National Basketball Association

Warriors exhibitions a chance to put new coach Keith Smart's practice into play

Published Oct. 8, 2010 10:41 a.m. ET

foxsports

Since opening, the Warriors' training camp has been filled with more love and positive energy than a Barney show.

Coaches and players have raved about the developing chemistry, the effort on defense and the communication on the floor.

Now, the two-a-day practices are done. The in-house scrimmages have run their course.

Tonight's exhibition opener against the Los Angeles Clippers gives the Warriors their first chance to put it all together in a game, and will allow the team to start answering some lingering questions about the bench, the playing rotation and the strengths of the new acquisitions.

Coach Keith Smart said he isn't overlooking the positives from training camp but added that an important next step is seeing if it carries over.

"It all starts here in practice," small forward Dorell Wright said after Thursday's practice. "But now it's time to get it done in the games. It's easy to do things well in practice. Now we're going to find out how well we do things."

One of the main areas Smart wants to assess is team chemistry. With new guys on the roster, the new coach emphasized bonding.

To that end, the players were encouraged to come back and work out together before the start of camp. Smart also identified the starting five -- Wright, point guard Stephen Curry, shooting guard Monta Ellis, power forward David Lee and center Andris Biedrins -- early in camp to allow the group to jell as a unit.

So far, the strategy has been a success. After the team's season-ticket-holder event, more than a dozen players went to dinner together.

"I needed to develop chemistry first," Smart said. "I was able to do that to this point. Now we have to see it under NBA conditions."

Smart said he also will have his eye on the bench to see how the rest of the team blends with his starting five. Players such as forwards Brandan Wright and Rodney Carney and guard Charlie Bell will be under the microscope, because Smart has said the starters won't play too much.

Among the topics Smart may be examining from players off his bench: Can athletic forward Vernon Goodridge bring anything? Is Jeremy Lin ready to play backup point guard in the NBA, or is Aaron Miles the answer?

As for defense, Smart has harped on that topic since media day. He has not installed much offense, instead focusing on team defense schematics and communication.

At Wednesday's open practice, Warriors players were talking on defense, pointing each other in the right direction, calling out the scheme and shouting encouragement.

Again, though, that was practice.

"It's like Magic Johnson used to say," Dorell Wright said, "You practice how you play. So we'll see if we can play like we've been practicing."

Note: Forward Louis Amundson (lower back stiffness) is out for tonight's game. "... Carney is questionable with a right hip contusion. "... The Warriors waived guard Cheyne Gadson.