By Geoff Lepper
48minutes.net

Warriors coach Don Nelson was a leery of pushing Kelenna Azubuike back onto the floor too quickly. Thanks to injuries and ineffectiveness, that fear lasted only two games before getting outweighed by necessity.

Despite missing a good portion of Golden State’s preseason work because of a bone bruise in his left ankle, Azubuike is expected to start Wednesday at small forward when the Warriors host Memphis. Azubuike will play small forward and replace Anthony Randolph, with Stephen Jackson sliding up to power forward.

“Every time he’s been out before, he’s come back and hasn’t been very good his first couple of games,” Nelson said. “This was the exception to the rule, so it’s just time for him to get back. And he looks good.”

If Nelson does start Azubuike, it will be the Warriors’ third lineup in as many games this season; last year, they spun through 46 different starting fives and never really found a winner.

Azubuike worked exclusively with the team’s first unit during Monday’s practice, and afterwards, Monta Ellis gave a preview of the team’s defensive plans: “Buke gonna play (Rudy) Gay, I’m gonna play (O.J. Mayo), Steph (Curry) is gonna play somebody else. That’s it.”

Azubuike spent much of practice as part of a small-ball unit with Ellis, Curry, Jackson and Randolph at center, although Nelson said afterwards Randolph was getting work in the middle strictly so he could back up Andris Biedrins while Ronny Turiaf recovers from the sprained left knee he suffered Friday.

Nelson noted that putting Azubuike and Jackson at the forward spots last season “was a very good lineup, actually” and that he had been looking forward to using the pair again this season.

Azubuike’s 3-point shooting — he was fourth in the league at 44.8 percent, just a couple points less than league-leading teammate Anthony Morrow (46.7) — has been noticeably absent for the Warriors to this point. That range could make the Warriors more effective at squeezing the most out of a mismatch at power forward; Nelson had been hoping for a scoring advantage there from Corey Maggette, but he has been off-target from 16 feet and farther.

“We just need either an extender or a guy that can pass,” Nelson said. “So with Buke in the lineup, that extends the defense even more and I think there’ll be more openings offensively. I thought that was important for us to do.”

Law will go free

As expected, the Warriors declined to exercise Acie Law’s fourth-year option, meaning that he will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.