The Dubs hit the floor runnin', read my thoughts and share yours

Hudson - I can't believe you are praising Hudson while prosecuting Pietrus. Minus the game winner, I think they deserve to be on the same boat, at least for this game. I disagree when you said, "The few times he drove to the basket he either converted a layup or kicked it out for an open look." He missed a couple of those lay-ups and I don't remember him kicking-out. He is money from the FT line tho. But didn't we have the same problem with Monta. Once he drives, expect him to shoot. He does gives us one plus tho, he can step in when Monta struggles/disappear.

Pat Burke - love his videos. Unfortunately, he's better working with Thunder than Boom Dizzle.

Croshere - love the hustle. I have a feeling he'll get a chunk of playing time until he wears out his welcome. Yes, I would love to see Lasme and Wright, but for what he has shown me this game, I'm not ready to protest against him just yet.

Tierre Brown - It looks like we're not gonna have a Matt Barnes story this year. Again, he is just reminiscent of what Monta brings to the table, just a lot less. He did look more like a PG to me than Hudson tho.

POB - It's probably a strength problem but Bynum and Mihm were able to push him really low on the block. He compensates for having that long arm but once he face the like of Dwight Howard and Boozer who will be looking to slam it in, he'll have a real problem. On the plus side, he showed alot of hustle hence the 12 rebounds and 3 blks. Hopefully he keeps it up.

Buike - We already know the starters looked good but I just want to zone in on Buike. Based on this game, he looks like a more polished Jrich minus some of those hops and heart. He's not short on hops tho as evident on what we saw last night. But what I really want to talk about is rebounding, that's what I like about this kid. He follows through whenever someone shoots the ball. That increases his chance of getting the rebound and he came away with 9 tonight.

Belinelli - That fade away off the screen will be a deadly weapon once he starts making it regularly. I would still want him to try and square up because that improves his markmanship but if he can master it, he'll be "unstoppable baby." Good all-around performance. his D was good but I can see him costing us alot of offensive rebounds. Also, I wish he'll  be more explosive driving to the basket. He's athletic enough but it looks to me he wants to avoid contact and passes the ball when he sees a defender closing in. I would like him to draw the foul every now and then since he's one of the better FT shooter.

It was a GREAT pre-season game that gave us almost everything. Starters looked really good. Buike and Belinelli was able to hold up that SG spot..etc. Still, it leaves us wanting some, especially with regards to the rookies. But it feels good to know the season is just around the corner.

Some laker tidbits:

Kobe is one deadly scorer. I hope he remains happy/odd/frustrated and plays his 'whine' games with the Lakers organization.

Coby Karl looks like Silas from the DaVinci Code.

Javaris Crittenton looks like Dave Chappelle's lost brother.

Buike:  Man that guy looked great.  Ball handling, shot selection, court awareness, rebounding, intensity and mad hops have made him a lot better than last year.  Buike was really refreshing to see as the direct replacement for JRich.  He should be perfect for the SG, especially now that he knows he has something to lose.

THUD:  He's the best 3rd string PG in the NBA.  I'm stoked we picked him up as a back up for BD and Monta.  Let's just hope when we need him, it's so that we can rest the starters because they are winning by 25 in the 4th.

Belinelli:  He looked sharp.  We saw a tiny dose of what he is able to do.  Court awareness is off the charts, his "coolness" is fun to watch, he has a hair trigger release with good results and he isn't afraid to grab the bull by the horns.  Belinelli reminds me of a combo of John Paxon and Ray Allen.  Hi basketball IQ with a little athleticism and a great touch.

Barnes:  He looked rusty.  His foot is killing him and it showed.  No worries in the long run though.  He tried to do a little too much, but once he gets back on the bike, he'll remember how to ride.  At the least his mistakes all had to do with what was a good idea, he just didn't execute as the case with some bad passes and missed shots.  Just give Matty some time and he'll be fine.

POB:  Looks like he had a slight chip on his shoulder.  Was it me or does he look like Marcus Camby?  You could tell things were making sense to him instead of over thinking everything and screwing up because of it.  He ran the floor very well, moved around the key well, blocked and changed shots, rebounded well when 1-2 defenders were around him and he looked more at ease and not so tense.  I think with the combo of getting demoted to the NBADL and getting NO LOVE at all from Nellie, POB realized he had to step it up or he would be gone really quick.  Let's just hope he can do the same next time out.

MP2:  Same ole same ole.  He is truly a bench player that will help out, SJax, Beli, Barnes, Harrington and Buike.  He needs to learn how to dribble, he needs to learn how to take a shot that isn't on the baseline and he needs to work on his D.  He used to be the man on D but now he worries too much about his baseline 3 pointer and what funny thing he'll say on TV.

Pat Burke:  He wasn't bad, but he won't make the 12 man rotation.  The 15 man rotation, yes.  He's a guy that hustles, pounds and throws off other teams opponents like Yao and Duncan enough to help his team out.  Sorry, but I don't see Burke suited up too much this year.

Austin Croshere:  Another guy who wasn't too bad.  I see him coming in to land 8-10 minutes a night where he will probably get you a 3 here and there along with a couple boards.  He played just like he has his entire career last night-good, but not bad or great by any means. Brandan Wright will eat up his potential to play more.

That leads me to this.  Who is going to be the 12 man vs. the 15 man roster?  Is there enough room for a guy like Burke, Lasme, Perovic, Brown, Powell on our 12 man roster?  If Lasme stays, that means Croshere, MP2 or POB is gone.  The Dubs have A LOT of players that are good.  It's a good predicament to be in, but it should be interesting nonetheless!  Go Dubs!!!