Casspi observes holiday

The early start to preseason left the Warriors without a player in their opener whom they would’ve otherwise had.

Small forward Omri Casspi, who signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with the team in July, sat out Golden State’s exhibition opener at Oracle Arena on Saturday evening against Denver to observe Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism.

Because they’re leaving Sunday morning for two exhibitions against each other in China, the Warriors and Timberwolves helped kick off the NBA’s preseason schedule Saturday. Casspi, who had to miss media day his rookie year with Sacramento in 2009 to observe Yom Kippur, notified Golden State head coach Steve Kerr about the conflict earlier this week.

“Whatever each person needs to do, obviously we afford them that right,” Kerr said. “It’s an important holiday for people of the Jewish faith. Obviously, Omri has our full support, and we’ll see him tomorrow.”

Sammy Gelfand, the Warriors’ manager of basketball analytics, also missed Saturday’s game to observe Yom Kippur.

Condolences: Kerr opened his pregame news conference by offering his condolences to the family of longtime Lakers assistant Frank Hamblen, who died earlier in the day from a heart attack. He was 70.

Hamblen, who won seven NBA titles in his more than four decades on NBA sidelines, was an assistant for the Bulls when Kerr was a reserve guard for them from 1996 to 1999.

“He was just a good coach, good guy,” Kerr said. “I would see him in San Diego in the summer time. … He was funny, and he was a great basketball mind.”

Roster cuts: The Warriors announced after Saturday’s loss to Denver that they’ve waived training-camp invitees Antonius Cleveland and Alex Hamilton.

NBA teams must trim their rosters to 15 players the day before the start of the regular season, and Golden State has 18. Cleveland and Hamilton could be designated to Golden State’s Gatorade League affiliate in Santa Cruz.

Anthem protests: As expected, the Warriors did not protest during the national anthem . The Nuggets, in a sign of unity, locked arms.