The Chicago Bulls have an interesting preseason test on tap tonight against Malcolm Brogdon and the Indiana Pacers on the road.
For the second time in this five-game preseason slate for the Chicago Bulls, they will be taking on a Central Division foe. The Bulls opened up their preseason schedule on Oct. 7 against the reigning Central Division Champions Milwaukee Bucks. That showdown against the Bucks on Monday night came at home at the United Center and resulted in a 122-112 loss despite a solid effort.
Now the Bulls will get their second crack at knocking off a divisional opponent in the preseason. It will come with their first preseason game on the road, against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Tip off is set for Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. CT.
Moreover, the other preseason loss for the Bulls thus far came at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans. On Oct. 9, the Pelicans also downed the Bulls at home at the United Center by the final score of 127-125. That game was pretty close and the Bulls controlled the pace of play most of the way.
Yet, the Bulls have a new task looming ahead with a new-look Pacers team that they will see multiple times this season in divisional play. But this Pacers team will still be without star shooting guard Victor Oladipo for probably half of the upcoming regular season.
The biggest new addition to the Pacers roster from the offseason is the former Bucks standout guard Malcolm Brogdon. The 26-year-old 6-foot-5 combo guard is coming off his best NBA season with the Bucks and the Pacers landed him in a sign-and-trade deal during the summer.
For much of the game tonight, Bulls rookie point guard Coby White will be tasked with sticking on Brogdon on both ends of the floor. White leads the Bulls in minutes on the floor two games into the preseason slate. If Brogdon gets a significant amount of playing time tonight against the Bulls, him against White could really be a matchup to watch.
There are a lot of areas of Brogdon’s game that are strong suits that are also weak points for White. If head coach Jim Boylen continues to trust White in key spots tonight against the Pacers, this could be a great learning experience for White. Brodgon is a solid off-ball defender and a consistent outside shooter that also spaces the floor for his teammates.
Those are all things that White could learn better during his rookie season.
The Pacers come into this game with a 2-0 record so far during the preseason. Both of their wins came over the Sacramento Kings. Meanwhile, the Bulls are still looking for their first win of the preseason. Next up for the Bulls after facing the Pacers on Friday night is a Oct. 13 road test against the defending NBA Champions Toronto Raptors.
White is averaging 12.5 points per game, 2.5 rebounds, 2.0, and 1.5 turnovers through two preseason games.