The Cleveland Cavaliers plan to put their regular starting lineup on the floor when they host the Chicago Bulls in their preseason opener Tuesday night, head coach Kenny Atkinson said.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EST at Rocket Arena, with FanDuel Sports Network carrying the broadcast. Atkinson cautioned that, because it is still the preseason, his first unit will not log heavy minutes.
Much of the focus will be on guard Lonzo Ball, acquired from Chicago in the offseason deal that sent Isaac Okoro to the Bulls. Ball told reporters that he will sit out back-to-back games early in the year and expects to be limited to roughly 20 minutes per outing while he works back into full game shape.
Atkinson, entering his second season at the helm, will also get a first in-game look at his revamped starting group against Ball’s former team. Last October, Cleveland went 0-4 in exhibition play but responded by winning its first 15 regular-season games on the way to a 64-18 record, the best in the Eastern Conference.
Source: Hoops Wire
