New ‘real tough guys’ happy to bury hatchet

This week, when Zaza Pachulia and David West first saw each other as Warriors teammates, the two big men bear-hugged.

“We’re not kids,” Pachulia said when asked Thursday about an on-court altercation he had with West last season. “We’re teammates now.”

In July, after signing Kevin Durant, Golden State added Pachulia and West for far smaller contracts than they probably would have landed with other teams. It was a boon for a frontcourt trying to replace Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli.

Pachulia was the 42nd pick of the 2003 draft by Orlando, going 24 selections after West went to New Orleans. The two have come to appreciate each other’s rugged playing styles the past 13 years. If tempers flare on the court, they know better than to take it personally.

In February, with his Dallas team down big to San Antonio late in the first half, Pachulia bumped West in the head with the basketball before swinging his elbows. West took exception, shouting expletives in Pachulia’s face. A referee separated them, and each was given a technical foul.

“There are no fake tough guys in this little skirmish,” analyst Jeff Van Gundy said on the ESPN telecast. “They’re both real tough guys.”

With the Warriors’ preseason opener looming Saturday, Pachulia is the starting center. West, who primarily will back up Draymond Green at power forward, can sub at center from time to time. “We have each other’s back,” Pachulia said. “Two tough guys, together.” Shortened preseason: Count Steve Kerr among the supporters of a shortened preseason.

“I kind of like the idea that’s been tossed around the last couple of summers to start the regular season a little earlier, maybe a week early,” the Warriors’ head coach said. “Play five exhibition games instead of eight. I kind of like that, just so you have fewer back-to-backs in the regular season.”

In October, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told USA Today that the league is inching closer to reducing the number of preseason games. With most players staying in shape yearround these days, many teams see little need for a four-week acclimation period before the regular season.

That Kerr is a fan of limiting players’ workloads is no surprise. This is a head coach who creates game plans and workouts with an eye toward maintenance. In Saturday’s preseason opener against Toronto in Vancouver, British Columbia, he is expected to play no one more than 20 minutes. His practices include no wind sprints. He plans to rest starters from time to time in the regular season, even if that comes at the expense of wins.

“A month is usually enough time to get their legs underneath them,” said Kerr, whose team has a seven-game preseason schedule this year that includes stops in non-NBA cities Vancouver, San Jose, Las Vegas and San Diego. “The starters will be ready to play 30-plus minutes” in the regular season.