Golden State Warriors (0-0) at Los Angeles Lakers (0-0)
Tipoff: Sat 10/5/2013, 7:00PM PDT
Location: Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, CA
TV: NBA TV | Radio: KNBR
Livetweet: @LetsGoWarriors (by @goldenstatenz)
After a grueling training camp where the deep Warriors have reinforced a culture of attacking each other and making each other better, power forward Draymond Green and head coach Mark Jackson both said yesterday that the team is eager to face an opponent in a game setting. Enter the Lakers.
“Last year we were trying to win every preseason game,” Green said, “trying to change the culture. (This year) it’s more about shaking the rust off, getting into game form, and at the end of the day getting your rest and getting healthy for the season.”
The Lakers, meanwhile, obviously have Kobe Bryant on the shelf, but are expecting to have Nick Young start. Per LakersNation.com, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol are not expected to play, either:
With Nash and Gasol likely watching from the sidelines tomorrow night, head coach Mike D’Antoni will likely go with Steve Blake and Chris Kaman to shoulder the load as the starters at point guard and center. Wesley Johnson, Nick Young and Jordan Hill will be the three other starters against Golden State.
Jackson was mum on who the Warriors were going to start.
“I know who I’m going to start, but I’m going to hold onto it,” Jackson said. He also cautioned that when his starters are announced, “Don’t read anything into it, whatever way I go,” although he stated he would limit 24 minutes for the “main guys”, which include, in no particular order, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, David Lee, Andrew Bogut, and Harrison Barnes.
I asked Jackson if he had a plan for minutes for the younger players, and Coach responded by saying, “It depends on the younger player.” When asked about Nemanja Nedovic, Jackson said that Nedovic would get an opportunity to play. As such, Warriors fans can probably expect significant minutes for players like Kent Bazemore, Green, and Marreese Speights.
The Dubs are looking more inward for this first preseason game, as opposed to any concerns about the Lakers or matchups.
“We play them four times in the next, what, 25 days,” Green added, “(Tonight’s game) will be more about us, working off the rust, getting in game shape, executing some of the things we want to execute. It’ll be more about that as opposed to trying to figure the Lakers out.”
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