Somewhere behind the neon marquee featuring such names as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James, the Warriors and Lakers will gather for a basketball game Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
It’s preseason game -- an “exhibition,” as some opt to call it -- but star power often overrides lack of consequence. Because there is always a measure of pride among greats, considerable sweat will be on the floor after the 7:30 tipoff.
Here are three things to watch in this glorious dress rehearsal for the regular season that begins next week.
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Jordan Bell and Kevon Looney will be on the roster; they have guarantees. But while most of the talk around their roles is about sharing the center position with Damian Jones, both entered the NBA as power forwards and may be needed there as well.
Draymond Green has been sidelined since Sept. 29, with the Warriors reduced to hoping he’ll be ready for the opener next Tuesday. Coach Steve Kerr is concerned enough to play Bell and Looney at the 4, or even together as a 4-5 combo.
Looney started Monday against Phoenix, but Bell has yet to start a game. He could start against the Lakers, to share floor time with Jones. If not, Bell’s minutes could be matched with Jones or Jonas Jerebko, another frontcourt swingman.
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The Warriors, in their terminology, refer to power forwards and centers as “bigs,” because most are interchangeable. The more time Bell and/or Looney get at the 4, the more reason to believe Green could be out a while longer.
The hopefuls
With no foreseeable end to Pat McCaw’s ongoing absence, it’s becoming apparent that a player invited to camp hoping to snag an NBA contract might achieve his goal.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr has repeatedly expressed his satisfaction with the energy and performance of the hopefuls in practice and in games. The veterans are saying the same thing.
The most likely candidates would be Danuel House Jr. and Alfonzo McKinnie. Both are wings. McCaw is a wing. Kerr has acknowledged that’s a position of need.
Though House has slightly more NBA experience, McKinnie would seem to have gained an edge through the first three games. Each played 42 minutes and each is shooting 50 percent, but McKinnie’s aggression at both ends is hard to miss. His 14 rebounds (to six for House) are impressive for a wing and suggest he can sneak a few minutes at the 4 in a small lineup.
Both will be monitored, but House would seem to have some catching up to do.
Action beyond the arc
The Warriors rarely get outshot from deep -- they’ve led the league in 3-point percentage in three of the last four seasons -- but they have been this preseason. They’re shooting 34.1 percent, opponents 42.5.
Don’t blame the All-Stars. Klay Thompson is at 64.3 percent (9-of-14), Stephen Curry 47.1 at percent (8-of-17) and Kevin Durant at 44.4 (4-of-9). That’s a combined 21-of-40, or 52.5 percent.
After that, it gets ugly. Their teammates are 10-of-51 (19.6 percent). Undrafted rookie Marcus Derrickson, bidding for a spot at the 4, is by far the best of rest at 5-of-13. The others are 5-of-38 (13.2 percent).
The Warriors are confident Quinn Cook (1-of-7) and Jonas Jerebko (2-of-6) will be fine. Rookie Jacob Evans III (0-of-7) has to show better if he wants to get on the floor in the regular season.