Porzingis Dresses, Butler and Moody Sit, Warriors Open at the Clippers

0:04The host: Two hours from now, Steve Kerr's Warriors tip off the preseason at the Clippers, and the headline is Kristaps Porziņģis is dressing.

0:13The analyst: Six days ago that looked like a real question mark. Anthony Slater reported him out indefinitely with a health issue on September 28.

0:21The host: And tonight he's in the lineup for the opener. Nobody's told us what the issue even was.

0:26The analyst: Still haven't. But he's active, so whatever it was, it didn't keep him out of game one.

0:32The host: That's the story of this whole camp. Nothing's stayed settled more than a week.

0:37The analyst: Try four days. Nick Boyd signs on the 18th, he's gone by the 28th. Miles Kelly signs the 27th, Boyd's out the next day.

0:46The host: And somewhere in there Steph's deal gets done. September 25, two-year extension, finalized.

0:52The analyst: No salary reported, no option language. Everybody's arguing about a number nobody actually has.

0:59The host: Whatever it is, it's buried under a payroll that's already $223.3 million, second apron money.

1:07The analyst: $200.4 million is the tax line. They blew past that a while ago. Curry alone is $62.6 million of this year's number.

1:18The host: And they still owe a first to Memphis in 2030, protected, plus a second to Brooklyn in 2029.

1:24The analyst: They own their own first-rounders through 2029, though. That's the asset base if they want to move on anything in-season.

1:31The host: Kerr's in his twelfth year now, the only guy who's run this bench since 2014, so he's seen worse chaos than a camp roster. Fine — tonight's bigger problem: Jimmy Butler isn't playing.

1:44The analyst: Out, right knee, estimated return January 2. Moses Moody's out too, left knee, pegged for December 1.

1:54The host: Those are your two best wings, and Butler's making $56.8 million to watch this one from the bench.

2:01The analyst: Twenty points a game from him last season, 12.1 from Moody. That's what's missing from the floor tonight.

2:08The host: That's a lot to ask rookies and two-way guys to cover.

2:11The analyst: Last year's best five minutes-wise was Curry, Butler, Green, Kuminga and Podziemski, plus 16.9 net in eight games. Kuminga's not even on this roster anymore.

2:24The host: Different team already. So who picks up the minutes tonight?

2:28The analyst: Gui Santos, probably. He's logged 29.6 minutes a night over his last ten games, nine more than his season average of 20.5.

2:36The host: That's the number of the day right there.

2:39The analyst: Don't crown him yet. Ten games is nothing, and most of that bump came with other guys already out. It fades the second Butler's back.

2:48The host: Noted. Now the other side. Clippers are 0-0 too, but Tyronn Lue's missing his best player.

2:54The analyst: Brandon Ingram, Achilles, out. He averaged 21.5 a game last season. That's their offense walking out the door tonight.

3:03The host: So it's Darius Garland running things. 18.8 points, 6.7 assists last year, in just 45 games.

3:10The analyst: Rui Hachimura's their next scorer at 11.5, and Bradley Beal's day-to-day with a knee, so even that's not guaranteed.

3:18The host: So this is basically a bench scrimmage with two ex-Rookie of the Year types running point.

3:24The analyst: That Clippers team finished 42-40 last season. Offensive rating 116.3, defensive rating 115.2.

3:32The host: Pace of 97.3. Slow. If Golden State wants to run tonight, they're not getting a track meet out of L.A.

3:40The analyst: So the game's decided by who's actually suited up, not the names on the roster page.

3:45The host: Warriors without Butler and Moody, Clippers without Ingram. Whoever's second and third option shows up bigger wins the half.

3:53The analyst: One more wrinkle — Golden State's back on the floor in two days. Clippers don't play again for six.

4:00The host: So Kerr's got no reason to push anybody's minutes in a preseason opener.

4:04The analyst: None. No back-to-back either. This one's about getting a look, not winning it.

4:09The host: Ball's up in two hours. I don't see a channel for this one on the schedule — Tuesday's Lakers game is the one on NBA TV.

4:17The analyst: So if you're hunting for this game, you're hunting for a stream. Nothing national for game one.

4:23The host: One more thing before we go. Monte Poole's got a notes piece up today — Horford, Williams, Niang, and the preseason opener.

4:30The analyst: Attributed to Poole, not confirmed beyond that headline. We don't know what he's actually saying about any of those three yet.

4:38The host: Fair. Horford's forty years old, nineteenth season. Whatever's in there, I want to read it after the game, not guess at it now.

4:46The analyst: Watch Porziņģis's minutes tonight. However many he plays tells you more than anything Slater reported last week.

4:53The host: I'm watching Santos, see if that role is real. Chase Center's dark tonight, but we'll be back when the lights are on.