Cavs vs. Bulls: Preview, Odds, TV

After a summer of focusing on internal development and roster refinement, the Cavaliers enter preseason eager to test the new systems Atkinson and his coaching staff have put in place. This preseason will be critical in evaluating three key areas: pace of play, Evan Mobley's expanded offensive responsibilities and depth in rotations, which will allow several players to solidify their roles ahead of the regular season.

“I think we keep pushing,” veteran striker Georges Niang said before Tuesday’s game. “That's one thing Kenny said: You definitely want to keep growing and playing faster… getting the ball up the court more with the pass than the dribble.

“We have two elite rim-running stars that get them to easy layups and dunks by running the floor and keep them motivated to run the floor so the ball gets to them through the pass more than that We dribble the ball in court.”

Atkinson has expressed his preference for a 10-man rotation, with the flexibility to expand that to 11 depending on the matchup. With the starting five essentially set – Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley – attention turns to the remaining spots in the rotation. Caris LeVert, a trusted player from Atkinson's tenure in Brooklyn, is expected to continue his influential role as the sixth man.

“I expect to still have a similar role to last year, which will give us some lift off the bench,” LeVert said during training camp at IMG Academy. “(I) feel pretty comfortable in that role too and was really proud of it last year.”

The preseason and start of the regular season offer Atkinson the opportunity to experiment with lineups while balancing his desire to maintain the elite defensive identity of the Cavs, who have ranked in the league's top 10 in defensive rating for three consecutive seasons. while continuing to develop their offensive plans to compete with the NBA's top teams.

Here's what you need to know about the Cavs' first preseason matchup:

WHO: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls

Series: First preseason game for the Cavs.

Where: Rocket Mortgage Field House.

When: 7pm ET.

The distribution of points: Cavs minus-4.5; O/U 219.5

TV: Bally Sports Ohio