Expect Warriors to go small early in season

Programming alert: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area kicks off the 2013 season with Warriors-Suns preseason hoops, kicking off with 'Warriors Season Preview' at 6:30 p.m., followed by tip-off tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.

The Warriors conclude their preseason with games tonightagainst the L.A. Clippers in Los Angeles and then Tuesday night against thePhoenix Suns at Oracle.They open the regular season on Oct. 31 in Phoenix againstthe Suns. Lets take a look at some issues as things begin to ramp up:Going small: With Andrew Boguts minuteslikely to be limited early in the season and Andris Biedrins still ineffectiveand nursing an injury, it seems apparent that coach Mark Jackson will rely heavily at least for the time beingon a small lineup.NEWS: Curry, Bogut have ankles looked at in L.A.
Jackson has used David Lee and Carl Landry together atvarious times during the preseason and its tough to imagine that stoppinganytime soon. Festus Ezeli will likely start at center until Bogut is ready,but its not like Ezeli will log heavy minutes.Hes foul prone, and once he gets into foul trouble, Jacksonhas been using Lee and Landry together. While those two power forwards form anice offensive frontcourt, they leave something to be desired at the other endof the floor.Neither Lee nor Landry is big enough or strong enough todefend centers on a consistent basis and neither excels at shot-blocking. Inaddition, when the Warriors play Lee and Landry together, they sometimes tendto get overwhelmed in the rebounding department.Jackson might not have a ton of options at center the waythings are right now, but its tough to see the tandem of Lee and Landry beingsuccessful on a consistent basis.Small forward spot: As of late last week,Jackson said he hadnt decided whether to start rookie Harrison Barnes orBrandon Rush at small forward.Jackson has downplayed the importance of which playerstarts, making a point to stress that both Barnes and Rush are both going toget plenty of playing time.And they will.But after six preseason games, youd have to say that Rushhas played better than Barnes thus far. So, well see which direction Jacksongoes in as the first game nears.Curry extension: The Warriors and Stephen Currydecided to table contract extension talks until the preseason is overwhichis in two days. The thinking was that both sides would better be able to make adetermination on that contract once Curry got some games under hisbelt.Now, with Curry being held out of the last two preseasongames, his contract situation would seem to be more uncertain.RELATED: Curry rolls ankle, tweets message at Warriors fansThe deadline for the Warriors to extend Curry is Oct. 31,which means hed have to get one before the regular-season begins. Tough to seethat happening now with so much uncertainty about Currys ankle.Curry, who missed 40 of 66 games last season with ankleissues, tweaked the injury again on Friday, although Curry downplayed theinjury and said he could have returned to action that night.