Conditioning is priority in camp

Toward the end of a 12-minute scrimmage Thursday, Warriors players were grabbing their shorts, exhausted.

It reinforced to head coach Steve Kerr how much Golden State needs to improve its conditioning. With only four preseason games, down from seven last season, the Warriors have less than three weeks to get in shape for their Oct. 17 season opener against Houston.

“We just want to keep building our conditioning,” Kerr said after practice Thursday. “Guys are getting tired with a 12-minute scrimmage. In a few weeks, we’re going to need guys going 48, so it’s going to be hard. We have to keep building, execute and get conditioning all at the same time.”

To help minimize the travelheavy stretches on teams’ schedules, the NBA trimmed its preseason from seven or eight games to four or five. The Warriors face a balancing act of sorts: Because basketball activities will be limited during their upcoming weeklong trip to China, they’re trying to cram in as much information into practices as possible without overburdening players.

Unlike past years, when he eased core players into their full game-day workloads, Kerr will play Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green 30-plus minutes in Saturday’s preseason opener against Denver. Young players like Jordan Bell and Kevon Looney won’t necessarily get meaningful minutes in preseason.

“The young guys aren’t going to play a lot,” Kerr said. “That’s just the way it goes. Normally you take a game or two and give the young guys a good look. But there’s only four games. They’re not going to be able to have that luxury.”

That could be particularly detrimental for Bell. Though he has shown flashes in practice of his defensive versatility and high motor, the only Warriors rookie on a guaranteed contact has navigated a sizable learning curve. Significant preseason minutes would only have helped Bell acclimate to the NBA.

“It’s all good,” Bell said. “I always try to have good practices. I try to make practice way harder than a game so the game comes much easier.”

Michael Macor / The Chronicle Head coach Steve Kerr said, “Guys are getting tired with a 12-minute scrimmage. In a few weeks, we’re going to need guys going 48.”