After not playing his three brightest young prospects -- Brandan Wright, Anthony Randolph and Marco Belinelli -- in the home opener, Nelson called upon Wright for eight minutes of action in Friday's 112-108 overtime loss at Toronto.

Randolph and Belinelli? Perhaps their season debuts will occur Saturday in New Jersey.

For the second consecutive game, Nelson pushed his top five players to the limit Friday and came away empty-handed. It was exactly that combination -- not developing the young talent and yet not making the playoffs -- that got the veteran coach in hot water after last season.

In fact, Nelson was called onto the carpet by Warriors' management following the 2007-08 season and, in no uncertain terms, was told this year would have to be different. After all, the Warriors had paid a big price (Jason Richardson) to get Wright and had exhausted a mid-first-round draft pick to import Belinelli from Italy.

Then after Randolph, the club's lottery pick this past June, was spectacular in summer-league action, it was more evident than ever that Nelson -- a win-at-all-costs coach -- would have to cave to the organization's demands and start giving his young guys a chance to prove themselves in game action.

When it didn't happen on opening night, it was understandable. After all, the Warriors -- with no Baron Davis and handcuffed by Monta Ellis' injury -- are still in a ticket-selling mode, and a near-sellout crowd would be much more inclined to re-up following a win than a loss. So he kept his young guys anchored to the bench while one guy -- Stephen Jackson -- played the entire game.

Alas, the club came up short, and staring at a three-games-in-four-nights trip, it was presumed Nelson would go deeper into his bench Friday. He did, but just to summon Wright for eight minutes while four starters played 39 or more minutes.

Now 0-2, you'd think Nelson would have to give guys like Randolph and Belinelli a chance Saturday in New Jersey. We'll see.

RAPTORS 112, WARRIORS 108 (OT): The Warriors couldn't hit a shot with the game on the line in Wednesday's opening loss to New Orleans. Friday at Toronto, they couldn't hit 15 of them. Missing all but one of their next 16 shots after taking a 93-88 lead with 3:30 to play in regulation, the Warriors found themselves eight down -- and well on their way to 0-2 -- before snapping their 1-for-16 slump in the final minute of regulation. Corey Maggette, clearly the designated go-to player with Baron Davis no longer around, missed six shots -- all in regulation and one, in the final second of regulation, with the game tied, prompting overtime.