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Going into the weekend, the Warriors will have already finished four days of training camp. They are also four days away from playing in their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Clippers in Southern California. Currently there are 19 players on this year’s Training Camp Roster and unfortunately, many players are already battling past injuries and consequently are attempting to recover from surgeries.
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We already know Shaun Livingston wants to be back on the court by the time the regular season begins but he is still recovering from his toe surgery. The nine year NBA veteran signed a three year $16 million contract in the off season. Then there’s big man Festus Ezeli who remains to be a large question mark for the Warriors. He sprained his knee (required surgery and a 6-9 month recovery timetable) in June of 2013 and hasn’t played a game since. Presently, he’s battling a right shin inflammation which has prevented him from practicing the last two days.
The other reserve point guard Nemanja Nedovic had a decent Las Vegas Summer League showing, but ended up suffering an injury to his foot which ended his FIBA chances with Serbia. Fortunately, he was cleared for training camp a few days prior to the start. Kerr and Nedovic aren’t strangers to one another as Kerr also went to Las Vegas with the Warriors’ summer team in July to begin his head coaching career. According to Rusty Simmons of the SFGate, Kerr was impressed with Nedovic’s practice:
Kerr said Nedovic had his best practice Wednesday, even better than the workouts he had during the Las Vegas Summer League. “Nedo is physically very gifted,” Kerr said. “He’s trying to kind of figure out who he is and what his role is.”
As long as these injured players are progressing, that will be a major positive for the Warriors. Simmons also went on to ask Kerr about the fourth day of training camp:
“We had a little better practice with a quicker rhythm to it. We just tried to get a little more game action. We’re only four days away from a game, and we’re nowhere close to game ready. We’re just trying to get our legs underneath us and trying to get some terminology offensively and recognition of what we’re trying to run. It’s a long process, but we’re getting there.”
The long 82 game season will officially begin on the road in Sacramento on Wednesday, October 29 at 7:00 PM. Hopefully, the team’s timing, chemistry, and knowledge of Kerr’s new offense will already be in place.