Programming note: Nets-Warriors coverage starts tonight at 7 p.m. with Warriors Pregame Live on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.
OAKLAND – Warriors coach Steve Kerr didn't bother consulting the scouting report on the Nets before practice Wednesday, opting to save that task for the Thursday morning shootaround, nine hours before the teams meet at Oracle Arena.
And, no, it's not out of disrespect for Brooklyn.
"We focused on our own execution," Kerr said after practice Wednesday.
That's where the Warriors are these days. Seeking to cure a nasty case of silly turnovers is the No. 1 priority, after which they can study opponents.
That came Thursday morning when the Warriors (5-2), who typically hold a 45-minute shootaround, were on the floor a little more than an hour.
There's plenty to examine, as the Nets (4-3), who blew a 14-point halftime lead and lost 112-104 in Phoenix on Wednesday night, are a veteran club posing numerous matchup problems.
Warriors center Andrew Bogut, typically one of the league's active help defenders, won't be able to stray much. Brooklyn big man Brook Lopez, another 7-footer, is one of the few centers in the league requiring full defensive focus.
"It's a different mindset," Bogut said Thursday morning. "Against a team like Phoenix, with role-playing big men, I've got to be more of a helper. But against the Dwight Howards and Pau Gasols, I can't over-help. I need help (Thursday night)."
Lopez is averaging 15.2 points per game and has scored in double figures in the last 46 games in which he has played. With Lopez attracting most of Bogut's attention, Draymond Green or Harrison Barnes and maybe Marreese Speights will contend with 6-11 Kevin Garnett.
Yet the Warriors believe their route to success is to avoid beating themselves. Turnovers have been a factor in both of their losses.
"We've only been together six weeks, so we've only scratched the surface of what we're going to be," Kerr said. "But while we're going through the growing pains, we're making mistakes."
Kerr and his staff understand that a team playing at such a fast pace is bound to lose the ball on occasion. As league leaders in turnovers (22.3 per game), the goal for the Warriors is to reduce all turnovers, particularly those attributed to carelessness.
"This team thrives a little bit on chaos and the frenzy of Oracle, when the crowd gets going and we start knocking down threes," Kerr said. "It's fun. And the team enjoys that. But what goes with that sometimes is decision-making and risk-taking that maybe is too much.
"I'm trying to find a balance. I don't want to take away the team's spirit, but I want them to be a little more mindful about key possessions and circumstances."
The game also features a reunion of sorts, with Warriors guard Shaun Livingston facing the team with whom he resurrected his career last season.
"Their backcourt can control a game with their scoring ability," Livingston said, referring to Deron Williams and swingman Joe Johnson. "And Brook Lopez is one of the best low-post scorers in the game.
"I'm familiar with this team, from playing with them. They're a team that is figuring it out. They're capable of winning any game against any opponent in the league."
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
Bogut vs. Lopez -- It's a challenge for Bogut's stellar defense, as the former Stanford big man is one of the league's more consistent scorers among centers. But he's also someone against whom Bogut can get a few buckets.
Draymond Green/Harrison Barnes vs. Kevin Garnett -- There was a time when KG would have abused Green or Barnes (or anybody else). Those days are gone. He's 38 and a part-timer. Still, it’ll be fun to watch Green and Co. defend someone five inches taller. Speights, at 6-9, could see some time here.
Klay Thompson/Harrison Barnes vs. Joe Johnson -- Johnson is Brooklyn's scariest player, utterly fearless and always eager to take the big shot. He's the Net most likely to lead the team to victory and demands considerable attention.
INJURY UPDATE
Warriors – F David Lee (strained left hamstring) is out indefinitely and is scheduled to undergo reexamination next week.
Nets – No injuries listed.
SERIES HISTORY
The Warriors have won eight of the last nine meetings at Oracle and nine of the last 13 overall.
