By Geoff Lepper
48minutes.net

OAKLAND — For once, there were no surprises when Don Nelson revealed his starting five for the Warriors’ exhibition opener Sunday in New Orleans.

C.J. Watson, who was named the starter in place of injured Monta Ellis almost from the opening of camp, will take the floor alongside Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, Al Harrington and Andris Biedrins.

Two things you won’t see (or, more accurately, wouldn’t see, if the game were being televised) in the Big Easy:

** Rookie forward Richard Hendrix, who will sit out with a strained left thigh.

** Jackson at point guard. Although Nelson said Thursday that he will have Jackson run the offense in some preseason games, it probably won’t happen until the China trip. That’s probably for the best, given that Jackson has only had a handful of practices at the position.

Marcus Williams sprained an ankle in Saturday’s workout when he stepped on someone’s foot while trying to close out defensively on his man, but he said that he still hopes to play today. If he can’t go, that would open the door for either Watson or Dan Dickau to make a major statement, since they’ll be the only two healthy point guards.

Belinelli in no immediate danger

Speaking of point guard, last season, one impetus behind the Marco Belinelli hype was the idea that the Italian would perhaps someday be able to play the point. So with practically everyone on the team outside of Ronny Turiaf and Andris Biedrins being tried out at the 1 — and with Jackson, Maggette and Kelenna Azubuike all sucking up minutes at the 2 — will Belinelli see some time there this season?

The short answer: No.

“We looked at it this summer,” Nelson said, “and we didn’t see that there’s much of a chance there for that to happen.”

On the positive side, it looks like Belinelli won’t suffer the same fate as Patrick O’Bryant, who spent last year as a lame-duck benchwarmer after his third-year option was declined by the team. The team has until Oct. 31 to complete what are usual pro forma moves and pick up the options for Belinelli and Brandan Wright, plus the fourth-year option for Marcus Williams.

“I don’t think that’s much of a situation to look at,” Nelson said of Belinelli’s deal. “I hadn’t even thought about it until you mentioned it.”

Rob Kurz, rebounding machine

In a continuation of his apparent quest to individually praise each of the 19 players the Warriors have in camp, Nelson made sure Saturday to talk up rookie forward Rob Kurz.

“He’s probably been my best rookie, (an) unbelievable surprise,” Nelson said. “We just brought him into summer camp as a body, and he’s done very well.”

Kurz is hoping to fill the same role Matt Barnes held on the 2006-07 squad: a high-energy, dirty-work kind of guy.

“I wanted to work hard, be a guy that came in and rebounded, defended, tried to make plays when they were available,” Kurz said. “I think that’s an important guy for every team to have.”

Said Nelson: “He plays the 4, his outside shot is good, and he’s been my leading rebounder. ,” Nelson said. “He’s not pretty, he doesn’t jump high, but he’s my leading rebounder in this camp. And it’s not even close, including Biedrins. He rebounds, he shoots, he’s always in the right spot, you tell him something once and it’s done. He’s been a delight. I don’t know that he can make the team. But I don’t know that he can’t.”

But, Nelson was asked, is that a good thing when Kurz was an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame and a guy like, say, Anthony Randolph was the No. 14 pick?

“He’s no 19 (years old),” Nelson pointed out of Kurz. “He’s a four-year (college) guy. But he’s done extremely well.”