NBA BASKETBALL
Lakers, Warriors anxious to start
The NBA teams square off twice this week in Honolulu
With a grueling week of two-a-day practices behind them, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are eager to finally see some new faces on the court.
Lakers vs. Warriors
When: Tomorrow and Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Where: Stan Sheriff Center
Tickets: $10, $25, $35 and $80. Available at the Sheriff Center, Aloha Stadium, UH Campus Center, Rainbowtique at Ward Center, Windward Community College, via telephone at 944-2697, and online at etickethawaii.com. Military, senior, UH student discounts available at SSC box office only.
By the book: Fans are asked to donate a children's book at tomorrow's game to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii.
|
The Lakers and Warriors wrap up their Hawaii training camps today and have their first opportunity to test themselves under game situations in NBA preseason contests tomorrow and Wednesday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
"I'm just ready to get somebody else," Lakers forward Kwame Brown said. "Guys are getting tired of just playing against each other."
Tip-off for both games is 7 p.m.
Los Angeles held camp at UH since Tuesday, while Golden State spent the week working out on the Brigham Young-Hawaii campus in Laie. The exhibition games mark the end of training camp while giving both teams a chance to measure their progress before heading back to California.
"It's an opportunity to apply what we've been learning the past six days against some competition other than ourselves," Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said. "When you're playing against each other you kind of know what you're doing. Against an opponent you've never matched up with, it's an opportunity to see where we stand."
This week's games mark the return of Phil Jackson to the Lakers bench after a year away from coaching.
Jackson, who owns nine NBA championship rings, used training camp to reinstall the triangle offense and establish defense as a priority for a Lakers team that gave up 101.7 points per game last season. He said he plans to spread out the minutes among his young squad this week.
"I play very short minutes with all my players," Jackson said. "The first night it'll be 8-minute runs for the starters and we'll flip it up the next day and just get ourselves playing under refereeing and see how we play."
Golden State coach Mike Montgomery enters his second season with the Warriors and views the exhibition games as a vital part of the team's preparations for the 82-game regular-season schedule, which opens Nov. 2.
"You can't simulate game-level intensity in practice," Montgomery said. "You have to push yourself harder for 48 minutes, so I need to have the veteran guys, the top guys who are going to play, getting those minutes so they're getting themselves in shape."
Both the Lakers and Warriors finished well short of the playoffs last season, posting 34-48 records. Los Angeles is seeking a return to the postseason after being left out for the first time in 11 years. Golden State, meanwhile, has missed the playoffs every year in that same span.
While many of the stars who fueled the Lakers' run of championships from 2000 to 2002 are gone, Bryant remains the centerpiece of the Los Angeles lineup.
Now one of the senior members of the Lakers' roster, the 27-year-old Bryant finished second in the league in scoring last season with 27.6 points per game and is getting back into the flow of the triangle offense.
"It's a process, so it builds every day and we're getting better at it," the seven-time All-NBA pick said.
The Lakers also return forward Lamar Odom (15.2 ppg), but his playing time this week could be limited as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. Brown will make his Lakers debut after joining the team in a trade with Washington this summer.
As the Lakers work to rebuild, optimism and expectations have been rising for the Warriors since finishing last season with a 14-4 run.
Guard Jason Richardson led Golden State with 21.7 points per game and figures to benefit from the presence of guard Baron Davis this season. Davis was acquired in a trade in February and shifted Golden State's fortunes over the last 28 games last season.
Forward Troy Murphy ranked fifth in the league in rebounding (10.8 rpg) and shot close to 40 percent from 3-point range.
"We're fairly intact," Montgomery said. "We're pretty much two-deep at every position; we've got some people who can play multiple positions. So we like our talent if we can stay healthy."