Carmelo Anthony would be suiting up in Madison Square Garden's visiting locker room if the Chicago Bulls had their way. One of the summer's most coveted free agents nearly landed in the Windy City before taking a max contract to stay a New York Knick. A smart business move, sure, but one Anthony will regret once the Bulls steamroll through the Eastern Conference.

Chicago has talent all over the floor, starting with oft-injured franchise cornerstone Derrick Rose. A subpar FIBA World Cup showing overshadows Rose's ability to stay healthy throughout the tournament. But he's shaking the cobwebs off, first by averaging 11.6 PPG through the first five preseason games, moving up to 24.6 PPG through the last three, and ending with a 27-point effort against Minnesota last Friday.

The only obstacle in Chicago's way now is keeping their star players on the court and away from the medical staff. Rose has played just 10 games over the last two seasons, Joakim Noah was sidelined throughout the summer as he recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery, and Jimmy Butler- who went from a game-time decision to missing somewhere between 1-4 weeks- will miss tonight's season opener with a sprained left thumb.

Aside from Andrea Bargnani's hamstring injury, New York's biggest concern is learning a whole new offense. Team president Phil Jackson brought head coach Derek Fisher onboard to instill Jackson's obtuse triangle offense into the Knicks playbook. Learning the complex scheme will be a season-long project that likely ends without a playoff berth, especially if Anthony is the only one producing.

In speaking with an ESPN reporter over the summer, Fisher simply said "we have a lot of work to do." And he's right. New York took a step in the right direction by trading for former Mavericks point guard Jose Calderon, who expects to suit up tonight despite missing the final two preseason games with a strained calf muscle. Improvement also comes by playing Amar'e Stoudemire off the bench.

Stoudemire hasn't started more than 70 games since his inaugural season with the Knicks. He's an injury plagued big-man who Fisher overlooked when finding a replacement for Bargnani. They Knicks may not be a playoff team, but Jackson and Fisher's moves are moving them in the right direction.

When: October 29, 2014

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.

Tip-off: 8:00 p.m. ET

Live Stream: WatchESPN

TV: ESPN

What to Watch For:

Rose getting extended playing time - Rose didn't play more than 23 minutes in FIBA World Cup matches but averaged over 28 MPG in the Bulls' last three exhibition games. Then again, Rose put up similar numbers at the same point last fall and failed to make it past the regular season's second week.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau expects Rose to be near 32 minutes against New York, the same amount he spent against the Timberwolves, but that may change if Butler's replacement doesn't play well.

Noah and Gasol dominating the front court - Many labeled Pau Gasol a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Lakers. Chicago offers the Spaniard a clean slate.

Gasol is a natural fit to play alongside Rose and Noah. And while his style mirror's Noah's- both big men have pass-first mentalities- the duo is a dominant force around the basket. They are premier rim protectors that also put together a solid pick-and-roll. The only downside for the Bulls is in giving Taj Gibson a lesser role.

Noah averages 9.1 PPG and 9.5 RPG against New York while Gasol puts 19.6 PPG and an even 10 RPG over 19 meetings. With Bargnani sidelined, there little the Knicks can do to change that tonight.

Projected Lineups:

Chicago Bulls: PG Derrick Rose, SG Tony Snell, SF Mike Dunleavy, PF Pau Gasol, C Joakim Noah

Dallas Mavericks: PG Jose Calderon, SG Iman Shumpert, SF Carmelo Anthony, PF Jason Smith, C Samuel Dalembert