Warriors notes: Damian Jones to get first look, a more defensive Kevin Durant

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OAKLAND -- There is but one current opening in the Warriors starting lineup, and Damian Jones is expected to receive the first opportunity to fill it.

Jones, in his third season, will likely start at center when the Warriors open their preseason schedule Saturday against the Timberwolves at Oracle Arena.

Jordan Bell and Kevon Looney, who are competing with Jones for minutes at center, would come off the bench. All three will be in the rotation when the season open.

“I’ll probably start DJ,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Thursday. “I haven’t made up my mind, but I’ll probably start Damian because I know what Jordan and Looney can do. They played huge roles for us deep into the playoffs. We know what they can do.

“But we want to see what Damian can do. We also have to make a decision on his contract. But we’d like to give him a chance with our starters.”

The Warriors have until Oct. 15 to decide whether they want to pick up the option to extend Jones’ rookie contract, in which case the 2016 first-round pick (30th overall) would earn $2.3 million in 2019-20.

Jones, Bell and Looney essentially will fill the minutes occupied the last two seasons by Zaza Pachulia, David West and JaVale McGee.

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The other side of Durant

Though his reputation is as a scorer, Kevin Durant’s defense generated some All-Defense team momentum early last season largely because he was blocking shots as if a bonus were involved.

When he tailed off down the stretch, partly because he missed two weeks in March with injury, it vanquished the talk of awards. Durant still finished fifth with a career-high 1.75 blocks per game.

Durant’s plan this season is to ask more of himself.

“I just want to be able to guard every position, with effort and energy as much as I can and be there for my teammates,” he said Thursday after practice. “All that other stuff will fall in line after that. I just try to be there for them every night. Just try to be on a string with my teammates on the defensive side of the ball.

The sight of that would delight head coach Steve Kerr nearly as much as it would defensive coordinator Ron Adams.

“With Kevin, the biggest thing is just being alert and active on the weak side,” Kerr said. “When he’s alert and active, he’s a monster. And he usually is. He usually is thinking as a shot-blocker, as a steals guy. When he’s not, when he gets a little stagnant on the weak side, that’s when he struggles a bit. But that’s true with a lot of guys.”

[RELATED: Kevin Durant gets philosophical]

Klay reiterates his stance . . .

And now for the obligatory Klay Thompson comment regarding free agency, which comes his way next July.

He still wants to stay with the Warriors.

Asked Thursday if the team’s status as a perennial championship contender would be a factor in his decision, the veteran shooting guard didn’t hesitate.

“Definitely,” Thompson said after practice. “I think it would be stupid not to be. It’s hard to walk away from something that you were here when it started. You just want to stay on the train as long as you can.

Asked if wanted to take another shot at burying rumors about other destinations, Thompson said, “Not really,” before elaborating.

“I don’t really care,” he added. “It’s how I feel, to be honest. It’s home. I love living in the Bay Area.”

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