Nelson settles on a new look
'Terrific' Pietrus to start at small forward
Janny Hu, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, October 9, 2006


As long as they don't "screw it up," Warriors coach Don Nelson has
pegged his starting lineup.

Baron Davis, Dajuan Wagner, Mickael Pietrus, Mike Dunleavy and Troy
Murphy will be the Warriors' first unit when the team takes the floor
tonight for an open scrimmage at the Arena in Oakland.

And when Jason Richardson returns from injury? It won't be Pietrus who
sits.

Nelson made that abundantly clear over the weekend, declaring Pietrus'
stranglehold on the starting small-forward spot all but secure.

"Yes, absolutely," Nelson said. "I don't see, no matter what happens
now, that anybody's going to move (Pietrus) out. He's been terrific."

Nelson admitted that he entered camp with the idea of starting Davis,
Monta Ellis and Richardson at the "1", "2," and "3" spots, but the
coach has been convinced otherwise after a week of two-a-day practices.

Pietrus has been thoroughly impressive with his defense, hustle and
offensive restraint. Wagner has been the Warriors' most consistent
shooter. Meanwhile, Ellis missed the first three days of camp with an
injury and carries the unfortunate tag of being a second-year player.

"It might not be fair," Nelson said, "but I have to make those
decisions."

The coach won't get any argument from Pietrus, who termed it "a brand
new world" for him at small forward. Last season, Pietrus was utilized
mostly as a spot-up shooter despite his poor percentages, and, like
Dunleavy, the missed shots adversely affected the rest of his game.

Pietrus, whose contract is up at the end of the season, said the switch
to small forward will be a confidence boost and allow him to worry less
about shooting, more about efficiency.

"Three, you play around the basket," Pietrus said. "At the two
position, some nights you're not going to make a lot of shots and you
might think about it. Once you don't make shots at the three-position,
you might get a layup the next possession."

It's on the defensive end, however, that the Warriors will count on
Pietrus to have the biggest impact. He figures to guard the opposing
team's best player and plans to "take it personally" in defending the
likes of Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.

Nelson has enough faith in Pietrus that Richardson won't be starting at
small forward when he returns from injury, even in the Warriors'
small-ball lineup.

Instead, Nelson said Richardson will replace Wagner in the starting
five.

The Warriors' new starting lineup gets its first test against Turkish
team Efis Pilsen in the exhibition opener Thursday.

Here's a breakdown of the starting five:

-- Davis -- In shape and in the right state of mind, Davis has been the
Warriors' best player in training camp. Unlike last year, when he was
charged with creating shots for himself or others strictly off
pick-and-rolls, look for Davis himself to be the screen-setter and
roller when Dunleavy handles the point.

-- Wagner -- The former prep phenom was out of the league last season
and is coming off major surgery, but he'll get plenty of playing time
while Richardson recovers from knee surgery. If Wagner can hit his
shots consistently and keep up defensively, he could be a dominant
sixth man.

-- Pietrus -- Months after telling a French newspaper that he was
concerned about his NBA future, Pietrus has been given a life preserver
by Nelson, who calls him the second-best player in camp behind Davis.

-- Dunleavy -- The newly designated tri-captain is the key element in
Nelson's offense. When Dunleavy is in the game, Davis can play off the
ball and give the Warriors an added scoring dimension. Nelson said
Dunleavy has improved with each practice as he gets comfortable in his
role initiating the offense.

-- Murphy -- The Warriors' new starting center had a tough start, at
least shooting-wise, but has picked up the pace in recent practices.
Though he won't be a post-up big man, he should get his share of shots
from the perimeter while serving as a rebounder and pick-setter.

Briefly: In addition to his five starters, Andris Biedrins, Ike Diogu
and Matt Barnes will round out the blue team for tonight's free
scrimmage. That leaves Ellis, Keith McLeod, Andre Owens, Zarko
Cabarkapa, Adonal Foyle, Patrick O'Bryant and training-camp invitees
Anthony Roberson and Dijon Thompson on the opposing white team. The
scrimmage starts at 6 p.m. and will consist of four 10-minute quarters.
The starting 5, plus 1

Davis Wagner Pietrus Dunleavy Murphy Richardson
Warriors week

Tonight: Public practice, Arena in Oakland, 6 p.m.

Thursday: Exhibition, vs. Efis Pilsen (Turkey), Arena in Oakland, 7:30
p.m.

Saturday: Exhibition, vs. Denver, Monterrey, Mexico, 6 p.m.

E-mail Janny Hu at jhu@sfchronicle.com.

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