The preseason is finally over for both the Warriors and the Clippers and tonight's game was interesting as the Warriors B Squad basically beat up on the Clippers. The Warriors only had eight players available tonight and somehow pulled off a 109 – 103 win and even led by 19. I'd say that tonight was a pretty embarrassing loss for the Clips, but hey – it's just one game and I wouldn't be surprised if the Clippers cleaned things up and came back strong in their season opener against the Warriors next Friday.

A few observations from tonight's game:

- Coach Smart clearly is taking Marco Belinelli under his wing. Belinelli struggled with his shot tonight, going 3-11 from the field, but Smart made a point to pick the rookie's spirits up in the locker room after the game. Smart basically told Belinelli that he's got to keep his chin up and that things will come together eventually – although Belinelli was still upset, words of support are always good for a young guy making this huge of a transition.

- Al Harrington mentioned the benefits of the weight loss after the game. He says that he's more explosive and now feels that he can really provide the squad with some good defense on the wing. With 2:16 left in the third, Al showed some of that explosiveness as he took off after a quick baseline move and got up to the basket very quickly.

- Monta Ellis sprained his ankle at the very end of tonight's game – a Warriors spokesman said the team will look at it tomorrow and see where they stand. Sort of ambiguous, but Ellis looked like he'll be okay. Harrington said that he also thinks Monta will be okay because after rolling the ankle, Monta still played defense before play stopped and he began hobbling.

- Coach Dunleavy was clearly happy with the Clippers fighting back and making the game close but expressed frustration with the turnovers that likely could have swayed the game if they were prevented. "The difference in the ball game was their points off of turnovers," he said. The Clips looked pretty good in spurts, but then there were other times when they just looked bad. Dunleavy probably just wants some consistency.

- I've been watching Kosta Perovic a little bit more closely in the second half to see if he could continue his strong play and I've noticed some things he'll need to develop in Bakersfield. Kosta is very predictable – he's like a quarterback that locks onto his receivers. When Perovic got the ball in the post, he literally looked at the man he was going to pass to three or four times before making the pass. He also shows the ball too long and too early, giving his defenders a chance to swipe it away. Minute things, but they'll hold him back.

- All in all, though, Perovic did look very good offensively. Harrington and Smart both said they were impressed with his face-up game and were happy to see him step up.

- A nice little anecdote to close the night – preseason is obviously a time for fans to work out the kinks in their "game" as well. One of my colleagues saw a Warriors fan wearing a #34 Mike Dunleavy, Jr. jersey in the concession line, which isn't that big of a deal, but then the fan looked at the TV screen and said, "Hey – Why isn't Dunleavy in?" Whether that fan expected the 53-year old Clipper coach  or the now-Pacer son on the court is yet to be determined, but isn't this what preseason is for?

Be sure to check out the videos that Travis and I did from courtside for some more insight on the prospects for both the Clippers and Warriors as the season is set to begin.

Don Nelson may not be coaching tonight, but Coach Smart has the Warriors running their high-octane offense just as you'd expect. The Warriors are up 14 at the half – 61 to 47 – and here are some impressions thus far:

- Monta Ellis hasn't come out of the game yet and is exclusively playing the point guard spot that Don Nelson hoped he would play. Remember, Nelson said Ellis was too small for the off-guard position and planned to use Ellis as a back-up point guard. Those plans were sidetracked with Ellis' neck injury in Hawaii, but Ellis looks very solid thus far at the point. He has two turnovers, but has more than made up for that with 13 points, 6 assists and three steals already. He's anticipating passes well on defense and really seems to be under control and is running the offense nicely, barking out instructions (emphatically, at times, like when Mickael Pietrus didn't move on what seemed to be a set play). It'll be interesting to see how Monta does the rest of the game against Sam Cassell, that grizzled ol' vet. Ellis has pretty much dominated Dan Dickau thus far.

- All this about a homecoming for Baron Davis, but I forgot to mention that Austin Croshere went to the same high school as Davis and is from the LA area. He has definitely showed up in this first half, coming off the bench and nailing three of four shots for 11 points. He's running the floor well and has hit the deck in chasing a loose ball as well. Good showing for Croshere so far.

