Warriors training-camp invitees look to seize chance in preseason

Cameron Jones returned to his hotel room Tuesday afternoon in downtown Oakland to find his iPhone flooded with Twitter notifications. A seven-second video, which showed the two-time NBA MVP wrapping the ball around his waist and swishing a 16-footer over Jones' outstretched arm, had gone viral. While the preseason is a chance for players on guaranteed contracts to find a rhythm and ease into the grind of an 82-game schedule, Golden State's seven exhibitions have much higher stakes for those who have no assurance of sticking around. To make sure his core players are fresh for games that count, head coach Steve Kerr will empty his bench early and often in the preseason. "It's really hard," Kerr, who competed for an NBA roster spot multiple times in his 15-year playing career, said of having no guaranteed contract in the preseason. At 7-foot, 270 pounds with a 7-8 wingspan, the eight-year NBA journeyman is the team's only viable rim protector. The 15th roster spot is his as long as McGee, who was limited to 62 games over the past three seasons by leg injuries, stays healthy and fits Golden State's culture. The second most realistic option, Williams, is still recovering from right...