October 10, 2007

Troy Hudson provided some fourth-quarter dramatics in his Warriors debut last night. (photo: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty)

LAST NIGHT
An exciting win for the Warriors as Troy Hudson nailed a jumper with 0.3 seconds remaining to give Golden State a 111-110 victory over the Lakers in a very entertaining preseason opener in Honolulu. In case you missed the call last night - I'll let it slide considering it happened well past midnight in the Bay Area - you can listen to Hudson's game-winner by clicking here.

THE ROSTER
Here is my take of each of the players on the Warriors roster after Tuesday’s preseason action.

Stephen Jackson: Looked good, looked like he was in good shape and he played well.

Al Harrington: Backed up Nellie’s claim as the best player in camp.

Andris Biedrins: Played OK, and was at his opportunistic best when working off other players’ penetration.

Baron Davis: Already looks to be in midseason form.

Kelenna Azubuike: Our Verizon Wireless player of the game on last night’s radio broadcast; it looks like he is ready for a big year. Click here to listen to my call on Kelenna's first-quarter one-handed dunk.

Troy Hudson: My postgame guest on the radio last night … listen to our conversation by clicking here.

Monta Ellis: Held out of action last night because of his neck injury.

Patrick O’Bryant: Had his best run as a Warrior, showing activity, intensity and he used his length as a strength.

Matt Barnes: Didn’t have a great game, but no worries.

Marco Belinelli: Seemed like he was in a hurry, but when open, he’s automatic.

Mickael Pietrus: Mitch Richmond told me on the radio that MP needs to remember defensive rules in switch situations.

Pat Burke: Nine points and five boards in 15 minutes … not bad.

Tierre Brown: Solid night for the back-up point guard.

Austin Croshere: Unselfish defensively, also had the best dunk of the night.

Stephane Lasme: Did not play – coaches decision; hope to seem him Thursday.

Brandan Wright: Ditto.

Kosta Perovic: The same.

Carlos Powell: Should see him Thursday as well.

Kelenna Azubuike will be the everyday starting two-guard if he continues to perform like he did last night. (photo: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty)

MAILBAG

Question
Hi Tim,
Who do you think will start at shooting guard for the Warriors this year, Monta Ellis or Marco Belinelli? Ellis is a very good player and I love his game. On the other hand, I have known about Belinelli and seen him play in Europe even before the Warriors drafted him. I am very happy that the Warriors drafted him – I think he will be a perfect addition to the ever-so-exciting Nellie Ball system.
Thanks,
Jesus

Answer
Jesus,
The 2-guard spot is an intriguing one. Who to start … Monta, Marco or even Kelenna? Don Nelson has lots of options and I think that with Nellie targeting Monta as a point guard, Kelenna still has a shot. If Kelenna is a good 2-guard, then consider the luxury of having a scorer/slasher like Monta paired with a shooter like Bellinelli coming off the bench. That would be an impressive duo to use as bench weapons.
Aloha
Tim

Question
Hi Tim,
I have been keeping track of the Warriors during training camp and I am curious to know about the other rookie. Marco Bellinelli has been getting all the publicity, but Brandan Wright was a higher draft pick. How has Wright looked in training camp, and where does he currently stand on the depth chart?
Rizwan Markar

Answer
Rizwan,
Wright has played OK in camp and like most rookies, he has struggled with the pace and intricacies of a NBA system. He is really long, a good athlete and has a good touch within 15 feet. But he is a raw talent and there’s a chance that we may not really know what kind of player he will be until next year’s camp. His spot on the depth chart is yet to be determined.
Thanks for the e-mail,
Tim

Question
Hi,
Just wanted to say thank you for all the coverage. It’s great to have updates as often as this. Love the training camp blog. Will there be this continued coverage throughout the season? Great work.
Cheers,
Shawn

Answer
Shawn,
Let’s just say that big things are in the works and that you won’t be disappointed. Coverage this season will be thorough and warriors.com will continue to be the place to go for exclusive updates on the team. Thanks for the kind words and thanks to the folks behind the scenes who are working hard on the Web site.
Aloha,
Tim

KEEP THOSE E-MAILS COMING! ALOHA!