The Phoenix Suns (0-2) once again let up in the second half in preseason play - this time in a 124-117 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday

Wednesday night's showing lent a mixed bag for Suns fans to digest - there was a bit of good, bad, and ugly to come out of the battle. 

Follow the major assessments from the game below.

Third-year center Oso Ighodaro appears to be fully comfortable in a starting role. The second start of preseason play was a fruitful one for the Marquette product, as he came out the only starter with a positive plus-minus (+3), indicating the impact he brought to the floor.

In extension of Ighodaro is second-year former lottery pick Khaman Maluach. The Duke product scored 8 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out four assists, and took five free throw attempts across 25 minutes of action. 

Perhaps the most encouraging sign between the duo is the constant activity on defense and the general high motor each brings to the defensive side of the ball.

Phoenix is unfortunately following-up a strong output from three-point range in game one with a more tepid effort Wednesday.

Sure, Collin Gillespie and Dillon Brooks shot 6-11 from beyond the arc. The effort from the rest of the team was less-than-ideal. 

Devin Booker is bringing a rough 0-8 mark into the next game, while sharpshooter Luke Kennard was more active inside of the arc in comparison to pushing three-point volume.

Replacing Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen will be a work-in-progress, but there are still signs of progress in the fold.

This is the second consecutive game that the Suns ceded a major lead. 

Phoenix led by as much as 15 points, and were ahead in the latter half of the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, lapses in specific possessions (including 26 turnovers), shooting slightly worse at the free-throw line, and losing the fast-break point battle (12-11) were enough around the margins in the loss. 

Booker spoke after Monday night's loss, making the point that the way Phoenix finishes games must be uniform regardless of the unit that is on the floor in crunch time.

The last two games don't lend much reason to be confident that those in the Suns' 9-15 range of the rotation will be able to directly contribute to victories early on in the 82-game season.