Golden State's Starting Five Won't Settle Itself in Hawaii
With Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody both out until December, the open competition for Golden State's starting five at camp is deciding more than who fills out the bench.
The Warriors opened camp in Hawaii with the five spots around Stephen Curry genuinely unsettled, and Dalton Johnson's Day 2 reporting focused on Gui Santos and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg rather than the returning starters. Kristaps Porzingis has no timetable to return either, which raises the stakes for whoever wins the job up front.
What Camp Is Actually Deciding
Day 2 of training camp in Hawaii centered on one question: who fills the open spots in the starting five. Dalton Johnson's reporting singled out Gui Santos's next steps and Yaxel Lendeborg's physicality and versatility as what actually stood out on the practice floor, ahead of the returning names fans expected to read about.
The Absences Making Room
Butler's right knee keeps him out until December 1. Moody's left knee keeps him out until the same date. Alex Toohey, nursing a knee issue of his own, carries a return estimate of today. With two rotation regulars gone for roughly two months, the players taking camp reps now are getting them because the alternative is hurt, not because any job is settled.
Porzingis Still a Question Mark
Anthony Slater reported Porzingis has no timetable to return, with the team giving no detail on what's wrong. That leaves Steve Kerr's new five-out offense without the center it was built around, at least for now.
When the Audition Ends
Preseason opens October 4 at the Clippers, then the Lakers on October 6, the Trail Blazers on October 7 and the Kings on October 10. Golden State opens the regular season October 21 at the Lakers on ESPN, three weeks out, which is the real deadline for Hawaii's open competition to produce an answer.
When do the Warriors play their first preseason game?
October 4 at the Clippers, the first of four preseason games before the October 21 regular-season opener at the Lakers.
When are Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody expected back?
Both have a projected return date of December 1 — Butler because of his right knee, Moody because of his left knee.
