Toe)
What to Watch For
- Game one was a nice first step for integrating Miles Bridges with the starters. Will his overall game continue to gel?
- Per an SI interview on Tuesday, coach Splitter said of his two young starting forwards, “I want them to be a little more aggressive, dictating the offense instead of just waiting to attack.” This is a good opportunity to see how the Suns’ switchable defenders, such as Brooks, Bridges, and bench mobsters Rasher Fleming, Jordan Goodwin, and Koa Peat, perform.
- Will the free-throw shooting improve? Special attention to this for players such as Ighadaro, Fleming, Peat, and Khaman Maluach, who shot a combined 1-for-10 in the preseason game 1.
- Will Maluach get more run with the starters to see how that may look going forward? Or does it appear Ott is set on giving the rookie more time before being thrust into the starting lineup?
Keys to a Suns Win
- Play a clean game with fewer lost possessions, as seen in the second half Monday night. The preseason can set a tone, and one that includes sloppy ball control is not the tone we want.
- New Bulls guard Norman Powell seems to go off on the Suns, as evidenced by three 20-point games in his last four matchups. Can he be defended soundly without unnecessary fouls or wide-open three-point looks?
- The Suns’ center rotation takes advantage of Jalen Smith and a dinged-up big man crew for Chicago.
Prediction
Suns get the W in sound fashion, continuing to show the first unit’s potential and shooting better at the stripe, while taking advantage of the Bulls’ first-game sloppiness.
Suns 112, Chicago 98
