OAKLAND – A few weeks ago, DeMarcus Nelson never expected to be in the building, to be anywhere near the Warriors during the season opener, not unless someone offered him a ticket and directed him to a seat in the stands.

Why would he? He was often injured in college.

He was ignored in the NBA draft.

He struggled during auditions in July.

He was still unemployed in August, and as recently as a few weeks ago, was just another non-guaranteed invitee to the injury-depleted Warriors' training camp. Yet here he was in Oracle Arena, in the starting lineup. In the starting lineup.

"Yeah, I think about it," Nelson said before the Warriors lost a 108-103 squeaker to the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday, "but it's something I've always felt I had an ability to do."

Since his days as a prep standout in Vallejo and spectacular, do-everything senior guard at Sheldon High School, Nelson has prepped to seize the NBA moment. Four years at Duke. Summers huddling with Bobby Jackson. Endless hours in the gym and weight room. Almost as many hours rehabilitating the thumb, ankle and wrist injuries that disrupted his four seasons with the Blue Devils.

But this league is all about timing and injuries. Yours, theirs. And politics.

It didn't hurt that the Warriors lost guards Baron Davis to free agency and Monta Ellis to a wrecked ankle, or that Warriors vice president Chris Mullin has been friendly with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski since their days with the original Dream Team. And Nelson, who has had tryouts with several other teams, is intent on expanding his skills and sticking around, no matter how long the starting gig lasts.

Just a hunch here, but not for long. DeMarcus Nelson is a physical defender and an erratic outside shooter. Coach Don Nelson likes defenders but loves shooters. Guess who wins that affair? The younger Nelson appears to be listening and learning, though.

While he was benched a mere three minutes into the game – after being exploited by the taller Peja Stojakovic for two jumpers and a leaner – the 2007-08 All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection responded with an impressive flurry of his own in the second quarter. He hit from the right wing and twice cut underneath and elevated for acrobatic, one-handed layups. He deflected the ball from Hilton Armstrong for his first NBA steal, and just before the halftime buzzer, launch- ed a floater that bounced up and in.

"He got better every day," said Nelson, the coach. "I asked him to look to create a little bit more instead of always looking for his drive, to find people, and it kind of opened the whole thing up for him."

At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, with short legs and unusually long, muscled arms, the younger Nelson has the size, strength and quickness to play in the league. The question is where to play him. In an ideal season, he is probably best-suited as a third guard, sort of in the Bobby Jackson mold. In an ideal season, Nellie experiments with his rookie at shooting guard and small forward, maybe mixes in a little power forward. In a rebuilding season, when late turnovers and imprudent passes turn games (see Wednesday), well, whatever gets him on the floor.

Asked whether he had spoken with his former coach, Krzyzewski, Nelson nodded.

"Knowing the mountain I had to climb to get to this point that seemed so high," said Nelson, "coach was real excited for me. I persevered and got over it. I'm here."

Call The Bee's Ailene Voisin, (916) 321-1208.