Warriors aim to stay healthy

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff writer

Quick, somebody get this on video: The Golden State Warriors enter today's exhibition game against the Los Angeles Lakers with a completely healthy roster.

•	Lakers vs. Warriors • What: NBA exhibition • When: Today, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, 6 p.m. • Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors. • Where: Stan Sheriff Center. • TICKETS: $10, $20, $28, $50 and $65; $50 and $65 single seats only. Available at Stan Sheriff Center box office (956-4484), Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-4 p.m. or via ticketplushawaii.com. • Parking: $3.

So far this preseason, all 15 players in camp are healthy and — if yesterday's testy scrimmages at Stan Sheriff Center were any indication — ready to inflict some bumps and bruises of their own.

"These guys are definitely tired of seeing each other, as all teams are when they haven't played for a week and a half or whatever," said coach Dave Cowens. "We've had a lot of practices, a lot of scrimmages, and it's always fun to play against someone else."

Cowens said he wants to use tonight's and Tuesday's games against the Lakers to get his players accustomed to one another and the team's up-tempo offense.

"I just want to maintain a good tempo and stay believers in getting up the floor," Cowens said. "(I want us to) move the basketball and get that trust factor working for us. It's almost like a new era. Let's play this kind of basketball — use our depth, and see what that is."

Depth is a luxury the Warriors never had last season. Four key players missed huge chunks of the season: Danny Fortson (76), Chris Mills (66), Erick Dampier (38) and Larry Hughes (32). The team finished at 17-65, the second-worst record in the league.

A strong return by Fortson and Dampier will be especially important if the Warriors are to be competitive in the rugged Western Conference.

"If we can stay healthy, there's definitely going to be a tremendous improvement on this team," said Antawn Jamison, who signed a contract extension with Golden State over the summer.

"It means a lot, especially having Danny rebounding, moving guys out of the way and taking a lot of pressure off me," Jamison said. "With Dampier — his new attitude and being healthy — we're a totally different team."

Golden State did lose a key contributor in restricted free agent Marc Jackson, who recently signed with the Houston Rockets. The Warriors could match the offer and retain Jackson's services, but are expected to proceed without him.

"Marc was a great guy and it would have been nice to have him, but he's not part of this team," Jamison said. "I look at it like this: We have a guy like Troy Murphy who can do a whole lot with the ball and he'll take up a lot of slack."

Laker assistant coach Jim Cleamons, who is leading the team with fellow assistant Jim Hamblen while head coach Phil Jackson attends his mother's funeral in Montana, said the Lakers will likely rotate in eight-minute shifts during today's game. Still, all eyes will be on the potential matchup between Laker guard Kobe Bryant and Jamison. In the Warriors' only win over the Lakers last year, Bryant and Jamison each scored 51 points. It was Jamison's second consecutive 51-point performance.