Coby Karl is familiar with Honolulu and the Stan Sheriff Center, having been here every year for the past four seasons as a starting guard for the Boise State basketball team.

But he will be in an unfamiliar situation tonight — at the end of the bench, hoping for playing time — when he suits up for the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time.

The Lakers and Golden State Warriors will play the first of two exhibition games in Hawai'i tonight at the Sheriff Center. The second game will be played Thursday.

"Guys in my situation might not get much of an opportunity," Karl said. "So when you do get an opportunity, you really have to take advantage of it, whether it's making the right pass or knocking down a shot, or just being in the right place."

Karl is trying to make the Lakers' roster as a rookie free agent. The Lakers have been training in Honolulu since Oct. 2.

Los Angeles head coach Phil Jackson is not afraid to say that the four rookies currently on the team roster are far behind the veterans.

"Some of them are starting to bubble a little bit and move up from the bottom of the ocean — but they're still at the bottom of the ocean," Jackson said. "They'll get a chance to play (tonight), most of them."

The only Laker rookie assured of making the team is 6-foot-5 point guard Javaris Crittenton, who was the team's first-round pick in the NBA Draft in June.

"I don't think there's any pressure on me, especially when you can be on the same floor with Kobe Bryant," Crittenton said. "He's the man on this team. I just have to listen to my coaches and teammates and get better."

Some of the Los Angeles veterans — including Bryant, Derek Fisher, Luke Walton, Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown — have missed practice time during training camp due to injuries.

That has meant more court time in practice for the rookies, like Karl.

"Actually, it's been tough on us because we're trying to learn and get all this information in, and you pick up a lot of that just by watching the veterans," Karl said. "But with guys sitting out, we've had to get on the floor and pick everything up quick."

Karl, a 6-5 shooting guard, was in the Sheriff Center seven months ago when Boise State played the University of Hawai'i.

"That was Riley Wallace's last game, and they beat us up pretty good," Karl said. "But I've always liked this place, even though we always lost. The gym is really nice, the fans were always great. I even feel like I know the city a little bit because I've been here so many times."

If anything, Karl knows how to survive. He has undergone two surgeries in the past two years after cancer was discovered in his thyroid.

"As of now, everything is fine," he said. "My doctor said everything is good."

Other Lakers will sit out tonight. In particular, forwards Odom and Walton will not play, according to Jackson.

Bryant, who won the NBA scoring title last season, is expected to play, although Jackson is not sure how much.

"I'll kind of feel that out as to how the game goes and how the crowd is feeling and how Golden State plays," Jackson said.

The Warriors will take a similar approach.

Golden State head coach Don Nelson said that star guard Baron Davis' minutes will be limited tonight. Nelson also said the Warriors' approach to the two preseason games against the Lakers will not be the same as it was a year ago.

"It was important that we establish winning last year," Nelson said. "The team hadn't won for 12 straight years. So I went after the preseason to give our team confidence. I don't need to do that this year. Our team has confidence."

The Lakers and Warriors both finished 42-40 last season. The Warriors lost in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs; the Lakers lost in the first round.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.