Jan. 31--After a second straight day of practice at a local high school, Mike Dunleavy said his surgically repaired back feels good and he's "getting really close" to making his debut after offseason back surgery.
In other words, the target date isn't a fresh start after the Feb. 12-14 All-Star break.
"There won't be any of that," Dunleavy said. "If I'm not ready, I'm not ready. But if I'm ready, it's not like, 'Let's take an extra week.' I've been out long enough. It's time to roll."
Dunleavy will practice twice with the Warriors' Development League affiliate in Santa Cruz, Calif., this week. If those workouts continue without incident, it's possible Dunleavy plays on this trip.
"I'm pain free. I'm feeling good, moving well," he said. "A little bit more conditioning to get in game shape. But then just a couple of good scrimmages where I say, 'All right, I can play in an NBA game.'"
Dunleavy said whether he starts or comes off the bench at first hasn't been discussed but he does know he will be under a minutes restriction initially. As for picking up coach Fred Hoiberg's systems, well, Dunleavy is a coach's son.
"He picks things up very quickly," Hoiberg said. "He has been watching every day on the sidelines. We've had him running plays with the second group after practice for the last week and a half."
More Moore: Hoiberg confirmed E'Twaun Moore would start again in a three-guard lineup Sunday against the Clippers. Both Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler endorsed Moore replacing Tony Snell.
"It gives us another ballhandler with that first group," Hoiberg said. "He has a toughness factor. There are going to be nights he's giving up inches (at 6 feet 4). But he's going to battle. He's a very smart defender. I thought he gave us very solid minutes."
Moore, who returned from a right hamstring strain, also has logged 10 "Did Not Play -- Coach's Decision" designations this season.
"I just keep working on my game," Moore said when asked how he handles moving in and out of the rotation. "I always know Coach will come back to me sooner or later.
"I don't know if it's sometimes because of matchups or just the way we're playing that I might not play. But I just stay positive. Not looking at negative things like, 'Oh, he don't like me or I must be doing something wrong.'"
Layups: Kirk Hinrich, out six games with a left quad contusion, practiced and said he planned to play Sunday barring a setback overnight. ... Jimmy Butler got a rest day after tweaking an ankle in the Lakers' victory. He said he's playing Sunday. ... Hoiberg on trade talks: "We're comfortable with this group. Unless something earth-shattering comes up, I don't anticipate anything happening."