- The comparisons of Kosta Perovic to Zydrunas Ilgauskas might turn out to be accurate after all. Although Perovic seems to be figuring out his way on defense still, he definitely has range on his shot, knocking down all three of his jumpers from outside of the paint. With Patrick O'Bryant having a lackluster first half, I'll see if the Warriors give Kosta some more time.

- Chris Kaman should play angry more often. With a little more than a minute left in the half, Coach Dunleavy was called for a technical foul and Kaman wasn't happy about it. He played the last minute of the half with tremendous intensity – I wonder if he can bottle that for longer stretches of time, because the intensity and activity he displayed at the end of the half could lead to him vaulting himself into the upper echelon of centers in the league.

- Sorry for being unclear earlier – Brandan Wright is out with a sore lower back.

- Former Warrior Josh Powell got eight minutes off the bench for the Clips but failed to assert himself and really make an impact on the game. He only grabbed one rebound and missed the two forgettable shots he took. With Elton Brand out, Powell really has an opportunity to showcase his skills, but he's hanging out around the three-point line rather than mixing it up down low – where he should be.

I'll check in again after the game with some post game thoughts. In the mean time, check the HOOPSWORLD video section for a courtside stand up I did regarding the Warriors not being a fluke last season.

Hey all .. a few notes before tipoff:

- Don Nelson will not be patrolling the sidelines tonight for the Warriors, as lead assistant coach Keith Smart is taking the reins tonight. Nellie will be watching the game from up a little higher than he's used to.

- When asked about Patrick O'Bryant's preseason, Nelson said that O'Bryant has slowed down "considerably" but he didn't know the reasons why. Nelson said that he thinks O'Bryant has the skill to play in the NBA, but said that it was all "up to him" as to whether he'll be able to contribute consistently. Coach Smart said that O'Bryant has all the talent in the world, but concentration is the issue – the Warriors are hoping O'Bryant can keep his concentration up "every three out of five times," according to Smart.

- Baron Davis is not going to play tonight, but is getting some courtime in and is working on his jumper as I type. He's been out here for about 15 minutes and was money from the free-throw line, but is having some trouble nailing a baseline J with consistency. I wonder how many of his friends will be at this game in his hometown – will we see a B-Diddy section tonight at Staples Center? With the LA crowd being fashionably late, as usual, we'll see.

- The Warriors don't have that many perimeter players available tonight – Stephen Jackson will be sitting out, but Al Harrington will be getting plenty of time and will be moving around and playing many positions, including the point-forward spot. Monta Ellis will be seeing a lot of time at point guard tonight, as will Marco Belinelli.

- Speaking of Marco, Coach Smart sort of relates to Marco's situation because Smart played in France and had a similar culture shock. Smart said that Marco is "actually shooting the ball too fast because he thinks he has less time than he really has" which Smart said is natural for rookies. Smart said Belinelli is doing the other things he needs to do, like leading the team in deflections, and the confidence in his shot will come back.

- Corey Maggette is expected to play for the Clippers tonight. He's been bothered by a bruised tailbone and sat the last preseason game out. Aaron Williams will be sitting tonight's game out (right calf strain), Ruben Patterson is doubtful (right pinkie dislocation), and Brevin Knight is questionable (left hip flexor).

- Troy Hudson is a game-time decision for the Warriors. Kelenna Azubuike (flu) and Matt Barnes (personal reasons) are not with the team tonight and Andris Biedrins and Brandan Wright also did not dress tonight. Coach Smart said Stephen Jackson will not play tonight as well.

I'll check back in at halftime with some more thoughts and observations. Tipoff is just a few minutes away!

Join me for my Courtside Blog during the Warriors/Clippers contest tonight in Los Angeles (7:30 PM PST). Feel free to leave questions and comments below – they'll give me an idea of the kind of information you're looking to hear from the players and coaching staffs.

Both teams face off tonight in what will be their last preseason matchup, which means games that actually count are right around the corner. But this is the last change for coaches to evaluate exactly where their talent is and what they can expect as the season rolls around.

The squads have already trimmed their roster to 15 spots, the maximum a team can carry through the season, so there aren't really any imperative cuts to be made or spots to be earned. There are still plenty of remaining questions the coaches are looking to get answers, though, and we'll get a feel for all that tonight with the coach's press conferences a few hours before the game.

Should be a fun contest – check back in just before pregame for an update!