Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers: Harrison Barnes to get the start

Golden State Warriors (0-0) at Los Angeles Lakers (0-0)

7 p.m. PST

Citizens Business Bank Arena - Ontario, CA

Buddy blog: Silver Screen & Roll

Preview: The preseason's preseason | SBN Pacific Division Previews | Warriors blog preview

Almost exactly a year ago, the Los Angeles Lakers were preparing to make their seemingly inevitable championship run with Dwight Howard sitting smug on the bench waiting to get healthy enough to man the middle. The Golden State Warriors were aiming for a playoff berth that seemed to hinge upon the uncertain health of Andrew Bogut and the uncertain resilience of Stephen Curry's ankle. Warriors rookie Kent Bazemore was in awe of Kobe Bryant.

What a difference a year makes.

Entering tonight's game, the Lakers ended up becoming the laughing stock of the league before hanging on to the eighth seed in the West, the Warriors have high expectations for a deep playoff run, and Kent Bazemore might have become a bigger star than anyone the Lakers will be starting tonight.

New story: Lakers likely to start Blake, Young, W. Johnson, J. Hill and Kaman in the preseason opener http://t.co/RRKiq6aJJF

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 4, 2013

Although I kid (sort of) about Bazemore's stardom, the Lakers' lineup does pretty much drive home the point that SB Nation's Kevin Zimmerman made about the 2013-14 Lakers: it's basically three aging stars and a bunch of cast-offs.

So today there will be ample time to see how much better the Warriors' second unit is than pieces of the Lakers' rotation after we get a look at a brand new starting lineup.

Starters for tonight's preseason opener: @StephenCurry30, @andre, @HBarnes, @Dlee042, @andrewbogut. #LetsGoWarriors

— Golden St. Warriors (@warriors) October 5, 2013

Don't read into Barnes starting over Klay in the first pre-season game against Lakers. (Ok, nobody's looking, go ahead and read into it!)

— EvanZ (@thecity2) October 5, 2013

Regardless of how much you choose to read into Harrison Barnes getting the start instead of Klay Thompson - who most have assumed would be the starter since the acquisition of Andre Iguodala - tonight we get a sense of what some of the possibilities we've all imagined for this team actually look like.

And the Lakers should lose, which is good to see even in preseason.