Howard and Mbenga suiting up, Jones out

Any confusion about Josh Howard not playing tonight against Chicago was cleared up before the game. Howard has to sit out the first two games of the season serving a suspension.

“He’ll play,” Avery Johnson said. “He needs to play because he’s a guy that’s going to have a longer break than all of us.”

Johnson will purposely look at combinations without Howard on the court in preparation for Cleveland and Atlanta.

DJ Mbenga is also set to make his preseason debut. Though he hasn’t played since suffering a torn ACL in February, Mbenga is confident he’ll be able to contribute once the season starts.

“I’ll be ready to do my job,” he said.

Eddie Jones is sitting the game out after starting four of the last five. Trenton Hassell is getting his first start of the preseason.