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Two Storylines to Watch in Suns First Preseason Game

The Phoenix Suns play their first preseason game tonight - here's what to watch for.

The Phoenix Suns play host to the Adelaide 36ers in their first preseason game of the 2022-23 season. 

After an offseason fueled by drama, rumors and ownership struggles, the Suns will simply be happy to hit the court and play basketball.

After a tough first week of camp, Phoenix enjoyed a nice open practice in front of over 10,000 fans at the Footprint Center in advance of their preseason opener. 

"It's a blessing. man. I talk about Phoenix everywhere I go. I don't understand why we haven't been spoken of as a flagship organization, fanbase and city," said Williams following the practice (h/t Duane Rankin).

"Just based on the quality of life here. But now the basketball team is something we feel like adds to that and you saw that today. I think people talked about it this summer, this is one of the hidden gems in the NBA, and you're starting to see it with this kind of turnout."

While no deep analysis is needed nor available for this meeting, there will be plenty to watch for when Phoenix takes the court. Here's some notable storylines when the ball is tipped:

Two Storylines to Watch in Suns First Preseason Game

How Will the New Guys be Involved?- The Suns retained no new outside starters on the roster, but the team did manage to add role players such as Damion Lee, Jock Landale and Josh Okogie. 

While Okogie is out due to injury, Lee and Landale are going to see action. It's only a matter of how much time, and that could be notable with the starters likely not playing. 

Sunday night is a great opportunity for fresh faces to give a preview of what's to come in Phoenix. 

How Deandre Ayton Meshes- It's been a long offseason for Deandre Ayton, and his Media Day appearance didn't do him any favors in regards to speculation of him being unhappy. 

However, all of that can be put to the side when Ayton returns to the court. While his performance will obviously be reviewed, many will be watching his body language and interaction with teammates/coaches. 

Chemistry is an important part of a championship team, we'll see if Ayton is able to put all the nonsense aside when he's between the lines.

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