The NBA preseason is finally here. After a long summer, the Chicago Bulls return to action on October 7, squaring off with last year’s Eastern Conference leaders, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yet ahead of the much-anticipated matchup, plenty of questions remain.

Who’s in and who’s out? How will Chicago’s newest addition, 18-year-old rookie Noa Essengue, look in his debut? And most importantly, which five will Billy Donovan send out to open the exhibition season?

It’s expected that Coby White won’t suit up after suffering a calf strain in August. The injury reportedly isn’t serious, but VP of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas said White will be limited throughout training camp as he works his way back. More telling, White was spotted in street clothes at practice over the weekend—rebounding and passing to teammates instead of getting shots up.

White’s absence sets off a snowball effect. As the Bulls’ starting shooting guard, his spot leaves a hole Donovan must fill. It’s not so simple, though, especially with Chicago’s starting small forward still undecided, leaving two key spots up for grabs.

Deciding Chicago’s fifth starter: shooting or defense?

With Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Nikola Vucevic already locked in as starters, the battle for the final two spots comes down to Dalen Terry, Isaac Okoro, Kevin Huerter, Patrick Williams, and Tre Jones.

Terry has reportedly been making waves as he enters the final season of his rookie contract. His frame, ball skills, and defense make him an enticing fit in Chicago’s uptempo offense, though he’s still less proven than the others. Williams is the opposite: long considered a tantalizing prospect, he’s never fully put it all together after numerous stints as a starter.

That leaves Okoro, Huerter, and Jones. Jones, however, as a natural floor general, fits better off the bench, leaving Okoro and Huerter as the realistic contenders. As a result, the likely starting five should be Giddey, Huerter, Okoro, Buzelis, and Vucevic.

That five is Chicago’s most complete unit, offering spot-up shooting and point-of-attack defense while complementing the core trio of Giddey, Buzelis, and Vucevic. Huerter and Giddey proved to be a terrific combination last season, while Okoro is essential for shoring up Chicago’s perimeter defense.

With Huerter and Okoro both bringing key skills, the bigger question is who will be the fifth starter once White is healthy. We won’t know until the regular season begins, or whenever Donovan makes the call. The preseason, however, should help Chicago determine which player fits more seamlessly with the core.

Is Huerter’s shooting more valuable to stretch defenses and streamline Chicago’s offense? Or is Okoro’s rugged perimeter defense essential alongside Chicago’s weaker defenders? That remains to be seen. For now, playing both players together is Donovan’s best bet at assessing the Bulls’ best lineup.